A PINE OF 'FIFTY POUNDS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7110, 23 April 1910, Page 1

A PINE OF 'FIFTY POUNDS

KEEPING LIQUOR FOR SALE AN ASHBURTON CASE. P3KSS ASSOCIATION. , ASHBURTON, April 22. At the Magistrate's Court to-day Albert Whitaker was lined £SO and costs on a charge of keeping liquor fur sale in a no-licenso district. ALLEGED- BREACHES OF LICENSING ACT. MASTFRTON CASES DISMISSED. TEGM OUB OWN cobeespondent. MASTER!OiS', April 22. At the S..U. Court, tins morning be-, fore iur (J. <J. uraham, a.nx., two more oases doaung with auogod breaches of tins Jjioousiug net were urouglic uy the police. in one ' case in which. William Ciuxstie was oliarged with having ortiorad liquor for another person residing in the no-hcenso area at -'casta non. without leaving given in writing the name of the person for-whom the liquor was intended, the sergeant of police apparently lost his 'case through eutteavourmg ' to do accused (a poor man) a kindness by putting .him to as little expense as possible. Sergeant Miller said that accused called at the police station in retorciico to liquor seized at a icortaip place and made a written statement to the affect that he had been given £1 by a person in Masterton with which to purchase four .bottles of whisky, obtaining the same and delivering them to the person concorned. This was all the ovidon-ce, and upon Sergeant Miller putting in this written statement Mr 11. K. Jackson, who appeared for accused—the latter having 1 pleaded not guilty—said that the charge .must fail as there was no proof that accused did not give an order in writing properly signed to the parson from whom the liquor had been obtained, ■ the latter not having been, called as a witness.

Tho iSorgoant; “If lam called upon to produce this witness I must ask for on adjournment of the case. I could very easily have obtained him, but as accused is a poor man i did not want bo put him to any more expanse over the matter than possible. .1 thought that the clear written statement of accused was suffioiant evidence without bringing a witness from Carterton, and thus probably, in the event of ac wised being found guilty, .putting him to additional expanse.” The magistrate said that the granting of an ■'adjournment would not he fair bo accused. The sergeant should have been able to produce the witness in question in .court. Tlie Sorgaant: “Oh, very well; that oan be easily done. Tills pomes of trying to do a person ,a' kindness.” Mr Graham: “I dismiss the case, without prejudice.” The second case was one .in which Thomas Ridgway was charged with having received an order for liquor within the no-licenso a-roa of Masterton on April 2nd last. Accused was represented by Ml Lavory, of Carterton, and pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Miller said that on April 9th there had been a lease asainslj accused and the order produced in that oaso -had been written by - accused, though signed by another peraon, and delivered.

Mr Lavory said that he did nob intend to call" any evidemse. .The accused had not received a.n order for liquor; .ho had simply taken an order, at the request of another person. to W. Burrudge, brewer, of Carterton, and anyone was entitled to do this. Tiro magistrate agreed with counsel and dismissed the case.