CASE DISMISSED

Grey River Argus, 24 July 1923, Page 7

CASE DISMISSED

After Hours At Waiuta THREE MEN CHARGED. Three men charged with being on the premises of the Waiuta Hotel after hours pleaded not guilty. Mr J. W. Hannan appeared for the men (Connors, McGinley, and Storey), and Sen-ior-Sergeant McCarthy prosecuted. Senior-Sergeant McCarthy said this was a case in which the men declared they were the guests of a boarder. In this case the men were found in a room in which the boarder was present. No reply was received by the constable although he twice asked them for an excuse. Then the boarder spoke up an I said “They are my guests.” One of the men said that they had just come in. The licensee said they had been there about half an hour. Constable J. Hughes corroborated this statement. To Mr J. W. Hannan: The men were playing cards in the private parlour. To Senior-Sergeant McCarthy: Barnett, the boarder, was under the influence of liquor. Harry Barnett said he was a boarder and the men, who were his guests, worn playing bridge. The game was pre- arranged, and lie did not find the men on the premises. They were playing in the private parlour.. To the Senior-Sergeant: He knew all the men fairly well and worked with them. This was the first occasion on which the mon had gathered at the hotel. He had never spent an evening with Storey, or Connors or McGinley. He had never spent an evening at their homes, but had frequently walked about with them. The Constable had “rushed in like a tornado.” Senior-Serge*'nt McCarthy: We are a little sceptical about that story; we’ve heard it too often before. Continuing, witness said they had been playing bridge about half an hour. To the Magistrate: He asked the licensee for the use of the private sit ting room. McGinley and Storey also corroborated the story of the previous witness. The Magistrate said this was a matter in which the defendants had to show that they had a reasonable excuse for being on the premises. The men, it appeared, had gone there to play bridge. He must hold that they were guests. The information would be dismissed.