HIS VENTURE IN SLY GROG

NZ Truth, Issue 1249, 7 November 1929, Page 10

HIS VENTURE IN SLY GROG

■ \ ■'.;■,.,■■■ ■ ; • . ♦ . — : ' . -> Billiard Saloon In "Dead End" Of Town Proved Costly End POLICE LOOKED IN ON THE PARTY

* (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative). Cloaked m the innocent guise of a billiard room was the rendezvous of many of the young and thirsty bloods of Otahuhu, ' wher£, f or a subscription, they could adjourn and drink their fill. The police became inquisitive, .and Thomas Carroll, the pro- ' prietor, is a sorry man to-day— his operations m sly-grog having cost him £17/14/2. •

: /""AIIROIjL. opened his saloon m what ; U is known as the "dead end" of and the result was that business was slack. \ Some of his friends were good enough to suggest a way to make things pay, and,, foolishly, he adopted their plan." ■ _ • From the time he staged what he called "parties," the thirsty ones began to call on him. The members of these parties paid for the beer by subscription, and Carroll had the liquor supplied by a firm of brewers. It was Constable G. J. Maloney, of. Papatoetoe, who became curious after he had received • complaints, and he visited the locality one evening. *\ : ' i& •■■'.- He saw a'man arrive and . hand a coin to someone for which he received a bottle of beer. When the constable looked through a window he saw some- men playing cards. He , went away, and returned later iii company with a sergeant, another constable and a search warrant. The police, however, found no liquor on the premises, but they did find 30

empty beer bottles m a back room of the saloon. A further 69 were brought to Hfent elsewhere on*the premises. In pleading for his client, Mr. A. G Quartley told Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., at the Otahuhu Police Court, that the offence was not the usual kind of slygrog selling. It was with the* idea of popularising the saloon that Carroll had undertaken to supply the men with liquor. It was admitted that there had been as many as 20 men present at the parties, and that would account for the finding, of 100 empty bottles. It would also be admitted that Carroll h,ad received 240 bottles, of beei m 15 ' days, and that the parties hac been held once or / more often eacl week. With the remark that it was deplorable that a young man should be let away by other young men, the Magistrate imposed a fine of £10, the balance being made up m expenses anc costs. On a second charge to which Carroll pleaded guilty he was convlctet and discharged.