FREE WIRE

Evening Star, Issue 18998, 21 July 1925, Page 9

FREE WIRE

—o- ..—— POLICE VISIT AN ITALIAN CLUB UNSUCCESSFUL PIIOSECUTION. Some time was occupied in the Melbourne City Court in the hearing of a case in which Thomas Tempio, manager of an Italian club in Exhibition street, was charged with having sold liquor without a license. Mr Sonenberg appeared for defendant, who denied the charge. Plain-clothes Constable Sakor stated that in company with Plain-clothes Constable Snowdon, lie visited the cafe at 11.15 p.m. Witness saw defendant serve a man with two glasses of wine and accept payment for it, afterwards going to the cash register, ringing it, and taking therefrom money, which was handed to the man. Later he saw the man served with wine a second time, and the customer handed Tempio a note. Defendant again went to the till and rang it, thereupon witness and Snowden entered. Tempio immediately picked up a glass of wine and placed it under the counter. A shillins had been registered in the till. When spoken-to defendant said to witness: “It is only wine; I thought you told mo I could sell wine, but not beer.” Witness then searched the place, and found under the counter a demijohn of wine, a flagon of wine, and a glass jug half full of wine. In another room a demijohn of wine was found. Defendant said that wine was sent to the club by members, of whom there were about eighty-four. He denied taking money for liquor on the occasion of the police visit. The shilling recorded in the till was payment for a game of billiards. No charge was made for the wine.

Cross-examined, defendant said his was not a registered nai'c where liquor could be supplied with meals. He did not take a note from a man in payment for wine, and he did .not attempt to bribe the police by offering them £2O to square the case. Tonalio Mario gave _ evidence as to handing Tompio a shilling for coffee and billiards just prior to the police entering. Other members of the club stated that that no charge was made for wine supplied. One witness declared that if the manager accepted payment he would be liable to bo dismissed. Mr Knight, P.M., said lie was satisfied that money had passed in payment for something, but whether for tho wine lie was unable to determine. It seemed to him that the members of the club could go there and get as much wine as they liked for nothing. The evidence was most extraordinary, and he would give defendant the benefit of the doubt. The case was dismissed.