BILLIARDS ON GOOD FRIDAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 102, 30 April 1892, Page 5

BILLIARDS ON GOOD FRIDAY.

. ♦— A new phase of the Licensing /Act was disclosed ab the Police Court this morning, when Dr. Giles, R.M., and Ca,ptain Harris, J.P., were on the Bench. William Brown, licensee of the Newmarket Hotel, was charged with having allowed Titus Wynn Laurie and William Jones to play billiards in his hotel on Good Friday. ' Mr Cotter appeared for the defendant and pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Major Pratt conducted the case for the prosecution. Constable "Dunn deposed that he visitod the Newmarket Hotel and saw the billiard room lit up. Constable Hobson waa with him. In the room he saw tour young men, two of whom had billiard cues in their hands. Witness saw one make a stroke, and as he missed, the other played. Mr Brown came into the room after them and told them to turn out the gas. The billiard room was nob connected with the bar. Constable Hobson gave corroborative evidence. Titus Laurie deposed that he was in the room playing billiards when Constable Dunn arrived. Witness did not ask permission of the landlord to play. Ho did not think about it being Good He noticed that the cloth was wet on tho table. He did not pay for the use. of the table. S. Burgess and B. Jones gavrj corroborative evidence. Mr Cotter eaid that this was the first case of fche kind, and apparently if the Act was strictly interpreted lodgors could not play with each other aft/er ten o'clock. Dr. Giles eaid if strictly interpreted the landlord could not pLay a game of chess with his wife after hours. Mr Cotter eaid the general idea in the colony seemed to be to treat Good Friday as a general holiday rather than as a Sunday. Hβ might call attention to tho fact that this year for the first time the drapors had a picnic on Good Friday, and the Caledonians had sports. Under such circumstances it was nob to be wondered at that ycung men should play billiards. William Brown deposed that on tho night in question be left tho gas in the billiard room to dry the table cloth, as water had run through from the bathroom above. He was not aware that any persons were playing billiards. Mrs Brown gave similar evidence. Dr. Giles eajd that the defendant must be held to have allowed billiards to be played. They were not of opinion that he lit up tho room to invite play, but he did not take precautions to prevent it. Although there must be a conviction still tho Bench did not take a serious view of the case. It was an offence against the Act but there was nothing wrong or immoral in it calling for any uerious penalty. A fine of 5s and costs was inflicted, the bench remarking that though the license must bo endorsed, the lact that it was a nominal j penalty would weigh with Licensing Committees. ° I