BREACHES OF LIQUOR LAWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 June 1917, Page 3

BREACHES OF LIQUOR LAWS.

PENALTIES IMPOSED. At the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday several cases of alleged breaches o,f the Licensing Act and the War Regulations were dealt with bv Mr. A. Crooke, S.M.. ANTI-SHOUTING (REGULATIONS. Hugh Wilson -was charged on several informations with having on Juno 18 furnished two men named respectively Stanley (Bayley and H. N. Scott with money for the .purchase of liquor at the Terminus, White Hart and Criterion Hotels. He ipleaded guilty to each charge. Sub-Inspector Mcllveney said Wilson was a laborer and came into town on the day in question with £3 and some odd silver in his possession. Ho met the other two men in one of the 'hotels and afterwards went to the others, at each of them giving the others money outsde the premises to purchase liquor in the bars. From the Terminus Hottel Wilson appeared to have gone across the overhead railway bridge to the rocks. A report reached the police that the body of a man luVl .been washed ashore and was lying on the roc'ks, and on the spot being visited Wilson was 'found lying there in a dazed conditon with the waves washing over him. He was taken to the .police station and attended to, when it was found that he had only one penny piece in his possession. So far as the police knew Wilson was a decent 'hard workng man. A brother of his had been killed in the firing line and he liimsolf would have already gone to the front were it not necessary for him to attend to some complicated matters in connection with his deceased brother's affairs. In these circumstances and as the man had already been severely .punished by his exposure on the rocks and the loss of his money the Sub-inspector asked His Worship to deal with htm as leniently as possible. Informations had been laid against the other two men hut the summons on Scott had not been served. His Worship said that considering all the circumstances, and as the police, asked for lenienev the "defendant would he fined £l, with costs ISs, on one charge only He would be convicted on each of the others 'but no penalty imposed. On the application oif the Sab-inspec-tor the charges asraiiwt and Scott were adjourned till July !>, the former owing to the absence of an important' witness and the latter to permit of the summons Heing served. A DEFENDED CASE. Patrick Jo-nph Flannaran was charged with bavins !heen on the licensed premises of the White Hart Hotel during prohibited hours, namely, between 'lO nm. on 'Saturday night and fi a.m. on Monday morning. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Mr. F. E: Wilson said the defendant, for whom he appeared, admitted bein<r in the hotel after hours, (nit it would be shown that he w®s there for a perfectly legitimate rmrpose. Them had been a meeting of the Pierrots' Executive Committee on Saturday night, and when the meeting was adjourned shortly before 10 p.m. the defendant, who was a prominent man in connection with the Pierrot movement, and Mr. , Fowler, treasurer, accompanied 'Mr. Brookman. licensee of the White Hart and also chairman o,F the executive to his hotel. Arriving at the hotel they went in to the office and there continued for a time to discuss Pierrot matters. Constable Parkinson deposed that he saw Flannagan come out of the hotel about 1.15 on Sunday morning. He came out of the Queen street door, and on heing spoken to by witness said he was going straight home the hack way. He gave no reason for having been in the hotel. Witness had found the two cards produced —one bearing a notice that in future all commissions would 'be executed on a cash basis only and not through the telephone—in the office of the hotel.

Charles Beaver, night watchman, doposed that about IJ2O a.m. Sunday morning he was in front of the Post Office and sajw (IHoiuliint com© out of the side entrance of the White Hart Hotel. This closed the case for the prosecution. George Henry Fowler was called for the defence and stated tha't he was treasurer of the Pierrot Committee, of which the licensee of the White Hart Hotel. 'Mr. Brookman, was chairman. The defendant was "captain of the day," chairman of one of the committees, and a prominent member olf the executive. On Saturday night there was a meeting of the executive in the Soldiers Oluib, and at a quarter to 10 o'clock it was decided to adjourn till the following day, .Sunday, it ibeing necessary that Mr. Brookman should go to his hotel to close up. Witness was a hoarder at the hotel, and defendant walked with Mr. Brookman to the hotel and after having a drink at the bar went into Mr. Brookman's private office to discuss a question that had arisen in connection with Pierrot business. About midnight Mr. Flannagan left the office, and witness did not see him afterwards. Dkl not know when Mr. Flannagan left the hotel. To Sub-Inspector Mcllveney: Other matters besides Pierrot matters were discussed, tout not racing and there had been no glamWing. Witness had seen no race cards in the office. While in the office they had been supplied with dunk by Mr. Brookman. 'To His Worship—He supposed then object in going to the hotel was to go a drink before closing time. Patrick Joseph Flannagan, tlie defendant. stated that the meeting of the Pierrot Executive had been adjourned_ at a quarter to 10 o'clock on S « tu ' night to allow Mr. Brookman to cio»e his hotel Mr. Fowler and he (defendant! M to the hotel with Mr Fowler and defendant had a drink m the bar and then, as there _ were> several peoule about, they went into the office to discuss a question that had arl=en < to the. control o,f Pierrot monies. On leaving the office 'he let himself out the Q, UO n ttraat door and went lwm« <

To Sub-Inspector Mcllveney: He considered he was sober when he left the house, although the constable had said he was almost drunk. They had a number of drinks in the office, provided either bv Mr. Brookman or Mr. Fowler. There was no gambling or talk of racing in the office. The card produced referring tn cash commissions was. "his and referred to general business; the race card was not his and he knew nothing about it). His Worship said he was not satisfied that the defendant's presence in the hotel was for a lawful purpose and not a breach of the la.w with regard to the closing of hotels. The meeting at the Soldier's Club had been adjourned till j the .Sunday to allow Mr. Brookman to close the hotel, and according to Mr. Fowler he and the defendant went to the hotel for specific purpose of getting a drink before the closing hour. There appeared to have been no necessity for diseasing Pierrot matters in the hotel; the proper time to have done so would have been at the adjourned meeting on the Sunday. Another point was that according to Mr. Fowler the discussion on the Pierrot busßies* must have been over when the defendant lest the office albout midnight, wheras defendant did not come out of the hotel till after 1 o'clock. The defendant would be convicted and fined 10s, with costs Ts.