"ONLY FOOLING."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 117, 20 May 1933, Page 6

"ONLY FOOLING."

LICENSEE'S COSTLY JOKE.

FIXED FOR OBSTRUCTING POLICE".

: "I was hasty nt the moment, hut I'm : sorry for what I have clone," said Leonard-. Joseph Adams, licensee of the CarltonClub Hotel, Newmarket, when before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the; Police Court yesterday with obstruct-; ' inj» the police in the execution ofM "■ their duty. Another charge of delaying the police in the discharge of their duty • was withdrawn. . V - Sergeant Finch said that on the even* ■' ing of April 25 he got no reply to hip ,\: knock on the- front door of the hotel,ss and went round to the back. When lie got back, the licensee had admitted 1'• Constable Bowie. When witness' went V into the hotel, the licensee called him a "persecutor. 3 ' Both bars were locked, 1-3 . and witness asked Adams if there was anyone in the hotel. Adams had said that he had some friends upstairs.'V: When witness looked upstairs, nobody y was there, and Adams said he was "only ]' : fooling." ' j'-'-'y "I admit I should not have said what!! I did say," said Adams in evidence. "1 1 . did not obstruct the police:" To Detective-Sergeant McHugh, wit-; ness admitted that he had been fined!£10 in 1031 for failing to admit tile) i? police, and also for selling liquor afterj , hours. '"This man has snid he is sorry for what he said," remarked the magistrate,, "but in my view he did obstruct when l he said there -were friends upstairs andi' then declared that he was only fooling, I believe what the sergeant says. Tile. • police must be treated civilly when they ' are doing their duty." Defendant was fined £2 and costs 10/.' ' PORTER'S OFFENCE. '' THREE MEN SUPPLIED. Tlio licensee of tlie Astor Hotel, Charles Falkner, was charged with selling liquor after hours, and with keeping his premises open. The porter, John D. Hawke, was charged with supplying liquor to persons not entitled to be served. Constable Carson said lie eutered the hotel with Constable Gajnes on the night of April 15, and found three men upstairs in a lobby, near the bar. Hawke , said, "I am to blame for this." He admitted that he had served the men with liquor. The licensee was absent from the hotel that evening. j ' i: Mr. G. P. Finlay" submitted that i Falkner should not be convicted. Hawke was not employed to sell liquor; in fact, he was instructed not to sell it, and, because he had served the three men he had been instantly dismissed. Mr. Finlay quoted a case showing that to; convict the licensee it must be shown; that the sale had been made by some-' one who had his'authority to sell liquor on his behalf. ' . . In' evidence Hawke said he at first refused to serve the men, but after a long argument he gave them a glass of beer each, "just to get rid of them." ' . Witness said he had been warned by Falkner not to serve liquor. Following a fairly lengthy cross- 1 examination of Hawke by both Detective-Sergeant McHugh and Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., the magistrate fined Hawke.. £u, and the licensee £2, on the charge of selling. The second charge against Falkner was dismissed.