LICENSING CASE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVI, Issue 231, 3 October 1902, Page 3

LICENSING CASE.

To-day at the Police Court, before Dr | McArthur, S.M., Elizabeth Kerr, licensee of the Globe Hotel, Renwick, was charged with supplying liquor on Sunday Jast, 28th instant. Sergeant- j Major Mason appeared on behalf of the J police, Mr Baillie foe defendant, and Mr McCallum for the Marlborough Brewery and Aerated Water Company, the owners of the house. Evidence called was as follows:— Charles Eves said he left home about 9 o'clock on Sunday niorniDg to go to his claim at Kaituna, and returned about three o'clock, when he called at the Globe Hotel and had a drink of gin. He went back again about four o'clock and met R. Paul in the hotel, when they had a," rumpus," and Mrs Kerr turned them out. He represented himself as a traveller when he obtained the drink from Green, the barman.

Robert John Paul said he lived some tsn chains from the Globe Hotel. He was in the hotel on Sunday last about four o'clock. Some boarders were there, and Eves came in a few minutes after, witness got there. An altercation occurred between Eves and, himself, and Mrs Kerr came along and ordered them out. Green, the barman, was, he believed, lying down, He bad a Jimejuice and lemonade after he, had done his business with Spiers, a boarder, before Eves came in. On being ordered out be went to the district constable. He had had some drink, as he took some home with him on Saturday night, but he was not drunk.

. District Constable Ricketts said Paul came to his house to make a complaint. He was v intoxicated. As a result of the complaint he saw Mrs Kerr at the Globe Hotel, but she denied giving any drinlr to Paul except a lemonade and limejuice. She also said she had not given any drink to Eves. She complained there was a conspiracy to get an endorsement on her license. The house, as far as he could see, mas well conducted lately. For the defence, Elizabeth Kerr, licensee of the hotel, said she was in andaboutjttae front of tbe house all Sunday afternoon. Green was not in the bar or front of the house between 1 o'clock and up to about 5 o'clock, He was not there till after she had ordered Paul and Eves oat of the house. Paul came in to see Spiers earlier in the afternoon. After they had finished their business they asked for a drink. She refused Panl, but he pleaded for a glass of beer and she gave him a lemonade and limejuice. Green could not have served Eves with a drink on Sunday afternoon without her knowledge. There was only one kejrto the bar and she had that all the afternoon. She had had trouble with the Eves family, and two apologies from members of the family were put into Court. Thomas Green, barman at the Globe Hotel, said on Sunday afternoon he was lying down in the private sittingroora. He served no drinks whatever on Sanday afternoon. He was asleep from about 1.30 up till about 5 o'clock. On Sunday morning he could not say he saw Eves about tbe hotel. He did not see him in the hotel on Saturday night.

Cross-examined: He would not s?y Eves was perjuring himself. He did not serve Eves between 3 and 4 o'clock on Sunday afternoon.

To the Magistrate: He did not see Eves at tbe hotel on Sunday, and did not serve him with a glass of gin. EllaNeilson, servant at the hotel, said she saw Green lying down in the private sitting-room at 130 on Sunday, and again about 4.30, when afternoon tea was made, and a cup was given him. She did not see Eves in tbe afternoon, but saw him sometime in the morning.

His Worship said that on the evidence before him he must find that, although Eves' story was a very plain aad circumstantial one, tbe weight of evidence was in favor of defendant, and dismiss the case; but at the same time he wished to say he thought the police had done their duty in bringing the case.