LIQUOR CASES

Southland Times, Issue 19123, 15 December 1923, Page 5

LIQUOR CASES

BEER DRINKING AT A PARTY. A CHARGE DISMISSED. Charges of keeping liquor for sale were preferred against Amy Barrett at yesterday’s sitting of the Invercargill Magistrate’s Court, the dates of the alleged offences beSeptember 17 and October 13. Senior-Sergeant Scandrett prosecuted and Mr Reed acted for the defendant. Police evidence regarding a raid on the defendant’s house in Tweed street in response to complaints received, was given, and the liquor seized on that occasion was produced in Court. It consisted of two jars of beer, one of stout, and a number of bottles, mostly empty. Two men were also found on the premises under the influence of liquor. A list of liquor ordered for the house was also produced, showing that 123 gallons had been purchased in three months. The defence stated that it was admitted that the liquor was brought into the house by a boarder and defendant’s son, but it was denied that any had been sold. The night before the raid a birthday party had been held at the house and a good deal of liquor had been drunk there. . John Barrett gave evidence that he could drink about two gallons a day and he thought the boarder Brown, could drink even more than that. The defendant stated that she was powerless to prevent the drinking going on. The Magistrate said that, having regard to the history of the family as disclosed in previous cases in the Court, the sons had apparently carried on in a most dreadful manner. He supposed, no doubt, that the son did drink the enormous quantity of liquor he said he had. He thought he would be doing a wrong thing to ccnvict on suspicion only, particularly as Mrs Barrett would be liable to imprisonment. One knew enough about the family to know that, the son did drink like that. The case would be dismissed. CONVICTIONS RECORDED. For signing the name of H. Brown to an order for liquor to be taken into the no-license area of Invercargill, John Barrett was convicted and ordered to pay 17/costs. Henry Brown was charged with failing to sign his name to an order for liquor to be taken into the no-license area of Invercargill. A similar penalty to that inflicted in the previous case was imposed. Harry Barrett was convicted and fined 10/-, costs 7/-, for procuring liquor at the Garston Hotel and bringing it into the no- j license district of Invercargill without a signed order.