BALCLUTHA MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16259, 17 December 1914, Page 3

BALCLUTHA MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

*• ■ - Wednesday, Dkcembeb 16. (Before Mr 1L A. Young, S.M.) A Liquor Case—James Robinson was charged (1) with keeping liquor for sale, (2) selling liquor, and (3) ordering liquor without giving the name and address of the person for whom it was intended at Balolutha on or about November 19. —Senior Sergeant Dart represented the police., and Mr Stewart the defendant.—lt was agreed to take tlie charge, of " keeping for sale" first.—The Senior Sergeant, in outlining the case, explained that the defendant received one case (12 bottles) of whisky on the 19th, and on the. morning of the 20th he could not account for' tho liquor when questioned by Constable Harvey, of Balo.lutha. He .was subsequently interviewed at Tapanui by Constable IfCnnon, and failed to give a satisfactory account of the disposal of the liquor. The Senior Sergeant explained that under tho provisions of " The Liquor Act, 1908," tho onus of proving that the liquor wae not kept for sale was on the defendant. He cited different oa-we decided in support of hie contention.—The evidence of the two constables was hoard, and tho case for tho prosecution closed.—Robinson gave evidence to the effect that he ordered and received tho liquor, but he could not account for its disappearance. Tho liquor was taken to the Farmers Arms stablee. He took out a bottle and left the case, and on returning later it had disappeared.—Counsel suggested that it might have, fallen into a hole and disappeared—Witness was eross-pxamined f.y Senior Sergeant Dart as to his meane and otherwise. —Mr Young said that the accused had failed to satisfy him as to the disposal of this liquor, and that no doubt the accueed had been used to obtain the liquor for sly grog shops. Ho must convict. Ho fined the defendant £25, with costs (/e). The two other charges were withdrawn. Adjourned.—A case against David Recdie, charged storing liquor at Balclutha on December 5, was adjourned to January 27. A False Document.—Frank Sydney "Wilkins, for sending a document purporting to represent a legal document issued out of a court of justice, was fined IDs nnd costs (7s). —The Magistrate made the fine light in view of this being the first offence in the cistncc.