ALCOHOLIC ASHBURTON

NZ Truth, Issue 578, 15 July 1916, Page 11

ALCOHOLIC ASHBURTON

Where Bull Buried the Boozg

A Plant m a Stable

(From Christohurch Rep.)

A mild example of what cait be ex- j pected to punctuate the social atmos- i ph'ere of New Zealand If the "shlcks" • o'clockers ai\d anti-"shouters" succeed j m denting the better-sense of our politicians, was dished up at Ashburton last week, when Frank Bull and his GO per cent, were paraded m the local S.M.s Court, before Magistrate Day, and asked to explain their possession of ; A PLATOON OF WHISK Y,i m face of wlre-NYblskered wowsers who dominate the wishy-washy district, having decreed that Ashburton should contain no saleable gargle stronger than weak tea. Senior-sergeant Ryan, who prosecuted, reckoned Frank and the lady Bull kept whisky for sale, and Lawyer Buchanan, who appeared for the oppressed, Avas equally emphatic about the bottled fire being merely for Bull's private enjoyment. The Senior-sergeant set the ball rolling by telling "Beak" Day that the "John Hops" had had thalr periscopes ! on Bull's house at AUenton for some i tlmo past, and had scon numbers of men going there. On lune 11, the narrator and an understrapper set wr.tch and observed men going to the house and, after staying there a while, come away again, with a fresh outlook on life. A little party also slithered up m a taxi and. after one of tho men went Into the bouse and then rejoined his pals, the buz/, coach buzzed hack to town. In addition, tho weikln was contorted by the cheerful and unmistakable sound of a bottle being opened. As a consequence of the collective sounds and other phemomena, the Sen-ior-sergeant and another constable visited the place later on and paid their compliments to Mrs. Bull who, In answer to the question of The Law, as to whether there was any liquor m the house, replied that she thought there was a bottle In the next room. The police wandered about the yard and, m a stable, the board floor of which was covered with chaff, whipped up their perscrutative faculties and out out a few planks, under which was found an excavation CONTAINING THE HIDDEN ' TRBASURR Bull then happened on the scene of tho discovery and mentioned that there were only thirteen bottles In the excavation, whereas the police had found sixteen of the best. * Replying to Lawyer Buchanan, the Senior-sergeant admitted that Bull's house was In a license urea, nnd that he had told Bull he could keep fifty bottles of grog on his premises so long as there was no suggestion of it being sold. In answer to another question, witness said he had never heard of farmers "planting" bottles m hedges so that their wives wouldn't know tlmt they had a. little gurgle un the Q.T. A couple of constables gave corroborative evidence, one saying- In answer to counsel that Bull had explained that he kept the whisky lit the excavation because It was cool tlu»re. The case for thfi prosecution was corked up at this stage and, before the S.M. dismissed the Information against Mrs. Bull, Lawyer Buchanan unatoppered the defence, which was to the effect that tho police evidence foil short of the Pllmsoll by not mentioning when the whisky was purchased or showing for how long that uunntity would fulfil BnM'a privates wains. Bull was In a good financial position, und It was not unreasonable for a man In such circumstances to have a case and a half of Whisky on his premises. His wife refused to nllow the liquor to be stored In the house and It was on that account that Bull kept It under the stable floor, where It would keep cool and be In no danger \)t being stolnn. At this »iag« the S.M, dismissed the came /itfalnst ttw lady, who was than called us a witness and said that she did not know how much liquor waa on the premises, although 3ho refuaed to have It In the house, and, on that account, lu'r hutjband, who sometimes POLISHED OFF A BOTTLE A DAY, made v no.tt for It In the atable. Frunk Mill! told the S.M. that he obtained the liquor threw days before tho raid, two of the bottles being bought by him for v chum. On tho day of the raid he wus driving to town, when a IMil mot him and wanted to buy v huitii- and Bull returned homo to show him the nnlnwl. When ht* arrived, the police were there. Ho hud Intended to BO Into the country In a few dayK* time and was going to takt? the whisky with I him, and In the meantime he concealed I It tit (ho stable In entie thieves might try to "pinch" It. IK>, thought lie wuh duing no harm, especially m view of ! i|t(» H*>nlor-sorj:<;>ftnt having told him j that he could hay« fifty bottles, so Urns lan ha didn't try ami nell It, v thing I which hi> denied having dune. . ! A wltiijM was then culled to show 1 that two of the bottles l\:ul been puri chused for him, at Mr rouueat and «a ! n favor. j The S.M. reckoned that th« liquor ! found wuh out of till proportions with j that which would have boon on the promises for ordinary purposqs. and he could therefore convict. I*wyer'Btichanan urjjed leniency, e»---j jH'eially m view of Bull having unlisted j unit been accepted. j A lint? of £I« and caul* wns Imposed.