“MUST HAVE MY BEER”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 845, 13 December 1929, Page 11

“MUST HAVE MY BEER”

MAGISTRATE STOPS ALL SUPPLIES ANGRY OLD WOMAN Not content with having obtained prohibition orders against her husband and brother-in-law, Emma Lockwood applied for an order against her mother-in-law at the Police Court this morning. The mother-in-law enlivened the proceedings by protesting vigorously, gesticulating and abusing petitioner with zest. Emma Lockwood petitioned for a prohibition order against Mary Lockwood. It was mentioned that petitioner had already successfully applied for orders against her husband -and brother-in-law. “What does your husband think of all these orders?” queried Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. Petitioner: I don’t know. The Magistrate: Are you separated from him? Petitioner: No. The Magistrate: Does your mother-in-law live with you? Petitioner: No; but she abuses me. “That’s the drunkard,” shrilled Mary Lockwood, an old woman, pointing at her daughter-in-law. “She buys 5s worth of brandy at a time.” Sub-Inspector McCarthy said that the Freeman’s Bay police would know something of the situation and the case was about to he stood down when the magistrate noticed an elderly man standing quietly behind the excited respondent. “Who are you?” he asked “I am her husband,” he answered indicating the respondent. . The Magistrate: Does your wife drink? Lockwood: Yes, an order would help her. Mary Lockwood turned quickly to her husband, waving her arms about and calling out. Stepping to the Bench she looked again at her daugh-ter-in-law, still in the witness-box. “There’s the drunkard,” she cried again. “I drink only a pint of beer every day. My husband doesn’t drink at all " The Magistrate: How about giving up that pint and taking out an order. Respondent: No, I won’t do that. I’m an old woman and I can’t do without it. Beside, I couldn’t keep an order and I don’t want to take one out and break it. Petitioner: She’s an old woman and a little gets her very 'excited. The magistrate made the order, threatening to send the old woman to Pakatoa if she broke it. “Ah, you couldn’t get me there,” she said, and was with difficulty coaxed from the court by her husband, still calling out, and addressing remarks to the petitioner, who walked behind her, apparently quite unperturbed.