After an investigation which has occupied the British Court for 10 days—seven in the Police Court, and three in the Supreme Court before his Honour Judge' Grain and a jury, the trial of A. C. Mack on charges of the theft of liquor and casks, belonging to Giesel & Ca., was concluded on Wednesday. The public seats in the court were fully occupied on We morning when Mr. H. P. Wilkinson (Crowa Advocate) resumed his—cross-examination of the accused. He elicited the admission that, while acting as assistant to the Receiver in the bankruptey of Reids, Ld Me., Mack bought from Reids and sold _to Giesel.
"That is an extraordinary proceeding," his Lordship comment-
"T was only helping the Receiver to dispose of the goods," accuser replied. "I purchased on my own behalf, not in an official capacity."
Counsel.—And you got Tls. 100 a month for it?
Witness.—I. was paid Tls. 200. Seeing an opportunity of making money, I purchased a lot of the goods which were saleable.
Counsel.—And you sold at a profit Witness.—Giesel sold at a profit.
When counsel suggested that Reids had not made a success of "stretching" liquor, witness replied that he could not quite agree. They made a success, but their expenses were too heavy.
Dealing with the sale of vermouth to Blumenthal, counsel asked:—"Are you suggesting that, for the sake of $1,000 profit, an old established German firm, coming back after the war, would engage in this risky business Witness.—I am not "'suggesting' that. It is a fact, and has been done.
Counsel.—Your case is that Giesel knew, and was prepared to take the risk? a Witness.—Yes, that is a genuine fact. We were to dispose privately of the Noilly Prat and substitute for it Marte Noyon vermouth purchased at a dollar from the Mercantile Bank.
On the question of sales, couasel asked: "It is difficult to sell faked liquors to clubs and messes, 80 yoy pass the puck to small Chinese restaurants, or send the stuff up country? Selling spurious, liquor is, more difficult, because there are more people to share the profit than in the case of decent stiff?"
Witness—Yes, but we have market shroffs who dispose of it in different places, in addition to the Chinese.
In answer to further questions, witness insisted that the vermouth. was removed from the godown with the knowledge of Giesel and in order to shield him. He went ea to say that the story told by Mr. Horbaez, with reference to the interview at Giesel's house (in which accused was said to have admitted theft of the whiskey, then at "his mother's house), was a deliberate untruth.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.