CHARGE AGAINST A PUBLICAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 308, 21 May 1913, Page 8

CHARGE AGAINST A PUBLICAN.

REMARKABLE STATEMENTS. At the Hawera Magistrate's Court on' Monday, Walter Valentine, licensee of the Manutahi Hotel (for whom Mr. G. : H. .Ryan appeared) was charged by the police with having on or about April 3, supplied liquor to a person (Thomas WaW) already in a state of intoxication. Detective-Sergeant Siddells prose-' culed. Thomas Wall gave evidence that when he went to Manutahi on March 22 lie had £2 on him and a sum of £4O 10s 6d at Waverley. He stayed at the hotel until the following Tuesday, when he went to Waverley in a motor ear with Mr. Velentine. From the Saturday to the Tuesday witness spent the hint of h:s £2 at the hotel. On the Tuesday witness got his cheque for £4O His Od at Waverley from Mr. Muir and handed it to Mr. Valentine. They then returned to Manutahi. Witness got no change for his cheque at Waverley nor on the Wednesday. After returning to Manutahi he drank beer and continued to do so for three weeks and was never away from Manutahi, where he remained until April 14. While there witness was sick for four or five days, the cause of sickness being liquor. Witness was supplied with liquor whenever ho asked for it by Mrs. Valentine and at times 'by Mr. Valentine. About April 14 Valentine told witness that his (witness') money ,ha<l'run out When Valentine told witness lie gave him a sovereign. Witness' state was then bad through liquor. While at. Manutahi witness was never properly sober and he did not remember any day on which he was not supplied with liquor. Paid no bills at Manutahi and made no presents. Witness give Valentine his cheque and got no return.

Witness might "go on the spree" once in eighteen months, but had never hefore spent his cheque "on the spree." Witness had taken a prohibition order out against himself. Constable H. D. Armour, of Patea, stated that he had interviewed Valentine on April 21, and informed' him of a complaint Wall had made. Valentine, in answer to witness, said: "Wall came to the hotel about March 23 'on the wine.' When lie had been there a week he owed me £lO. I had lent him some money. Wall went to Waverley and returned the same day with a cneque for £4O 16s 6d. Wall paid me £lO and I gave him back £3O in notes and gold. Wall was never drunk in my house, and was never laid up for a week, but shouted for all who came along and gave his money away. He paid £1 for board and lodging, but I do not know what he paid for liquor. When Wall had been there for about six' weeks he said he would go away and I gave him £6, but he stayed another few days and I gave him another £l. I gave Wall £37 in all. Wall had drunk most the first week, but afterwards had chiefly drunk small shandies. After coming back from Waverley Wall was bad for a few days through eating tinned fish. Mrs. Valentine gave him every attention and made soup for him. Wall was' all right when he went away."

Constabhv Benjamin O'Brien, Waver- s ley, gave evidence as to having seen Wall apparently suffering severely from the after-effects of liquor, and witness hod accordingly brought him before the Magistrate had had him prohibited. Wall had made a complaint to him. Wall occasionally went "on the spree," but was not a man to throw his money away. Witness had known Wall for a number of years. For the defence Mr,, Ryan contended that to prove the charge against his client the police must prove conclusively that Wall was in a state of intoxication when the liquor was sold to him. This, he claimed, they had not don«. Counsel admitted the sale of the bottles of beer to Wall, but said that the latter was then perfectly sober, and contended that a general inference must not be drawn, but that direct evidence must be given that Wall was intoxicated when he received the liquor. Elizabeth Agnes Valentine gave evidence as to the purchase of six bottles of beer by Wall, who said it was for Charley Harridan. Wall later handed back the beer to witness, who put it behind the bar to keep for him. Wall was perfectly sober, and had been to Mokoia that day to look for work. By Sergeant Siddells: Did not remember saying that Wall had lost his beer, and could not understand how she could have made such a mistake. Wall had been made ill through eating tinned fish and peaches, but the whole time he was at the hotel, witness had not seen him fthe worse for Hqnor. Wall could not expect his money to last long at the rate he spent it, 'but witness had no power to stop him—she could only advise him not to be so foolish with it. The Magistrate said he would like to go through the evidence and look into the cases quoted, and he would probably give his decision, on Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock.—Abridged from the Star.