SLY-GROG SELLING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14277, 18 August 1910, Page 7

SLY-GROG SELLING.

THE GERALDINE PROSECUTION. At Geraldine on Tuesday, Mrs Sarah. Mulhern was charged before Mr V. G. Kay, S.M., with keeping alcoholic liquor for sale in a no licence district. bub-Inspector Green prosecuted and Mr Johausen appeared for defendant, who pleaded not guilty. Constable Bingham gave evidence regarding his observations of the numbers of people going into the Crown Hotel on certain days. On the 13th last mouth he watched the place, and between 2 o'clock and 4.30 he saw close on fatty go m a]K i uear i y as mauy come out. the majority remained in from two to live minutes. Most of them were local residents. He had known people to come from there smelling very strong of whisky. He had known men to go there sober and be under the influence of liquor on leaving He saw no sign of liquor on the men who left the house on the 13th Julv, but several made more than one ' visit. Later on lie laid an information and obtained a search warrant which was executed on the morning of the 27th July, Constables Murphy, McLean, and liaroki assisting. A decanter containing .sherry was in the bar among soft drinks and there were some whisky flasks that appeared to have been recently emptied. In a small room there were some French wines (champagne and claret), and a case containing five bottles of whisky, said to belong to a ledger named Broad. Broad, a working man, had been staving at the hotel, but was not doing so at the date of the search. In another room was a barrel containing ]i q „ 01 . of &ome kinfl M] . s JMulliern said she kept the slierrv in the bar for her own use. Reginald Hill, clerk to Maling and Co., limaru, testified that his firm had supplied liquor during the last few months and the list included Mrs T Mulhern (defendant's daughter-in-law) 2 bottles whisky, 17th May, and one mi the ]3th June; Mrs Mulhern 5 bottles of beer, 6 of whisky, and one of brandv on 7th J, lne . 8 gallons of beer on 13th .Tune; Mr Broad one case whisky ].3th June. i R \ F - King, lk-ensee of the Winchester Hotel, produced a list of Honor he had sold. This included—T. Mulhern 3 bottles of whiskv on 19th July, 3 bottles on 16th : Mrs T. Mulhern one caso whisky on 4th, 2 bottles on 28th June: G. Broad 2 bottles whiskv 7th J ™e, 3 do sth Julv. 3 do 12th Julv These witnesses were recalled 'later

by the Magistrate. The former could not identify any of the bottles found as sold by him, the latter said none of them were those sold by him. In defence Mrs Mulhern showed invoices for the wines dated during the license period. The sherry she kept for j sickness and for cooking purposes. The 1 Magistrate said she need not go into j the matter of the barrels. The day I of the constable's watch was a sale day, \ 1 and there "were 83 in the dining room ! besides boarders. Broad was accustomed to stay at the house and he kept whisky there for his own use. She took orders to Timaru for other people as she was going and the parcels were all delivered by the carrier at her place, i the others fetched them away. j G. Broad, labourer, said he made I the Crown Hotel his home off and on.

He ordered a case of whisky on June 7th giving Mrs Mulhern the money to get it. and be bad two eases in May. He had plenty of friends to help him drink whisky. Mrs T. Mulhern stated that she gave her mother-in-law an order to get a case of whisky, and her husband fetched it from the hotel.—His Worship said it appeared that they had had five cases and eight bottles'in three months, an extraordinary quantity for a man earning 7s a day and with six children to keep. Witness: AVell I did not | sell any. H Williams (employed at the hotel) proved that a ease of whisky brought on June 9th was for him. His Worship said lie should reserve his decision, urobably it would be some time before he gave it. As there was an appeal it was probable lie would not give his decision for a month —till the appeal was decided.