SLY GROG-SELLING AT IDA VALLEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 6 May 1903, Page 73

SLY GROG-SELLING AT IDA VALLEY.

A "WELL-KNOWN RESIDENT CONVICTED.

For some time past tho police have had suspicions that s!y g:og-sallmg was being conducted to some extsnt at Tdsi Valley, ai.d ceriain investigations made about the end of ast month resulted m the issuing of a summons a?ainst William Wildron, d the firm of Spam and 'W'aldroti, of Ida Valley, and he was charged at the Ophir Court on Thursday, before Mr J. M'Enms, S.M., with having, on March 23, sold certain liquor— namely, beer— which he wa3 not dul-/ licensed to sell.

Inspector O'Brien prcs?cnt°d, and Mr Hanlon (Dunedin), with him. Mr Kirk (Nascby), dsfended, and pleaded " Not gui.ty."

The Inspector, in opening, said that defendant kept a boardir.g-house and a butclier's shop within a few chains of a licensed hotel at Ida Valley, and also kept a farm. The evidence, shortly stated, would go to show that on the njght of the 2otU March last, two men, who were in the employ of Spain and Waldron, had met Constable White, stationed at Poolburn Gorge, and. after Eome brinf conveiaat.on, the constable supplied them with half-a-crown, and th?y 'vent to the defendant's store. 87id were admitted by him. One or^e' f>d a " shandygaff " and the other beer. Both dnuki were supplied by defendant, who also, at the request of ons of the men, gave Gd worth of beer in a bottle. The halfcrown received from the constable was tendered in payment. The defendant took it, ard gavo them back Is charge. Both men then left the store, ard were met out-B-de by the countable, to v/hom they handed the bottle of beor end Is change. The constable, who had followed the twe men froci the placa of meeting to the store. \va3 an eye witness to nearly all that took place botwrm defendant ;ind the men inside — the window bind having been up and a bright hpht burning inside On the 9ih April early in the morning, Constables White and Eennedv searHifd deferdant'3 piemisea by virtue of a pearch warrant, and underneath tha counter, in the stcre a'.readv referred to, they found an 18-ga.llon keg of beer o.i tap, also a demijohn containing a quantity of port wine, and two bottles, each containing a- small quartirv of whisky, and on searching the back part of the premises they found fenr 18-gal!on kegs full of beer, and eoch one addressed to Pitrhe». hotelk»epcr, Clyde, care Spain and W aldr ' :n - Ida Valley. Those, the dt-fendpr.t said, belonged to Pitches, p.iid explained that he was simp'v a forward'n^ agent for that persoi. But. cor.ii-iue:! 'he inspector, the strange part of the business is t'^at the keg or tap ;n; n the storeroo-n was siirilarif addressed, and two emotv kegs, nl^o found oa the premises, were addresped; hkewi c c. Mr Fitches would be called, and he wcu'd tell the court that he lenew nothing whatever of the liquor in ouestioa. Messrs Hanlor: and Kirk CTO°s-exa mined the witnesses at great length find at the cos» of the cp?e for th? prevention Mr JTanlon irt'mpled that he d'd ro+ intend to call any witresses. Ho submitted that ths easa should be dismissed, and, m a Doweriul speech, endeavoured

to point out acd convince the court that the evidence of common informers should not be taken as sufficient upon which to convict. He also dwe.t on the fact that the corroborative evidence given by the constable was not of a satisfactory nature. The Magistrate s?id he considered the case proved. Ths witness's appeared to him to be truthful, and made admissions which told against themselves which th?y might have denied. He fined defendant £25, and costs (£1 14s).

Mr Hanlon then pointed out that the conviction meant the confiscation of liquor to the value of £17 10s, and pleaded for a reduction of the fine, which was afterwards fixed at £10.