A RAID ON SLY-GROG SELLERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11937, 10 January 1901, Page 2

A RAID ON SLY-GROG SELLERS.

WHOLESALE SEIZUEES IN THE CLTJTHA. For some time past stories have been current regarding the prevalence of sly grogselling in the Olutha district, notably in the town of Balclutha itself, and latterly the parties concerned are said to have been conducting tho business so openly that it could only lead to one result. So confident had the liquor-sellers become- in Balclutha that interruption by the arm of tho law seemed only a remote possibility, and whou the blow fell yesterday morning consternation reigned supreme. For some time past preparations had been made, and the inspector of police has had a private detective in the Clutha district carefully noting the doings of the liquor-sellers, and taking stock of who obtained liquor and who did not. This gentleman was regarded by the native 3 as a visitor from Home, who had come out here to forward the interests- of some particular business he was connected with. Needless to say, the " business" was

hypothetical, and the real object of his presence in Balclulha was to collect evidence for a prosecution for ely grog-selling. From Balclutha. he took a trip to Owaka, and then, after exploiting Clinton, went round by Kolso and Tapanui. At the late place he could nof but be astonished at the unwonted sobriety of the inhabitants as compared with other centres of population in the district. Finnlly, when the psychological moment arrived, the inspector rose to the occasion. How 5 to convey a dozen and a-half policemen to

different parts of the Clutha all at once without exciting suspicion was-a task not unattended with difficulties, and, with a view to future possibilities, the modus operandi must not be divulged here. It is sufficient to say

that about 6.30 yesterday morning 10 policemen, armed with 6earch warrants,- crossed the Mclutlia traffic bridge and invaded the prohibition capital simultaneously. They seized all the licuior they could find at tho Railway Hotel (Vial's), 'the Farmers' Arms (Bain's), the Criterion (MacDonnoU's), the Crown (Allan's), and at Marshall's lemonade factory. Altogether a cartload of beer and whisky was taken possession of, and as the Licensing Act provides that any person on whose premises lirnior slin.ll be found must show that it was not kept for sale, the result of yesterday's raid must inevitably be a number of prosecutions. At Owaka, Richardson's bnnrding-hoiiFC and a place kept by Mr Vial, sen., were raided, and a quantity of liquor found there. • « At Pukerau the premises owned bv Mrs Walsh wero searched, with the result that liquor was found and sejzod, while Mr Dunnett, of Kelso. is in a similar nnsition. At Tapanui a solitary bottle of whisky was unearthed, and this may be taken either as a compliment to the sobriety of the resident* or a. proof that their subtilty has a greater denth than that of the inspector of police. We understand that n special sitting, of the Magistrate's Court will be he'd at Balclutna on Friday, the 18th inst., when charges of sly grog-selling will bo heard, and the seizures raado yesterday will doubtless have an impprtant bearing on the cases. Owing to the vigilance of the gentleman referred to above a number of Clutlm residents who least exrjected it will find themselves in the witnessbox as Crown witnesses, and no small amount of mental perturbation exists in Balclutha just now as to who will get a subpeena next.