SUNDAY IN HOTELS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1915, Page 6

SUNDAY IN HOTELS.

SEQUEL TO THE RECENT RAIDS. A LICENSEE AND CUSTOMERS FINED. THE GROSVENOR' CASES FAIL. On Sunday night, August 29, Sergeant Bowden and Constable Bolton, of the New Plymouth police,'covered a special beat —a beat which took in several hotels, where the police suspected that liquor was being sold, though the Licensing Act provides that liquor must not be sold or displayed for sale on Sunday. The result of the visit of the police to the Royal Hotel and the Grosvenor Hotel ] was that several persons appeared at the ] New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., to answer charges of breaches of the Licensing Act. The hearing of the cases lasted the greater part of the day. The first case was against William George Emeny, licensee of the Royal Hotel, who was charged with selling beer on Sunday, August 29, and further with exposing beer for sale. Mr. A. H. Johnstone defended Emeny, who pleaded not guilty. Sub-Inspector Fouhy, who prosecuted, stated that on the Sunday night in ques-

tion Sergeant Bowden rind Constable Bolton visited a number of hotels in New Plymouth. They went to the Royal Hotel, and there found a slide lifted up, exposing liquors, while behind the slide was Emeny and in front of the slide were three men—Leslie Jury, Ronald Paul, and Douglas Cooper. Sergeant Bowden went into the bar, and found behind the slide four empty glasses, which showed signs of haying recently contained liquor. Sergeaat Bowden said that on Sunday night, Augfst 29, with Constable Bolton, he entered the Royal Hotel by the front entrance, and found three men standing at a slide which opened into the bar. The slide was lifted up and the bar was lit up. Witness heard a rattle of glasses, but he told the licensee not to move any glasses. Witness went into the bar and found four glasses, which were wet, while the slide was also wet. There had been alcoholic drinks in all the glasses. .While witness, was, in the hotel two pther men came in. To Mr. Johnstone: The bar proper of

tie Royal Hotel was a somewhat large one. The bar was .closed up, with the exception of a small slide, The men were at a slide in a recess o-ff the passage. There were no glasses on the slide, and witness saw no money.

Mr. Johnstone: They didn't know you were coming'did they. Witness: There arc some people you cannot surprise.

Mr. Johnstone: That is a sad commentary on the vigilance of the police. Did they know you were coming? •Witness: Yes, I think they did. Continuing, witness said that the defendant said the glasses were used in the morning. Counsel: Now, Sergeant, you know the difference between beer and whisky, so tell us what was in the glasses. Witness: I believe the glasses had contained whisky. Counsel: But you must know whether it was whisky or not. I Witness: No, I don't. It might have been brandy, and where would I be then? I will only say I believe it was whisky. Constable Bolton, who was with the previous witness at the Royal Hotel, gave corroborative evidence. To Mr. Johnstone: Witness thought the sergeant could be seen from the street. The easiest way to get Emeny

if he was in his private room would be to knock on the slide, and the best way for Emeny to come to anyone knocking would be through the bar and then to open the slide. To the Sub-Inspector: If anyone want-

Ed to get liquor the best place to go would be to the slide. .The open passage wa3 the most secluded place. To Mr. Johnstone: The jnen were really in an open passage. There were more secluded places. This closed the case for the prosecution. - CASE FOR THE DEFENCE. Mr. Johnstone said the Royal Hotel was not a modern house, and the proprietor's room was not situated in a convenient part of the house. On the Sunday morning Emeny rang up Jury, but Jury was out. On the Sunday evening Jury went to see Emeny, and Paul, who was at Jury's house, went also. On the way they met Cooper, who wanted to employ Jury's motor car, but Jury could not make an arrangement until he saw Emeny. Ihc thiee men, therefore, went to see Emeny. When they got to the hotel they knocked on the slide to get Emeny, who came and opened the slide. They had no and were discussing their business when the police arrived.

William George Dmr-ny said that on the Sunday morning he wanted to arrange a motor trip to Parihaka, and he rang up Leslie Jury, who was the proprietor of d. motnr car. A front sitting room which used to be a private bar was the room witness generally used, and he wa3 in this loom by himself on the Sunday. About 8.45 p.m. a knock came at the slide. Witness walked from the sitting room into the bar and threw up the slide, when he found that Jury, Paul, and Cooper were there. Jury asked witness what witness wanted, and witness said that he and Mr. O'Dowda were going to Parihaka next day and wanted Jury to take them in his car. They were discussing the matter when the sergeant and the constable arrived. Witness did not sell the men any drink, and they had not asked for any. Earlier in the evening witness had a drink with a lodger. The lodger had "a long shandy" and witness had a whisky. A few minutes afterwards the porter came to see if there wore any early calls in the morning, and witness gave the porter a long beer. He did not tell the constable the glasses were in the bar from the morning; he made use of the word "early." To. the Sub-Inspector: Everyone had to come to the slide if they wanted to see witness, who always used the sitting loom which connects with the slide. The men would not have got a drink if they had asked for it. Witness did not have his coat off, nor did lie have a towel on his arm.

