Included in the pile of old documents from the Dutton family homestead, Anlaby , at Kapunda , South Australia , were some relating to an investment opportunity in Papua Plantations Limited , the chairman of directors of which was Stephen S. Ralli . Another director , R. T. Melrose , may have been in partnership with H. H. Dutton in a Morgan pastoral property . Of all the many people mentioned in the collection , Ralli was selected to follow up , and hit an unexpected jackpot .
By Peter Simon
A search of the National Library of Australia newspaper Trove turned up a unique 1902 court case involving Ralli, owner of Weracata Station , Balaclava, South Australia . He was charged with a breech of the law pertaining to the import of a small quantity of pure mustard oil from India , ordered through an agent , worth two shillings and eightpence , not 30 cents , the duty on which would have been sixpence , five cents .
The four tins in which the oil came , each containing slightly more than a pint , attracted attention when it was noticed that Jail was printed on them . The court documents said it had been produced at His Majesty's Presidency Gaol, Calcutta , India . The newspaper report explained mustard oil was said to be very efficacious in sickness.
Ralli pleaded not guilty and was defended by Mr A. W. Piper who obviously thought the charge was absurd , describing the hearing as being " like a French court . " Nevertheless , the Crown Solicitor , Mr J. M. Stuart , was a high powered King's Counsel.
Under cross examination , a Customs Officer, with 29 years' experience , said it was the first time he had known mustard oil to be impounded . Further more , the officer agreed he had never been to Calcutta, been inside the prison mentioned in the charge , nor had he ever been inside any other gaol .
Piper pounced on the witness , "Then you have never known Ralli to threaten to poison all of South Australia , have you ? " Laughter ensued in the courtroom . No , was the reply . The sympathetic bench decided to cut the mustard frivolity by imposing the lowest fine possible , five pounds , and did not impose costs . Wonder if Stephen Ralli , apparently interested in early automobiles , was related to the rich Greek Ralli Brothers dynasty which had widespread interests in commerce , banking , produce in Russia, India Britain , America and elsewhere ?
