THE PORIRUA WHISKEY FRAUDS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 7342, 5 December 1884, Page 3

THE PORIRUA WHISKEY FRAUDS.

ARREST OK ALL CONCERNED,

Tho sheriff, Mr Ebenezer Baker, accompanied by a posse of his officers and two troopers, went to Porirua early yesterday morning for the purpose of arresting the three principals concerned in the late Porirua illicit distillery cases and their six bondsmen. The arrests, with one exception, were executed at the respective residences of the defendants at the Small Farm Settlements, without the slightest trouble or resistance on the part of the meo, who were brought into town shortly after three o’clock yesterday afternoon. The principals are George Taylor, who was orignally charged with having an illicit still iu his possession, William Thompson, charge with having conveyed about forty gallons of illicit whiskey, and Thomas Morgan, similarly charged. The offences were committed on the 27th and 28tb November, 1882. The accused were brought before the Resident Magistrate's Court, Wellington, on December 6th, 1882, and were convicted by Mr McKerrow, Inspector of Distilleriev. The chief offender Was fined £2OO, and his accomplices £]oo each. Pending an appeal the men were liberated oh bail, their bondsmen b ing Mr George Taylor, William Taylor, and F. Leman ; George and Henry Thompson became bail for W, Thompson; whils John and George Morgan stood surety for Thomas Morgan. The cases occupied the attention of the Supreme Court with varying results until Msy last, when the Grown appealed against a decision of Ills Honor tfie Chief Justice, who tried the case in the Supreme Couft ou the 13th August, 18§3, giving it in favor of the defendants. The appeal was heard before the full Court in May last, aod went against the defendants. The Crown has sinee moved for judgment in banco against George Taylor, which, not being satisfied, writs of attachment on Tuesday last were issued against principals and bondsmen by a Judge of the Supreme Court, end placed for execution in the sheriff's hands. AU the principals and five of the bailvnea were arrested yesterday, and a sheriff’s officer was left behind the party to apprehend the ninth man. It will be interesting to learn bow the costs in the case have mounted up since the original penalty was inflicted by the Resident Magistrate, Mr Hardoastle, which was in the aggregate £4OB, or in default six months’ imprisonment iu each instance. Young was fined £2O), and the writ ns executed yesterday was endorsed for £267 7s 6d. Tho other men, Thompson and Morgan, were mulcted in tho sudo of £IOO each, and the present claim against them is in the case of Thompson £lB7 4s 2d, and in Morgan’s case the sum of £123 5s 2d. Thus it will be seen that, irrespective altogether of their own individual coats for defence, &o„ no less a sum than £ll7 18s lOd has been incurred by the men iu addition to the original fine of £4QO, The total arnpnut for which the defenrianle and the'r bondsmen are liable is therefore £s]7 16s lOd. Of oonrse the amounts for which the men are respectively liable wtjl bp diatpibpted betiyeen the principals and their Individual sureties.