WEAK COFFEY

NZ Truth, Issue 1181, 19 July 1928, Page 5

WEAK COFFEY

* Daniel Who Came To Judgment (From "N.Z. Truth's" Temuka Rep.) When ©Constable Southworth, having occasion to visit the Royal Hotel on a recent Sunday morning, found m the bar one, Daniel Cbffey, he naturally became curious, and had a few pointed questions to ask. AS a result, the said Daniel came to ** judgment, appearing before Magistrate C. R. Orr- Walker m the Temuka court, charged with being unlawfully on licensed premises aftei* hours! Coffey, who conducted his own defence, indignantly denied the implication. Sergeant Dwan fired the guns on behalf of the police. Constable Southworth gave evidence to the effect that, on going into the hotel at 10 o'clock on the morning m question to inquire if a certain man was staying there, he opened the door of the bar and walked m. He found defendant and a barman there, and on the counter was a decanter and an empty glass. The barman had a torn pound note m his hand. Cleaning Operations Coffey refuted the charge. He stated that, having been engaged the day before to clean the car, he accordingly put m an appearance at the hotel on the Sunday morning. He went into the bar with the barman to obtain some cleaning cloths, but he, certainly did not have a drink, nor had he any intention of having one. ; While m the bar, however, his companion pulled a mutilated pound note out of his pocket and said jokingly: "Here's a rag for you!" They were discoursing on the subject of torn notes when the constable interrupted the currency debate. Magistrate Orr-Walker: "Wore you discussing the question as to whether you should use it as a rag ' or not?" Coffey's reply intimated that he would not think for one minute "of using even a torn pound note to clean a car with. The magistrate found Daniel's story somewhat hard to believe, notwithstanding the realistic touch of the torn pound note, and ordered Coffey to part with two hard-earned notes (not the torn variety) towards swelling the coffers of the country.