STERN MAGISTRATE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 952, 20 October 1910, Page 3

STERN MAGISTRATE.

"PANDERING TO THE PROHIBITED." ' STAMPING THE PRACTICE ; OUT. ' , (By' Telegraph —Press Association.) Christchurch, October-19. Some weeks ago a number of charges against prohibited persons of procuring liquor dealt with, at Lyttelton by Mr. H. W. Bishop,. S.M.j tfio ■ inflicted substantial penalties, and made, strong comment on . a practice which ' prevailed in Lyttelton of . treating prohibition orders with contempt. . On Saturday , night the police visited , a "batch" in Lyttelton, and caugh five young men, two of whom were prohibited,.in tho act of : drinking. Informations were laid' against them all, and.they appeared before Mr. Bishop this morning. . Henry .Thomas; Mitchell was ..oharged •with procuring liquor during the currency of a'prohibition order. Mr. Hunt appeared for accused, who' pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Ryan stated that at 10.10 p.m. oil Saturday-he visited a "batch".in company with Constable Richardson. They looked in through a window and . saw Mitchell handing 'out' glasses'.of;beer to his companions. One of them, declined a glass, which Mitchell drank himself. On entering the . room,, witness found Gillard and a man named - Bamford, whose prohibition order had only expired' that day, both drunk. . Constable Richardson, gave corroborative evidence.;v -

Mr. Hunt was about to put;: Mitchell into the witness-bps, /(then Mr. Bishop interposed with the remark ; that he would not accept the word of a prohibited .per-, son against .the i.eyidence;,of ; respectable police officers. Accused , had already , been convicted ; for. drunkenness, for obscene language,;!and, a few*■ weeks. ago,- for ■ a breach of .his prohibition order. Accused seemed, to' have lost .his self-respect and any respect for the laws of . the country. It was,,an absolute 'disgrace to,the, community of Lyttelton that prohibition, orders should bo treated with 'such contempt, and- that, there should bo persons ready to. pander'to the -tastes these prohibited persons. Ho was not going to ; waste his breath ion them", any. longer. . If accused came before him again he would deal , with •: him . under -. : the ..Reformatory Institutions Act, and would'send, him .up to Pakatoa. for two years of reformatory ■ treatment. On' the. -present charge he would be'fined JES, in default one month's imprisonment. . ' i AVilliam r Patrick -, Loader pleaded guilty to a similar charge."■' ' : "I am going to break': the back' of- this business. .1 will not have. these orders treated with .contempt and broken in this manner," said-Mr. Bishop. , i ■ ■ Accused ivas'. fined 10s., in default 48 hours', imprisonment.' ■ ■. - ".Henry Bamford, v Oswald. Abbott, : and Edward , Gillard were -then charged with assisting . Mitchell : and' Loader, prohibited persons,-to drink. liquor. , ; - Sergeant : . Ryan \ said'. ,that : Bamford'a order had.only expired on Saturday, and he had at once 'laid'in a stock of liquor.

Mr. Bishop said , that IMnford. had'a had •. record, and' had already been before -the--Court tiiree times this year. He' must take but another prohibition' order against himself, or ; he;'would be isent up to .Pakatoa. 1 . ■He would bo fined 405.,. in'; default'..one, month's imprisonment.' .'.v'".j Abbott had. previously .been'convicted fori breach of the peace, ar.d Mr. Bishop remarked. that lio seemed to be starting out on. a 'new. line'.", He ; was fined 10s., 'in default.'4B hours', imprisonment. '•..Gillardj'.who ,was described by Sergeant Ryan as being,one of. those who made,a practice . of; procuring : liquor for pro-, •hib'i ted'persons, was' fined; 10s., -in default '48 Hours' imprisonment. :?Frank •'Gallagher;,, on- remand,:;was charged with procuring liquor : during the currency,;,.of ,a. prohibition .order against him.. ■ 'Accused -had ,been, fined £i the previous day for being drnnk;while in charge of. a .horse,, and cart.y'Mr.' ;Huht,' who . appeared- for accusedj asked Mr. Bishop not to commit him under the/. Reformatory. Institutions Act, as . accused had'. arranged to sell, out'and go ,to the King Country, where he had taken.a'farm.v •;

, Mr. Bishop, leaid "he . would show no • weakness/»" Accused had 1 already been victed , eight - times this: year. Accused' ltould be convioted and sent io. Pakatoa ,fpr: twelve, months - for/ treatment as an habitual drunkard; -i. ' At", a later stage :Mr. "Hunt asked 'this .magistrate to . suspend judgment long enough, to enable accused, to complete, his. business ' arrangements. ; Mr. . Bishop said; he. .would.cancel his,. judgment; and order accused, to come up again at Christchurch' on . Thursday, October 27, for . sentence, when he would order him: to be sent to Pakatoa for twelve months.