BEER AND BOOTS.

Grey River Argus, 10 January 1928, Page 8

BEER AND BOOTS.

Parcel Left at Hotel. CALLED FOR AFTER HOURS. A charge of having been found after hours on the premises of the Golden Eagle Hotel, Greymouth, on the evening of Saturday, November 26 during hours when the premises were required by the Licensing Act, 1908, and the Sale of Liquor Restriction Act, 1918, to be closed, was yesterday brought by the police against George Stanton at the Magistrate’s Court, before Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., defendant pleading not guilty. Senior Sergeant C. E. Roach conducted the prosecution. Sergeant J. Smythe said that the evening in question, at 8.10 o’clock, with Constable Paddy, he entered the Golden Eagle Hotel by the front door. He saw one man going down the passage, whilst defendant walked out of the parlour, and was told by witness to go back. The licensee was behind the bar, but the slides were down, and all glasses had been shifted. A boarder was in the parlo ir, and three other men. Defendaant said he had called to get a pair of boots which he had earlier left at th? hotel. Another man present said he was there to discuss a contract in the North Island. At this time all the boot shops in town were open, it being a Saturday evening. Defendant first said: “ There is no use in beating about the bush —every time I’m in a pub after hours I get caught.” The boarder present was cheeky, and when asked his name, replied by asking witness what his name was, and also said to the others to be careful. Defendant then stated the excuse about his boots. Another man found on the premises said: “If you want to be caught in a pub, come with me!” Defendant: I was not in the company of the other men you mention. Witness: You referred to the boots. Defendant: I was not in the company of those men. Witness: Yqu do frequent hotels. One night you spoke at a prohibition meeting in the street, and said that as for your views on prohibition, you were going to beat the Johns, and have a beer. Defendant: A misquotation, sir. Witness: That is the sort of man you are. Defendant, entering the witness box, said he admitted having been at the Golden Eagle Hotel on November 26th, at 8.10 p.m. He went there to collect a pair of boots which he had earlier brought there. He had gone that day to work at 6 a.m., to do his shift, and came home at 4 p.m. He caught the bus to go to his home at Preston Road. He had bought a pair of boots, and these r.e had “dumped” at the hotel and gone to Runanga, in order to attend a meeting of the Miners’ Medical Association. He might s have caught the 11 o’clock train. The meetings sometimes stretched out. How was he going to get his boots for Monday morning? He had left them when at the hotel at 3.30, and then rushed to Runanga for the meeting. He got back at 8.10 p.m.. and then went to the hotel for the boots. Senior Sergt Roach: Why had you not the boots when the Sergeant called? Defendant: I was looking for th? licensee. I told the Sergeant so. lie took the parcel from the licensee and asked what was in it. I said a pair of pit boots, bought from Miller’s. The Senior Sergt: Had you any reason for not taking the boots with yon to Runanga? Was there no other place to put them except one obliged by law to be closed at C Defendant: No other pi«. :ald be open had I not returned until the 11 o ’clock train, as I might have done. I was not two minutes in the hotel, and I entered in the view of the Sergeant and constable. My only purpose was to get the boots, and I left immediately. The Senior Sergt: You know there are other places that are open till 12 o’clock, so why leave boots at a hotel? Defendant: It was convenient for me to do so. The Senior Sergt: Convenient! Yes. Defendant: Had the police camp been handy at 5.10 p.m., I’d have left the boots there. The Senior Sergt: Why did you not ask Mr Miller to send them home for you? Defendant: Send them a mile and a half? I’d not ask that. The Senior Sergt: It was convenient at the hotel to get a beer too? Defendant: I drink beer, but I lose no days at work through beer. I re-gard-beer as part of my nourishment. (Laughter.) It was not convenient at the time for me to leave the boots anywhere else, as the shops might, when I returned, have been closed. I admit that the Golden Eagle Hotel is the one I use. It keeps the kind of beer I like. The Magistrate said that a hotel, which had to close at 6 o’clock, was not a dumping ground for a parcel. The Court did not consider that a valid excuse had been offered. A conviction would be recorded. Defendant was ordered to pay 10s costs. Three other offenders who were caught on the same occasion in the hotel were also convicted, and two first offenders were ordered each to pay 10s costs, while a second offend-' er was fined £l, with costs 10s.