STIGGINS COMES TO LIFE.

Shannon News, 1 August 1924, Page 1

STIGGINS COMES TO LIFE.

"HOT-TODDY" AT GRJEYMOUTH. POLICE ARRIVE BEFORE KETTLE BOILS. . T ~ On the grounds that three men found on his premises had been invited there by him to take a hot coddy. Thomas Milligan, licensee of the Gilmer Hotel, who appeared at the Magistrate's Court, Greymouth, before Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., recently denied two charges, one of opening his premises for th e sale of liquor aftei hours, and the other of exposing liquor for sale after hours.'" The Magistrate said there was not clear enough evidence for a convici Three men had been invited in by the licensee. ■ They had no right to be there but the licensee was within his rights in inviting them. The case would be dismissed. "Well, I suppose' the story of the hot toddy is all right," said the Senior Serjeant. "The evidence is that the men were brought in for it," said the Magistrate, "and I can't convict on mere suspicion." "That is so," said the Senior-Ser-geant. "But w e shall never be able to catch defaulting publicans if they can escape "this way."

"We could no no more on the evidence," said the Magistrate. "The men had no right to be chere but they were asked by the publican, and the evidence is that they had only one drink, at his invitation/' . "But they were there half an hour," said the" Senior-Sergeant. "Quice so," said the Magistrate, laughing. But it took a quarter of an hour for the kettle to boil!" Minchin, Alderton, and Anderson, each charged with being illegally on licensed premises after hours, were as first offenders, each convicted and ordered to pay Court costs'7/-.