THROUGH THE KEYHOLE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1928, Page 4

THROUGH THE KEYHOLE

AN OBSERVANT CONSTABLE.

A AYOAIAN AND WHISKY

NAPI'OI, Jan. 26. At tlio Napier Police. Court yesterday morning, before Air J. Hewitt, S.AL, Margaret Stevenson appeared to answer two charges of breaches of her prohibition oiMeiV T?i rough Air L. A. Rogers she pleaded not guilty. Constable H. White stated that he had occasion to visit defendant’s house to execute warrants of commitment. Ho could not make himself heard and found the doors locked. On looking through a window, however, he saw defendant and a man drinking whisky. On a sideboard there was plenty of liquor. He also saw through the keyhole that drinking was going on and the man and woman were kissing and spnee/.ing each other. He called out and knocked again, but got no response. "Witness then unlatched the front window and went inside, where ho found defendant in an intoxicated condition. She told witness that Air Rogers fiai| arranged to pay the amounts of the warrant. In the meantime the man who was drinking disappeared, but later, in company with defendant, witness saw the man. but defendant denied that she knew him or had been drinking with him. Mr Rogers: Is this your usual procedure when you go to arrest anyone? Not necessarily. Instead of going straightforward to the dour you looked through the win-

dow and keyhole ( Exactly. And you captured tt flask which you presume contained whisky.'— A vs. Did von find out the name of the mail ? - An. Yet you knew he was guilty of supplying liquor to a prohibited person ? 1 could not prove it. How long did you do Ibis peeping? —About 15 minutes. You arrived there at the critical moment? —A es. A\e had a telephone message that she was drinking. Do you suggest that she was drunk when you brought her to my office?— She was intoxicated. Was she drunk?—She was intoxicated. T have no power to arrest an intoxicated person unless in charge of a oar. I ran arrest a person for drunkenness. Oh! That’s the difference, is It ? Yes. Air Rogers said he did not propose to call any evidence. He was quite prepared to allow the ease to go \)ii the evidence given. William Robert Cook, probation olliror. stated that lie understood that defendant bad a sister at Karamea, where there were no hotels and little chance of gelling liquor, and if she wont there she might be better. His Worship agreed that liquor was her trouble, and she migot be all right if site went away. He adjourned the ease for a fortnight to •enable defendant to get away to her sister, but be warned defendant that it she did not go she would go to prison. ——mmmmtmammma