THE COURTS-TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 16990, 12 March 1919, Page 4

THE COURTS-TO-DAY

CITY POLICE COURT.

| (Before H. Y. Widdowson, Esq., S.M.) An Oamaru Case.—Hetrry Smith was charged with, at Oamaru, threatening to kill Eunice Livingstone Christie. —Sub-in-spector Mathieson said that the papers in the case had been forwarded to Wellington and had not vet been returned. Ho therefore asked for a further remand for a week.—Remanded accordingly. Prohibited.—Elizabeth Jaae Rackley, a prohibited person, charged with procuring liquor, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called on within six months. She was also ordered to pay costs (7s). A Shopkeeper Fined.—John M'Lennan was charged with selling cigarettes to a boy aged 10. Mr F. Z. Mooro appeared for tho defendant, who pleaded guilty.— Counsel said that the defendant was an old man, who lsspt a small grocer's shop. The bov had previously bought cigarettes for hia father. —Tho Sub-inspector said that tho dofendant had been selling cigarettes to boys on Sundays.—Fined 20s and costs. After Hours.—Rose Gunn, licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Green Island, was charged with selling liquor at 9.20 p.m. on the Bth of February. Mr Hanlon appeared for the defendant, who pleaded gnilty.—Sub-inspector Mathieson said that Constable Wootlon was in tho vicinity of the hotel on the evening in question, when ho saw a motor car pull np at the house. A young man got out and entered the premises by tho side door. When he came out the constable accosted him, _and_ found that he had a bottle of whisky in his possession. The man admitted that he had been supplied by the defendant. The policeman,, then entered the hotel, and saw the dofendant, who admitted selling the whisky. Tho defendant's conduct as licensee had not been satisfactory of _ late. Recently he was convicted of permitting drunkenness and was fined £5 and costs, and the license was endorsed. —Mr Hanlon said that the younp; man rang up the hotel and said that lie was coming out in a motor car with some personal friends of Miss Gunn, and that they were going to have some music. Miss Gunn happened to be away at the time. The constable was outside the hotel when he heard the telephono ring, and answered it, so it was said. —The Sub-inspector : That is not so.—Mr Hanlon said tho policeman answered that it would be all right, and told the man to enter by the side door. When he entered he got a cool reception from the defendant, and the young fellow thought that the only graceful way to get out of *. was to buy something and leave. The constable was waiting outside the door for him. Counsel understood that the eonstabjo said that he did not answer the telephone in Gunn's house, but that ho happened to be. in another hotel when the man rang up. Tho latter had been put on to the wrong number, and the constable answered him from the opposition hotel. However, the young man said the constable told him that he answeved the telephone at Gunn's hotel. This the constable denied. Since the case was Inst adjourned the landlords had taken up the position that the license was in jeopardy, and had insisted upon Gunn disposing of tho place through not having abided by the conditions of his lease. He bad now sold out. and a temporary transfer of the license had been granted, and the defendant was now out of the house. The defendant had suffered punishment already to the extent of hundreds of pounds throncrh having to sell out.—His Worship said that there were two sets of endorsements.' One was art endorsement on the premises, and that was serious punishment. The section under v%'hich the defendant was now charged was one under which the endorsement was a personal one, and not against the premises. The circumstances seemed to show that tho defendant had been very negligent in the conduct of his business. In the circumstances there would be no endorsement on the license. The defendant would be fined £lO and costs. By-law Case.—For allowing two horses to wander, John Paters/m was fined 10s and costs (7s).