Magistrate Dismisses Two Liquor Charges

Northern Advocate, 27 May 1940, Page 2

Magistrate Dismisses Two Liquor Charges

Procuring liquor for a prohibited person and assisting the prohibited person to drink it were charges brought against Francis William McMahon in the Whangarei Court today. McMahon pleaded not guilty, and, after hearing evidence, the magistrate (Mr Ferner) dismissed the charges. Constable Snow said he had seen Edward Albert Mills, a prohibited person, with McMahon, wno was carrying a parcel of two bottles of beer in each hand. He had followed them to a vacant section and had seen them drinking from a bottle of beer. McMahon had told him he had not known Mills, who had since gone into camp, was prohibited. Mills had made a nuisance of himself in the town and had tried to induce other people to procure liquor for him. In evidence, McMahon said he had known Mills by sight and to speak to for a fortnight, and had only known his name for three or four days prior to the charge being brought against him. He had not known he was prohibited. To Senior-Sergeant A. Henderson, McMahon said Mills had not asked him to procure the liquor and he had asked Mills to have a drink as JVTills was leaving for camp. “The matter is suspicious to say the least and the police were justified in bringing the charges, but the evidence is not sufficient to warrant a conviction,” said the magistrate in dismissing the charges.

Holy War.—A Cairo message says that preachers in the Mosques throughout Egypt, after mid-day prayers, told the Moslems to prepare for a holy war to aid the Allies.