LICENSING CHARGE FAILS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 206, 28 August 1920, Page 13

LICENSING CHARGE FAILS.

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES EXPLAINED. Charges against Andrew (Begg, license. of the Masonic Hotel, at Devonport, of having kept his bar open and having ' exposed liquor for sale after hours, were heard 'before Mr. J. W. Povnton, S.M. yesterday afternoon. The police cvi- • dence was that between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. ' on July 22 Sergt. Lander and Constable Campagnola paid a surprise visit to the hotel. As they went in they saw four men in a. passage near the private bar, and two of these men made a hurried and successful exit down a back passage. At the office near by the defendant was talking to a man and a woman. The private bar was lit and the door was partly open, -while on the counter were two glasses, empty but with foam still on them. The licensee said he was unaware the bar door was open and knew nothing of the men in the passage, 'but the man and woman he was talking to were frieiflds who had called to explain why they had not been at tho hotel for tea. The defence (oonducted by Mr. R. MdVeagh) wae that while 'defendant and his 'barman were cleaning up and re-etocking the private bar behind closed doors, a knock took the licensee to the door, where he found a Miss Harding and a wealthy American tourist, Graves Cholmondeley (since gone back on ibis travels), who had called at the hotel earlier in the day and had promised to •return for tea. They came to explain why they had not been in for tea and to cay good-bye. Defendant went to his office with them, leaving the barman working in the bar, and a little later the police came in. The barman said he had gone down to the cellar for more bottles of stout for the shelves when the licensee went out with hi» friends and had just ■pulled the bar door to without locking it. When he came up again he found the police and several men in the passage, and the har door standing ajar. Like the l'censee, he had not seen the other men come in. Gertrude Harding corroborated the licensee's explanation, as also did the barman, while James Baxter and Harry Steele, the two odd men, said they had jUBt gone into the hotel, thp former to see about getting a job for a friend and the latter to coiwult the licensee about doing boot business with him. Neither had had any word with the licensee, Who was engaged with his friends "before the police arrived. They saw the other two men in the passage but knew nothing of them or their misHis Worship remarked that while the circumstances wero suspicious and justified action by the police, a reasonable explanation had been given. He dismissed the charge.