MELBOURNE CAFE RAIDS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 65, 22 July 1913, Page 6

MELBOURNE CAFE RAIDS.

A FINE OF £25

[By Electric Telegraph-Copyright] [United Press Association.]

(Received 9.50 a.m.) Melbourne, July 22

In connection with the recent raid, the manager of the Cafe Francatelli, was fined £25 on each of three charges of soiling liquor without,a license.

[Some light may be thrown o : n the above by the following extract from a letter which, on 19th June, formed one of some half dozen contributions , to a discussion on “Dancing and Mortality” that has recently been a feature in the correspondence columns of the Melbourne “Age” Quito re- - cently I went to a midnight supper fon a Saturday evening) at one of Melbourne’s most fashionable and costly public eating houses. The hall was thronged with a gorgeous crowd of the jeunesso doree of the metropolis. I counted among them at least a score of well-known female “leaders of society,” and as many more notorious derni-mondaines graced neighboring tables. The scene was brilliant, the atmosphere Bohemian ; an air of subdued excitement animated the gathering. I rubbed my eyes. “Am I really in MelbourneP” I asked myself. Nothing unusual occurred, however, until 'somb time' after midnight-charring a general 'drowning of the licensing laws irt ‘Bumpers of'champagne; ; »Tfieh some of the central, tables were ro- > moved, apd an exceedingly pretty little -girl appeared, who gave, a distracting , pxbibi-tion ,pf, sinuous , dancing,, ntufe' ~wprt>y p&,s9 -H;foulin;.Robgc. fhfr performance encouraged. a prominent vice-regal*” functionary to execute a pas sent; 'which apptovjod, his feet and ■legs more eduhatef, ;t|jah'bis intellect.' It was' enough. Within a; few min-' utes the assemblage was afoot and atrip. The dancing remained orderly for a while, indeed it was never pcsi- ,, tiyely iud«9ent»; but as much cannot bo. said for thp; conduct of the dan--cers. During the evening (I should : pfa&im' morning, too) they! their adornments, and engaged ip. a battle of flowers, and pelted each othd’r with other things, also—-gliyes, ,for ,gx- _ ample, and pellets of brCau. Dames of ■the tipper crust and ladies of the ‘<n|ther sphere rubbed shoulders in an uppecognising camaraderie that would have charmed the hardest-hearted Anarchist. Now and then couples would disappear unchaperoned.']