Leslie Jury, a motor car proprietor, said that on the Sunday night Paul had tea with him. After tea witness said lie had to go and sec Emeny, and Paul went with him. On the way they met Cooper, who asked witness it' he was doing anything next day. Witness said he was going to see Emeny, and asked Cooper to come along with him and then go home afterwards 1 , as Cooper's wife was at witness' house. They went to the hotel, and were discussing a proposed motor trip to Parihaka when the police arrived. Witness had no liquor, nor did any of the others. He did not see any glasses on tho slide. Thomas Daviavn, porter at the lloyal ■Hotel, said fiat on. tap Sunday he kaeck-

Ed at the slide to ask Emeny if there I were any calls. Ho had a. long beer r while there.

Ronald Paul, an ironmonger carrying on business'at New Plymouth, and Douglas Cooper, a bushfcller, gavo evidence on similar lines to the evidence given by Jury. To the Sub-Inspector, the witness Cooper said Jury said to him that he had to go to see Emeny about going to Parihaka next day.

The Sub-Inspector: Is that what Jury told you, because Jury has said that he did not know what Emeny wanted? Witness: As far as I remember, that is what Jury Bald. Mr. Johnstone: Are you quite certain whether Parihaka was mentioned before you reached the hotel, or was it at the slide!

Witness: I cannot be positive. I know it was mentioned at the slide. This closed the case for the defence. MAGISTRATE'S DECISION. Tho Magistrate said that from the evidence he gathered a very strong suspicion that liquor was for sale that night in the hotel. The evidence of the police showed that they had heard clinking of glasses being moved, and there was the statement of the police that the defendant had said the glasses were used in the morning. The defendant had denied that he said this, but his Worship said he must accept the evidence of the police. Though his Worship had strong suspicions that the men had gone to the hotel to get he could not convict the defendant of selling liquor, but he thought thero was ample evidence that the defendant had exposed liquor for sale. . The charge of selling liquor would be dismissed, but for exposing liquor for sale the defendant would be fined I £5 and 7s costs.

ON LICENSED PREMISES. THE MEN FOUND AT THE ROYAL. A charge was then preferred against Leslie Jury of being Illegally on licensed premises, the Royal Hotel, on August 29, a Sunday. Mr. J. H. Quilliam appeared for Jury, who pleaded not guilty. The evidence heard in previous case was accepted. The Magistrate said he was satisfied that the main object of the* defendant's visit to the hotel was business, and, therefore, he would, dismiss tlse charge. Ronald Paul pleaded not guilty to a similar charge. Mr. Quilliam, defended Paul, said there was no evidence that Paul had gone to tho hotel with Jury for the purpose of getting drink. The Magistrate disagreed. While Jury had gone to the hotel on business, Paul had simply gone with Jury, and his Worship thought Paul went there with the object of getting liquor if he could do se. A fine of 10s and costs 7s was inflicted. Douglas Cooper was in the same position as Paul, and he was fined 10s and costs 7s. While the police were at the Royal Hotel two other men—George Beatty and Roy Stewart—entered the building, but seeing the police there they immediately left. Both men were charged with being illegally on the premises of the Royal Hotel on August 29. Beatty pleaded not guilty, and Mr. Johnstone defended him.

Counsel said "BeatFy and Stewart were the two men who drifted in the front door of the hotel, and saw ,the police and got out again." These twi men were walking along the street past the hotel, and, seeing the other men hi the hotel talking to the police, they were prompted by 'curiosity to go in and see what was the matter.

George Beatty, a billiard marker, Hying at New Plymouth, said he was walking along Brougham Street with his friend Stewart. As they were passing the doer of the hotel they saw Constable Bolton talking to Jury, and, as Jury was a friend of his, he went into see what was the matter. Witness and Stewart just went in and then out again. They had no intention of getting drinks. "This offence seems to be one which is generally associated with women—curiosity," remarked the Magistrate, who dismissed the charge.

A similar charge against Roy Stewart was also dismissed.