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Town Edition.

A BOTTLE OF BEES.

SUPPLYING A PROHIBITED

PERSON

A FINE OF £5

TBefore Mr P. L. Hollings, S.M., to;day Percy Wilfred Snowden pleaded i not guilty to a charge that he did procure liquor for William T. Both- . veil,, whom he knew to be a prohibited person. He was defended by Mr •;T. F. Helling. . " Sergt. O'liar a explained that the incident in question occurred on the tr-orning of Wednesday last and was witnessed by Constable Byrne. The defendant and Bothwell came to Blenheim that day from Seddon on the train and subsequently they were together in Wynen Street. Snowderi wont into the Workingmen's Club and f bought a bottle of beer and a bottle of whisky, and the two then went along to the railway station. The bottle of beer was placed behind the v door in the waiting; room. Bothwell was called as a police '•witness, but he denied that the liquor was procured for him. He did not : ask the defendant Mjy&t the beer tor him, and the defenf#c dtoot offer to do so. -r . i Sergt. O'Hara referred to a signed ."Statement made by Bothwell at the {.olico station on the Wednesday. This statement was not made hi the ■presence of the defendant, and the sergeant was not entitled to put it in as evidence, but at various stages qf the case he indicated that the stateToont contained direct admissions. Alan Smith, steward at the Workiiigmen's Club, said that he served the defendant with the bottle of beer and bottle of whisky. The defendant came and saw him in the Club that day, and the witness told him that he" (Snowden) hadi, in view of this case, been suspended from the membership. - . Constable D. Byrne said that he • ■saw. ■■'the defendant come; out of the club and approach Bothwell. -, The • defendant had the bottle of beer in his coat pocket. The witness follow-' ed them up to ttio railway station, ;and, looking round, he saw the bottle of beer behind the door of the wait-ing-room. Returning to the. waitingroom he found that the bottle had bfeen shifted from off the seat to the floor further behind the door. He accosted the defendant, who first denied and then admitted that he 'had bought the beer for Bothwell; paying for it himself, that he did not think one drink would do the , man any harm, but he was sorry, and would not do that kind of thing . again. The evidence of the accused, who said that he was engaged, in chaffciitting and threshing, consisted of an absolute denial that he made any admission to the constable. He got both the beer and whisky for himself, and took both away with him on the return train. Bothwell did not go back to Seddon with him. He put the bottle of beer behind the door in the waiting room, because it j was inconvenient to cany it- around , while he handled his luggage. He j was fully aware that Bothwell was prohibited. No suggestion passed between him and Bothwell that he should get liquor for the latter. His i shifting of the bottle had no reference to the constable's presence at, the station. He removed it from the seat because he trought it would be safer on the floor.

The Magistrate said he was not satisfied with the defendant's explanation. From Contsable Byrne's evidence and the surrounding cireum- - stances he believed that the defendant got the beer for Both well, and that, finding he had been "bowled out," he admitted to the constable what he had done and tried to hush the matter up. His Worship could not, understand why the defendant should want to take the bottle out of his pocket at all if his intention was to take it away in the train, or why, after some conversation with Bothwell, he should think fit to shift ifc fco another position in the waitingroom. The whole thing looked very suspicious. He could not believe "that Constable Byrne'would come to Court and invent the evidence that he had given. The evidence of Bothwell was very unsatisfactory.' . It appeared to be the evidence of a man who did not want to say anything, because he might get himself into trouble. He must enter a conviction. He had no patience. with an offence of this nature. To procure liquor for a poor fellow who was addicted to drink and had no control over himself was a very bad form of mistaken kindness. A man who did that would, when the ease was proved, get no sympathy from him. would be fined £5, with "9s costs. ■ • ■. ■

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MEX19191121.2.44

Bibliographic details

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 274, 21 November 1919, Page 8

Word Count
775

Town Edition. Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 274, 21 November 1919, Page 8

Town Edition. Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 274, 21 November 1919, Page 8