CHARGE AGAINST A PUBLICAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 87, 11 April 1906, Page 6

CHARGE AGAINST A PUBLICAN.

At the Police Court yesterday arter-: noon, before Mr Kettle, SJVL, John McKean, licensee of the Rising Sun Hotels Newton, was charged with selling beer: to a woman named Mary Marshall while? she was in a state Of drunkenness, and* further with having allowed drunkenhessto take place on his premises. Mr' S. May* prosecuted, and Mr j. G. Martin defended. .'- Henry Marshall,-'the'woman's husband, said he went into the Rising Sun shortly after five o'clock on February 21; ahdf called for a port wine and brandy. While drinking it he heard his wife's voice' in a side room. He looked in, and saw her with a glass of beer in her hand. She was in an intoxicated state. (After some difficulty he got his wife away. Li the roafd she twice fell down, and was ultimately arrested and locked up by the police. Dr. Keith said he saw the woman at the Police Station about 6.30 .pint.'.' She was in a slightly muddled condition, possibly caused by dria'k arid hysteria 1 together, but when she recovered from' her fit of anger she was able to answer him quite intelligibly. Constable Copple, who arrested Mary Marshall, said she was certainly intoxicated. Mary Marshall's evidence showed that she had started by getting 1/ worth of whisky in a bottle and taking it to a friend's houfe'e in Chapei-street, where they drank it. She- then walked up to the Shamrock and had another whisky. From there she walked to the Rising Sun, which she reached about 5 o'clock. Going into the side room she called for a small bottle of ale. The barman got it for her, and she paid him 6d.. While she was drinking it her husband looked in and told her to hurry up. A little later Mrs McKean came into the room and took the beer. Witness Tesehted the" act as an insult, and demanded it back. She had paid for it. Her; husband then came in again, and there was some sort of a scuffle, and the beer in the glass went all over her face. The defendant said he had been the licensee of the 'Rising" Sun Hotel for three years> in which time he had got into no trouble, whatever for any infringement of the licensing laws. He did n6t know the woman, but she had been in his hotel once or twice. On the day in question Marshall had gone in for a. port wine and brandy, and afterwards asked him not to serve his wife with any more liquor. He heard Mrs Marshall go to the door and say, "You wait outside, Harry. I will be with you in a minute." Presently Mrs McKean cartieand asked him to go into the side room, as there Was a row on. When he got there the woman had her husband pinned in a corner and was thumping hini. Witness ■separated them, but she continued to thump him until the doorstep was reached. As there -was a crowd collecting he advised them to go out the back way, which they did. The hearing at this stage was adjourned till this afternoon.

EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENCE.

Mr. J. C. Martin called evidence for the defence, John Shields, porter at the hotel, entering the witness-box. He said the woman Marshall, who was alleged to have been drunk in the hotel, was served with a small glass of porter by, him. Her husband waited outside the hotel while she drank it, and he put .his head in at the door to say he was tired of waiting. A few minutes later witness heard her say in an excited tone, "He's thrown a glass of beer over mc. " What do you think .of a man £ike that? What woman would stand it." Mrs. Marshall, who was quite sober, punched her husband violently. -Peter Moulden, a tinsmith, said he saw the woman leave the hotel With a wet face, .and throw her purse to the ground. She was white with passion, but not intoxicated. (Proceeding.)