ALLEGED ILLICIT STILL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22259, 11 May 1934, Page 9

ALLEGED ILLICIT STILL

♦ - , ■ ' —-;•■ • : ;. ; CHARGE AGAINST; FARMERS" A VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY. ;/ (Per United Press Association.,) ' rNVERCARGriiLi-May .10/ A verdict of not guilty wae returned to-day.by the jury in the.case in which William Allan Alexander Mfßae : and his son, William Robertson' M'Rae, of Dunsdale, farmers, were charged "k with being concerned in unlawfully inaking spirits, and the accused weredischarg^di Counsel for the defence (Mr Eustace Russell)j in his. address to";the jury, said that there was not a 'tittle of direct evidence against either of the accused. The new' still, which was of excellent construction, was extraordinarily well concealed, and the smoke- was carried away by a -long 'funnel into: the bush. The accused said that-they did' not know the still was there.' An area of old ploughed land had reverted/to- practically a barren state, and; therefore, the M'Raes would seldom have occasion to go there for feeding stock. Counsel • submitted that - whoever used- - the ' still worked at. night. Evidence of this was found in a lantern- discovered at the still. There was no positive proof such as analysis to show that any whisky found was illicit whisky. He commented on discrepancies in the police evidence regarding the identity of milk cans produced in court. .' 1 In reply, the Crown prosecutor (Mr H. J.' Macalister) said it had been proved that there was a large still in full operation within eight chains of the accused's property.'lt Was, insulting the intelligence of the jury to suggest that there was any doubt that the still was used for the making of; whisky. . Then there was the evidence that 'an old still had been found on the accused's property. It was precisely similar in design to the other still. Doubts had been cast whether the whisky found was really " Hokonui." If the jury took the bottle .in court to the jury room and tested it in any way they liked they would have no doubts.