A CHARGE OF SUNDAY TRADING.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13008, 9 January 1908, Page 3

A CHARGE OF SUNDAY TRADING.

•— 4 A CASE AT LYTTELTON.

At the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., tlie license© of the Mitre' Hotel (Mr W. Jl. Cook6ley) was charged with selling liquor, during prohibited hours, namely on Sunday, December 29th, and also with keeping hi 6 hotel open on tho same date. ' Alexander Jones/ barmin at the Mitre Hotel, fiaa charged with supplying liquor to one Wm. Canning on Sunday, December 29th. Mr Hunt appeared for the defendants, who pleaded not guilty. Sergt. Ityan called Wm. Canning, who stated that ho oime to Lyttelton on Friday, December 27th, and engaged a room at the Mitro Hotel. He was going to ship in a steamer, and intended to stop at the Mitre Hotel until such time aa he was ready to loivo Lyttelton. He did not pay for the room; but had his meals ait the hotel on Friday. Ho had breakfast and dinner there on Saturday. He was about the town on Saturday, but did not go back to the hotel that night. Ho eiept in a paddock near the dock on Saturday night. On Sunday morning ho went back to the hotel after breakfast time. He assisted the barman to lift two oases of bottles on to the counter, md «Jso to shift a partition in the bar. Ho then hinted to the barman that ho thought "it was good onough for him to have a taste." The ibirman and he each, had a glass of whisky in the bar together. He did not pay for the drinks, and was not asked to do so. Sergtf llyaa 6aid that Canning, in his evidence, hid gone back on the statement signed by him before Constable Moore. Mr Bishop remarked that these men nearly always went back on such statements. Constable P. Moore gave evidence as to finding Canning and Jones earth having a giass of whisky in the bar. There was a bottle of whisky on the counter. Tho licensee, Mr Cooksley, was also in the bar. Both Jones and Cooksley said that Canning was a boarder and had slept at the hotel that night. Jones asked witness to have something, but he declined, saying that it was too hot. Evidence was given by Jones, the barman, and by Cooksley, the licensee. They both stated that they were under the impression that Canning had slept at the liotel on Saturday night. Air Bishop said that tjhe facts were very plain. The man had gone to the hotel and engaged a room indefinitely. He was beastly drunk on tho Saturday night—too drunk to find his way to his hotel. Suffering a recovery on tho Sunday morning, he had gone to the hotel and had obtained a drink. No precaution had been taken by the licensee, or the barman, to ascertain whether the man had been a boarder overnight. He would not endorse tbe licence, but would convict both the licensee and the barman, and would One each of them forty shillings and costs on the charge of supplying liquor. The charge of keeping the premises open would be dismissed.