ANTI-SHOUTING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 4, 29 September 1917, Page 8

ANTI-SHOUTING

SUCCESSFUL POLICE RAID.

Constables Scarry and Brown, of the ■Mount Cook Police Station, were recently detailed to detect breaches of the antishouting regulations, and the success attending their efforts was disclosed in the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr. S. J3. M'Carthy, SJM. , „ , Jean M'Whirter, barmaid, of the Grand Hotel, for whom Mr. M. Myers appeared, was charged with selling liquor to one person for consumption by others. According •to the evidence, the two constables who had visited eight hotels ing the evening and indulged in "soft drinks," one taking claret and lemonade with a.variation of "pony" beers and the other port wine and lemonade, with one or two beers in between, were in the Grand; Hotel when three artillerymen in uniform entered the hotel just, before closing time, and one of the men paid for tho drinks consumed by the three. | .Tlio defendant Jean M'Whirter stated that she was acquainted with the antishouting laws, and had on many occasions refused to'supply drinks unless paid for by those who intended to consume them. She had no knowledge whatever of committing' any breach of the regulations on the night in question. Mr. Myers protested against the method*, of the police, which, he said, amounted, to a public scandal. His Worship was asked to say that evidence given by two constables who had been drinking at seven or eight hotels was reliable. I hey had been drinking at the expense of the taxpayers and their evidence \ should be disregarded. Mr. Myers further contended that it had not been proved that defendant "knowingly" committed any breach.' I His AVorship said he was satisfied that the two constables were sober when they went to the Grand. Hotel. It was not for him to say that the methods of the police amounted to a public scandal. Ihe regulations were- made by constituted authority and it was the duty of the police to'seo that they were, obeyed. Defendant would be fined ,£5 with costs. On the application of Mr. Myers the fine was increased to £5 Is., and security for appeal' was fixed at £W. ' Bridget Foley, wife of the licensee of -the Cricketers* Arms Hotel, pleaded guilty to a similar charge. ,Mr. H. 1' • O'Leary, who appeared for . defendant, said that on tho date in question Mr. Foley was ill in bed, and defendant had received bad news regarding her son at the front, consequently Tier mind was not normal at the time owing to family worries, and lie asked the . Mnsistrate to take this into consideration. The.defendant was fined and costs. The cases against Kathleen hrancis, ol the Clarendon Hotel, and .Charles l<rederick Priest and Marv Priest, of the Terminus Hotel, wore adjourned, the former till, tho end of October, and; the latter for a week. .