POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XII, Issue 3292, 5 April 1879, Page 3

POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY.

(Before] W. Kiaseb, Esq., .E.M.) Illegal Sale op Liquob. — Robert Hale was charged that he did unlawfully sell liquor, to wit, brandy, at Tairua he not being licensed so to do.—Mr Miller appeared for the plaintiff and pleaded not guilty.—Patrick Nolan (a young man) deposed that he was a barman at the upper landing at Tairua. On the 14th ult., the day before the Tairua regatta, he went down to the lower landing and had some liquor at the mill kitchen. The liquor was brandy, and was sold to him. The defendant had charge of the mill kitchen, and it was he who sold witness the liquor. He paid 6d for the glass of brandy, whioh ho purchased after dark. There were two others present with witness. Their names were Richard Billings and William Kiggs, and they also had brandy, for which witness paid. The total amount ho paid for the drinks was 35.-By Mr Miller: We travelled over from Tairua with Mr Halo. He did not say to Halo that he knew nothing of the case. Ho was employed at Wilson's hotel, Tairua, but did not take any liquor down from the hotel U the lower landing on the 14th. Ho did not havo any drink at any other placo than at Hale's. Tha restaurant was separated from the mill. Ho slopfc at Hale's the night previous to the regatta. Ho paid for the drinks separately from the money for the beds. Witness was positive that Halo served the liquor.—By Mr Kenny: He did not lay tho information against Hale. A constable came to him and said that he had heard he (witness) had obtained some liquor from Halo, and he was required to appear against Halo,—Wm, Eiggs do posed that he was a bushman at Tairua. He was in Tairua the night befoie the regatta, and was iu Nolan's company that evening Ho was drinking with Jfolan

and Billings, Ho had no brandy from Hale, only some hop beer. Ho did not seo Hale sell or sorvo any brandy He had some brandy in tlio room where they were going to sleep. Mr Hale was not there while the brandy was being drunk, but he was there afterwards, to see whether they had enough blankets. Ho came over from Tairua with tho Constable, Hale, and Nolan. -By the Bench: Ho did not see any money paid for the drink. Billings asked him to have a drink of hop beer, but he was not sure who requested him to drink the brandy. I Mr Kenny said the man Billings was away in Auckland, and could not be served with a subpeena. Ho had to adduce no further evidence—For the defence, Kobert Halo deposed that lie kept the restaurant, at the Tairua mill. Ho remembered tho 14th ultimo. He saw the three men on that day, and supplied them with hop beer. At tho request of a Mr Bennett he supplied tho pnrty with liquor; but refused to take the money that Bennett offered. He was in the habit of keeping brandy in case of sickness, &c, but never accepted any money for it. He denied having suppliod brandy to Molan. The 3s which Nolan mentioned might have been for raspberry, hop or ginger beer. Ho admitted having supplied brandy to the regatta supper. He intended to have pleaded guilty to the charge of selling liquor on regatta day.—At tins stage of the proceedings the case was adjourned to 2 o'clock for tho purpose of enabling the police to lay an information against Mr Hale for selling liquor on tho loth ult. On resuming Kobert Halo was further examined, the police wishing to satisfy themselves of tho first case before preferring a second information.—The witness, examined by Mr Kenny, stated that a few days before the 14th he had purchased a few flasks of brandy, but they were all consumed before that date. Ho made the hop beer himself, Some days previous to regatta day he had purchased ten gallons of beer from Wilson's Hotel,— Constable Joyce, stationed at Tairua, doposed that he had made some entries of the liquor sold to Hale by' Wilson. They were obtained from Wilson's book. — John Wilson, publican at Tairua, deposed that during March and February ho had supplied liquor to Hale.—This was all the evidence adduced.—The Magistrate said he had received a communication from the Union Sash and Door Company that no liquor would be sold by the people of the restaurant, and yet this regulation had been broken by Hale. He would request tho police to withdraw the other charge, and defendant would be fined £10 and costs.