WESTON-SUPER-MARE GAZETTE 17 April 1858, John Stone Wall
Axbridge County Court, April 12.
The number of
plaints were about 60. Many were devoid of interest.
The following case of Sandy Sweet, beerhouse keeper against Mr. John
Stone Wall, both Wedmore men, convulsed the court with laughter from
the droll manner in which the plaintiff gave evidence and proved what
a Wedmore man could and would do.
Particulars
of the demand were as follows:
Mr John Stone Wall Dr to Sandy Sweet
| Date | £. s. d. | |
| 1857 Aug 3,4,5,6,7 | 100 quarts beer 6d per quart | 2.10.0 |
| 1857 Aug 3,4,5,6,7 | for tobacco | 0. 0. 3 |
| 1858 Feb 22 | for cider | 0. 2. 10 |
| 1858 Feb 22 | for tobacco | 0. 0. 2 |
| 1858 Feb 22 | for breaking three glasses | 0. 1. 6 |
| 2.14.9 |
The evidence went to show that the defendant had an independant property of £300 per annum and that he went to the beerhouse of Sweet and stayed there during five days treating all who came there; he gave beer away two gallons at a time to persons who were assembled in front of the house and said he would not go until he had cleaned the barrel out, and had 100 quarts.
The defendant in his evidence admitted he was drunk every day during the time and he did not believe that he had a tenth part of the liquor; in fact, he did not know what had been had. He was willing to pay what was fair but he thought Mr Sweet's bill rather ronkish by which he meant that Mr Sweet had stuck it into him too tight for his frolic.
Mr Millard, solicitor appeared for the defendant and contended that his client had not had the liquor that he was in a state of intoxication during the time and that the beerhouse keeper was liable to lose his licence, and that no beerhouse keeper ought to be upheld in such conduct.
The Judge said it was disgraceful in a respectable farmer, who had business to attend to, to lie about in a state of intoxication at beerhouses for days together and he severely lectured the beerhouse keeper, Sweet, saying he was a disgrace to himself as well as to the parish in which he lived and that he ought not to have allowed any person to have had liquor in the state of intoxication the defendant must evidently have been during the time he was at his house and mulcted him in a great portion of his bill giving a verdict of £1.4s.4d.
Note:
mulct, mulkt
noun a fine; a penalty.
verb transitive to
fine; to swindle; to deprive (with of):
past participle mulct'ed or mulct
Latin mulcta a fine.