FULL OF DOPE.

NZ Truth, Issue 214, 31 July 1909, Page 6

FULL OF DOPE.

; O'Connell's Troubles.

ftn elderly Irishman with extensive fwhiskers named Pat O'Connell, who used to have a farm m the exciting centre of Ohoka, or thereabouts, has been getting into trouble owing to a tendency ■to take his prohibition order down, jump on ft, and inflict severe injuries to it. lie was charged m the S.M. Court recently with procuring liquor during, the mxisncy of a prohibition order, and stoutly denied the oiTence. Sergeant Reamer entered the witnessbox, and it appears " from his evidence that "on the date mentioned m the information" O'Connell came to him m Co-Bombo-street, with his picturesque whiskers fl/Ing m tha breeze, and complain-

ed that his son had assaulted him m his own house. The old man /was unmistakeably under the influence bf swankey. The sergeant visited the habitation with Peeler Bird,, and found the wife' of O'Connor m a state ,of beer ■; a son lying on a couch was helplessly sosselled ; but another son who was supposed to have Assaulted the old man appeared to be quite sober. There was beer on the table, and whisky, -which the sober son said the Governor had been drinking, was also found m the room. A bottle of gin was likewise discovered, and the son said, "THAT IS WHAT HE WAS DRINKING." Charged with imbibing, the patriarch said he had swallowed nothing stronger than elderberry wine. O'Connell : Why didn't you take the man out when you were sent for ?— That isn't part of my duty. O'Connell : Your Worship, I had no liquor that day except some elderberry wine. This is a blackmailing case. Peeler Baird gave corroborative evidence. O^Connell said he was" going to the police " about the conduct of his son earlier m the day, but affection' surged up m his paternal bosom, and he forgave the boy. The old buster departed from the house, , leaving the wife and sons there, and returned at. 5 p.m. with a supply of provisions, which he mentioned m detail. Then his son • became obstreperous, and pa ordered him out of the house, and meeting with a refusal sought the sergeant m the manner already described. "I'm sixty-wan years of age," he said firmly, "an' oi defy ennybody to sa'ay that I iver stole a pin, or had any communication with policeman." Sub-Inspector McGrath : You are not' charged with stealing, but with a breach of your prohibition order. O'Connell : It's worse ; they're scandalising me. The Sub. mentioned that members of the aged, but vigorous person's family had said he was drinking. "They said I wa-as drinking m ordher to save themselves," retorted the elderly accused, who stated further that he had left the premises and remained away two days and two nights, and didn't desire to have any more communication with a particular section of his family. James O'Connell, son of the old boy, said strenuously that he didn't see the old man shickered. The young man ac-' frnowledged HAVING HAD A GtASS OF HOPS ; he believed also that his mother had tested the bitterness of the beer, and his brothet had certainly, surrounded >the contents of a glass of beer. The son gave farther evidence to the effect that the father wanted to be boss bf the house. Magistrate Haselde^n asked Sergeant Reamer if he would have arrested O'Connell when that individual made his complaint, under ordinary circumstances, knowing that he was drunk ; to which the Sergeant replied, "He was clearly under the influence of liquor, and I would not have exceeded my duty had I arrested him." ' O'Conneli : Didn't you bring two of your batons to my place ? The policeman looked mystified. "Didn't you bring -two of your bludgeons to my place," repeated the accused, "those sticks that you have with you?" The Serge jai : I think you must have been seeing double, and saw double. At this stage Hagistrate Haselden convicted the accused, fined him twenty bob, and 'made the default seven days on the business side of the Port hills.