SLY-GROG SELLING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11854, 19 May 1909, Page 6

SLY-GROG SELLING.

Tn the case against Dennis F. Barry,' laborer, at the Court this afternoon, accused stated he was m his tent on the 291 h April, when he had a visit fn.ni Constable Scott. He sulked him if he .sold beer there, and witness replied that he ti'id not. The constable said his mate had just got a bottle off him. Witness said his mate might have got a bottle of hop beer, and he could have the same if he wished. The constable said he was bad after a "booze," and wanted a recovery. — His Worship : Did he look very bad?— Witnes s: No, he did not.— Witness said, "Barry's beer is the best recovery I can give you," and the constable accepted 1 that. Witness drew the cork and poured a glass out, which the constable drank. He asked the charge, and witness said 6d. The constable produced a 2s piece,and witness gave him Is 6d change. It was Barry's hop beer that he gave the visitor. It was a small lxittkV, and not like those produced. The constable returned again after tea; and asked for more beer, as his mate was very bad. Witness again told him he could not get beer, but he could have hop beer, the same as before. The constable said that was no- good. He then a.sked for a book, and witness gave him one. Witness was a laborer, working continually on the line. the last month he 'was barbering, a"nd had averaged over £3 a week. By Sergeant Hutton : He got a dozen Lotties of Ward's XXXX beer for hi< own consumption. He did not hear "Nlalloy say, "That is the nark who put ns up for two-up at Springfield." W itriess was not mixed up m a two-up school. He was looking on. Witness Wits before the Court this year with other bi"K>kmaken<, and was fined. John if-Uloy slated that he was m accused's tent- when' the constable visited it about 6 p.m. The visitor asked if he could get a drink, and accused said he could not. The tonstable then asked for a book. By .Sergeant Hutton : Witness had not scon the constable before. He did not remember pointing him out to the sergeant as" the man who put him and others up at Springfield' lot & two-up school. Witness had never seen intoxicating drink supplied m the' tent. Burnard Corbett, one of the other men who was m the tent when the constable arrived, gave similar evidence. His Worship said he did not believe the evidence on the part of the defence. ll« believed it to be a concocted story from beginning to end ; but the evidence of the constable, to his mind, was given m a very straightforward manner, and his Worship believed him to be a witness, of the truth. He was satisfied beyond' all reasonable doubt that accused was guilty of the offence with which he was charged. ( 'This offenofe," concluded his Worship, "is a very difficult one to detect, and it is very prevalent m the Dominion, and when a case is proved I intend to make the punishment substantial. Accused will be convicted, and lined £30 and costs 7s, m default one month's imprisonment m the Napier gaol." Time to pay the fine was refusr<\. On the application of Sergeant Hutton, an order was made to confiscate Jthe property produced,.