ON LICENSED PREMISES AFTER HOURS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 146, 9 March 1918, Page 8

ON LICENSED PREMISES AFTER HOURS

A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr. S. IS. McCarthy, S.M., Mark M Gastrin and William Scanlon, two hairdressers, were charged with being ,on liconsed premises, viz., the- Gresham Hotel, at a time when such premises were required to be closed. Inspector Marsack prosecuted. Constable Williams stated that on February 22 he was on night duty, and about ten minutes to 10 p.m. he saw the two accused come out of the Gresham Hotel. Witness ■ stopped M'Caskin and asked him if he was a boarder at the hotel; he replied that he was' not, and gave his name and address. He said ho went into the hotel to see a friend. Whilst talking to M'Caskin the other man went into the right-of-way leading into the back of Hayward's tailoring establishment. He followed tfie man, and opened the door in the passage-way, and saw Scan lon pick up a bottle or liquor from the ground. He refused to give his name, and appeared very indignant. He said he merely stood in the doorway of the hotel waiting for M'Caskin.

Cross-examined, witness stated that the two men said they were employed in. a hairdressing saloon, next door to the Gresham Hotel. He accosted M'Caskin first, as he came out of the hotel, and Scanlon followed immediately afterwards.

Mr. H. F. O'Leary, who appeared for the defendants, said that the two young men had a satisfactory explanation. The two were employed in Houldsworth's hairdressing saloon. M'Caskin suffered from asthma, and during the day he attended to a man from Westport, and in the course of conversation the customer said he knew of a good medicine for asthma, and if M'Caskin called upon him at the hotel he would givo him all particulars M'Caskin went to see this man after he had finished work on Friday evening. February 22, and obtained from Mni the particulars as promised. The details were written on the Gresham Hotel notepaper, and when he got the details he left _1.-.e hotel, and was stopped by th< policeman, to whom he furnished his name and address. The other defendant Scanlon was waiting just inside the doorway of the hotel for M'Caskin. Scanlon had earlier in the day bought a bottle of' stout, and secreted it in the passage-way leading to Hayward's, and it was llhis liquor that the policeman saw him pick up from the ground.

Evidence was given by both defendants on the lines of counsel's opening address. The Magistrate said he had no reason to doubt the explanation given by the defendants, and dismissed-the information.