RUM AND COFFEE

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8998, 9 November 1907, Page 4

RUM AND COFFEE

The London coffee stall is not alwavs a coffee stal' pure and simple. It "may be a centre for the sale of ilri.uk, 'more particularly rum, aftethe public-houses are closed. Since April, Inland Revenue men have been "shadowing" offenders, with the result- that this week two coffee-stall keepers and an assistant have been before the Tower Bridge magistrate, when they were dealt with as follows:—Walter Selby, fined £2OO, or six months' imprisonment; Stephen Hughes, assistant, £3O and costs, or two months; Thomas Baker, £2O and costs. Some precautions, naturally, were taken in selling the rum. The ordinary customer, who asked for "a corfee, guv'nor," got it, and paid a pennr. If the customer demanded . "a strong coffee," and put down twopence, he got coffee with-a little rum in it. A request for an strong coffee," accompanied by the pay- . ment of threepence, produced coffee . with more rum in it. Sometimes j the medium was tea. In Solby'sease the rum was sold neat only. Mr Simpson, who prosecuted, said the matter was serious because of the extent to which coffee stall keepers were carrying on the practice. Percy B. Reushaw, a preventive officer, gave evidence that on August 22nd a man who was with him purchased a quartern bottle of rum from Selby for sixpence. They drank the ruin at a coffee-stall, then witness purchased another quartern to bring away, paying Id extra as deposit on the bottle. Mr Armstrong, for the defence said all that the defendant did was to put a littlo rum in the coffee sometimes without charging for it. Selby's assistant, a man . with a ruddy face, said that on the Saturday night before the arrest he purchased ten quarterns of rum. Mr Armstrong : What was it for?— For our consumption. * "For your consumption, as well as the defendant's. Well, you look as if you drink rum." (Laughter.) "Yes, my allowance is four quarterns from Saturday night to Sunday night.'' (Laughter.) •'Good gracious! And you're still alive." Laughter. "Yes; and I could do with another four.'' Laughter.

A curious of the case against Hughes was that when the arrest was made the defendant passed a bottlo of rum to a preventive officer, and suggested that he should say he brought it to the stall with him. Of course, lie did not know that the man was a preventive officer. Mr Hoptou, the owner of the stall at which Hughes was arrested, said he had no idea that, the defendant had been selling rum.