POLICE COURT.—This Day

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1196, 22 November 1873, Page 2

POLICE COURT.—This Day

(Before Thomas Beckham, Esq., r'jj \ THE SERGEANT AT RAY William Ford, landlord of the Carpenters' Arms Hotel, Grey-street, was charged witl giving unnecessary delay to Servant Richard Sanderson who required to h admitted into that hotel on the mornino t the Kith instant, at 12.30 • thereby com mitting a breach of the Licensing Act. . Mr Beveridge, who appeared for defendant pleaded not guilty. ' Mr Broham conducted the prosecution on the part of the police. Sergeant Richard Sanderson deposed that he was on duty in Grey-street between the hours of twelve and one on the morning of the lGth, and his attention was attracted to the Carpenters' Arms by a light in the window, and voices inside. He went round to the back door of the hotel, and tried the door, which was locked. He then knocked for admittance, when the voices were lower and he heard stilly footsteps coming towards the door, and a voice asked, " Who's there'" when he replied, "the police," and the footfalls receded, and somebody said : " 'Tig D q no use knocking at the door any m ore » He kept on knocking without gaining admission, and then went round to the front part of the house and knocked there, but without success. He then blew his whistle, and Constable Allen responded. The door was then opened, he thought by Mr Gray, but was not quite sure, g|He asked to be shewn over the house, and upon being refused took the liberty of going up stairs himself. He saw men and women there. To Mr Beveridge : Before he knocked he observed a light in the lower room. Defendant appeared as though he had just got out of bed. He saw no drink about, but he heard it talked of before entering the house. The persons might have been lodgers ; he never heard that-ladies were allowed two husbands. Men had two wives sometimes, even in this country. He had a pretty sharp eye to such matters. Mr Beveridge addressed the Court, and held that there was not sufficient evidence to convict. The persons seen in the hotel by the Sergeant were lodgers, and his client was ill in bed at the time, and really knew nothing of the matter. It must have been a lodger the Sergeant had seen. Air Broham said he should not have brought the case forward had not defendant been insolvent to the police ; he was willing to withdraw the charge. His Worship remarked that he hoped it would be a lesson to hotel-keepers generally that they must not refuse admittance to the police. As Air Broham had consented to •withdraw the charge, the defendant, would be dismissed, otherwise he feared he must have inflicted a fine.

This was all the business,