A VIOLENT THIRST

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 94, 15 January 1926, Page 10

A VIOLENT THIRST

QUENCHED IN RESTAURANT WITH WHISKY

, SELLER IMPRISONED .WITHOUT OPTION

BX TELEGRAPH.—PItESS ASSOCIATION. Auckland, January 11. When Cormick O’Rourke served two voting men with breakfast on the morning of December 20 he never suspected for a moment that his customers were police constables in plain clothes. Everything went on as • usual. Another customer presented himself at the counter of the restaur- ■ ant and asked for some soda water. The drink Xvas poured out, and then he said that he would like some lemonade in it. Lemonade was promptly produced. The trouble was that «it looked like whisky, and one constable discovered that so early in the morning he had a violent thirst. Going to the counter he said that he would hake a whiskv. He did. O’Rourke served him. 'Then the constable went back to his brother officer and they finished the meal. Afterwards both drank a whisky. ■ This little story was related in the Magistrate’s Court to-day, when O’Rourke pleaded guilty to selling whisky without a license. It was true, said Mr. Hogg, who appeared for him, that O’Rourke had ■ been previously convicted for sly grogselling, but lie had been very good . 'during the last few years. His health was in a serious condition; indeed, so serious was it that his medical at-

tendant declared that his days, were numbered. “I doubt if he will live long enough to commit another offence,” concluded* Mr. Hogg. Sub-Inspector Rawle said that it Was thought that O’Rourke never kept any great quantities of liquor on the premises, but obtained it in small lots. While the constables were in the restaurant accused went out and got six bottles of beer, which he retailed for Is. each. Three half bottles of whiskv were found on the premises, and five empty beer bottles, while the constables bought a flask of whisky for 9s. before leaving. O’Rourke had been convicted and fined £5O on two occasions in 1922, and on a third occasion had been fined £75 at tlie Supreme Court. • Mr. Poynton said that the man was a confirmed sly grog-seller. One would have thought that after three warnings he would know better than to offend a. fourth time. He should have been sent to gaol, and if he became very ill he could be sent to the Auckland Hospital. O’Rourke was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment without the option of a fine.