INGENIOUS THEFT OF WHISKY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3745, 3 February 1913, Page 5

INGENIOUS THEFT OF WHISKY.

INTER ESTING IN VERCARG ILLCASE.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM] INVERCARGILL, Jan. 31. Arthur B. Cook was charged at the Police Court to-day with the theft of ten gallons of whisky, valued at £l4, the property, of the Invercargill corporation.

Accused pleaded guilty to the offence, which was- committed on January 27.

Mr. Eustace Russell, who appeared for accused, said that on the day previous to the one on which the offence was committed both the accused and another man named McQuarrie had been unloading casks of whisky from the s.s. Invercargill on the jetty and then carrying them to a store. On the day of the information they purchased a keg of lieer from one of the depots, ancl having consumed the contents, proceeded to the jetty with the empty keg and an auger. Thev got under the wharf, and McQuarrie placed the auger between two flooring boards and bored a hole through ono of the casks, letting the whisky run into the empty keg. When it was filled they stopped up the hole, proceeded home, consumed some of the liquor, ancl bottled the remainder. By this time they were considerably intoxicated, and made a second visit to the jetty for more of the whisky. While getting the “return” they had allowed a quantity of the contents o be run on the ground beneath, and this resulted in the theft being detected. He asked for probation. His Worship cbuld not see his way to grant probation and sentenced Cook to three months’ imprisonment, and allowed McQuarrie’s case to stand over until a future date.