A Terrible Crime.

Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 365, 21 January 1890, Page 3

A Terrible Crime.

A woman who lives by selling fruit a-j-1 r m feet jonery was brought up at the KiUroy tVictoria i Court recently, charged with the heinous offence of sell, ig a bottle of lemonade on tlie evening of a Sunday. The mformer was the Hev. S. Cuihlwrt. a Wesleyan minister, who deposed that in passing the defendant's shop oil the evening in question, he saw the defendant's •laughter supply a man with a bottle of lemonade. What a terrible crime ! One ean understand the good man's horror, and applaud Ins discharge of a public duty. It came out that he called at the shop next day, and advised the woman to plead guilty to tlie charge, telling her that if she did so an jpplication might be made to the Governor in Council, which might result in the reiiiiS'ion of any fine, or a portion thereof, if such w ere inflicted. The woman d d not take his advice, bhe employ d a solicitor instead, and facet! the magistrates. The man who •ad the lemonade was brought up as 1 * r witness, who swore that the young lidy, who was a personal friend of his, had asl.ed him to have a glass of It-i.ionade, winch he accepted, hut did lot pay for. Likely enough. But 11.-n the other thing was just as likely. 1 do not assert that the man committed perjury; the contention is that acres of men would do so uuder similar circumstances. In any case, the reverend gentleman would have been as profitably employed bad be continued his course homewards, and left the young mau to drink his lemonade whether paid for or not. In his endeavour to punish one sin, he at lea-t incurred the risk of burdening the worlo with another and still greater •in. The Bench decided that the evidence was not sufficient to support a conviction, and dismissed the case. Some may blame, but a far greater number will applaud tbat decision..