AFTER HOURS.

NZ Truth, Issue 143, 14 March 1908, Page 5

AFTER HOURS.

THE BARMAID AND THE

BOOK,

New Zealand's Leading Penciller.

Up Before a Victorian Beak.

An attractive barmaid, a Maoriland penciller, and the . proprietor of a Melbourne wine cafe were m evidence before Mr Dwyer, P.M., at the District Court on Thursday (says Melbourne .' 'Truth"), and afforded the satirical beak with material for a fe.v of his perennial quips and jokelets. Edward John Pellew is the licensee of the Australian Wine Depot at 174 Exhibition-street i and he was charged with permitting persons to remain on his licensed premises after hours. About one o'clock m the morning Constables Berriman,, Halletfc. and Byrne entered the. premises^ and found Mr J. Loughlan, said to be a leading New Zealand bookmakelr, haying a cosy supper with __»vetr al ladies, among whom was a specially esteemed friend of -his. Miss Eva > Mackenzie, a fine-lookin# i»irl, who is employed as barmaid. It was not suggested that any of the party, had been LOOKING- AT. THE WINE when it was red, but the John Hops wanted to know what Loughlan was up to. He had ho right on lio*n___»i__ premises at such "wee sma' oors." An explanation was forthcoming. Thf knight of the pencil was a lodger,, who had booked a handsomely-fur-i nished sleeping apartment containing a comfortable double bed. One ofi the Johns reckoned they knew Loughla:* was- staying at the Grand. Hotel* another said he was a Melbourne! Coffee Palace ma_t, while' the third! was sure he had seen his name on the visitors' list at the Victoria -Coffee Palace. Anyhow, it was decided |to inspect the wine cafe bed-chamber* where they found a double bed and! nice furnishings, but no, luggage.. They also heard Loughlan say- .goodbye and make, a get. They were^ however, given to understand he had! merely departed- for more supper* They thereupon demanded to see the lodgers' book, which was produced, with "J. Loughfian" written therein.;

STILL THEY REMAINED UNSATISFIED,

and took proceedings under the Licensing Act., For the defence. Miss Eva . Mackemzie entered the witnessbox, She is a tall, fair girl, with a full face and rounded limbs, altogether prepossessing, and was costumed ill Up-^o-date style; She said she had known. Mr Lpughlan for five years, and had\first become acquainted .with him aft an hotel, where she had been one ot the Hebes who dispense the liquid nectar. She swore of her* own knowledge that he had slept at the wiiie cafe on the night m question. Her "own knowledge" consisted of seeing him go to his room and lea^e the premises next morning. . , Mr Dwyer said the case had some peculiar featuresi but it was just the kind of case one' expected to find associated with a T^ine shop 'at-a'-ouar-ter to one o'clock m the' morning. There was a most ATTRACTIVELY FURNISHED BEDRCtoM on the premises— aiotfc forgetting the double bed'— and there* was, according to the . book produced, an inundation of lodgers. The double bedroom hail the appearance, it seemed, of a bridal Chamber, and it could be nrocured, with all its furnishings, for Is. The lodger Loughlan had been changed 2s, if the book was to be believed, but that was an exception. Probably Loughlan had been attracted to • the" place by his charming friend's residence thereat. As men >pf the world, he and his colleagues oh the Bench "would have to draw their own inferences, and look at things as they presented themselves to their minds. A fine of 60s would be imposed, m default distress.