A SUMNER "SEINSATION."

NZ Truth, Issue 407, 12 April 1913, Page 6

A SUMNER "SEINSATION."

About A Prohibition Order. The aiiention .of ; Mr. T... A. B. Bailey S^^wss^ occupied m a case at the Chrisfciurch^ Magistrate's Court oh Tuesday last,' when Arthur Charles Hullett, 1 licensee of .the Sumner Hotel,^ was charged with haying; \an ■March: 28, permitted a (prohibited pefeoii,. to remain on his licensed premises! also, with having sold liquor': to ' "Alexander Craib, knowing that; he was a, , prohibited person/ ' v ;' ' - Sub-Inspector McKinnon -represent- • ied the police; whilst Miv Hoban piloted the case; , for Hullett, whopleaded not guilty.^ 3 * Frank Lawsqn, a tearpenter, trading .at Sumier,. was m defendant's jpubbery on the night of 'March 28, Jand 'saw 'Craib leaning; against the jbilliard-rooni door. Witness inform-:, ted the. licensee., that he had a prohijbited man m the hotel, and he replied : "Oh, that's all right. There's p. flaw m the order. His name is spelt wrongly." Hullett did; not put iCraib out of \ >: the liotel whilst the SKitness was m it. ! William. Thomas, an elderly laborter, who kissed the ■ book: as y though ihe .reafly meant- --it, ' said he had a iwhisky m Hullett's bar while Craib yras there. He heard- Graib ask for a, jdrink, but Hullett refused to give it Jbrim, saying he ; had had enough, y Rictiard Mrtxtell, another laborer, rwhVsp'brted an -elegant- vest &b. Ja, resxilt of ids labors at -Sumner, said he was m the ' -tiar of the Sumner' Hotel on >9iev night Craib was alleged to have been; provided- with ;the liquor. • "Craib had ,-a' few on iboard,. b^t witness did not see Hul■lett serve him with any drink, neithjer did he r:hear 'him say anything about Craib 's name being mis-spelt, jon the prohibition order. .. •Alexander Craib Admitted having tad some drink served; him by Hul-let-on the niglit m question. . AVheri iwitness was outside the h6tel,' Hullett came and asked him. how <;he spelt his ; name. , ; Witness : replied, i"C-r-a-i-b," and Hulle.tt said, "It's C-r-a-i-g on the ' Order. .Come and have a drinK ' Witness thought things were all serene ; when the.landlord, said so.^find jle. went m. ' Witness, 'm ainswer to Mr! Hoban : I; was never' in^Hullett' s pub before. I. did have a bit of a flutter while I .was there, and Hullett never refused one a drink. He had one with me after he was told there, was an order out against me. . Mr. Hoban : Is it not a fact , that Jjrou are kno^n^ m Sumner as a periverter of the truth ?— No. Has no 'one ever told you that ? — No.' They never said it to liiy face. [(Confidently) They know better. Witness, m answer to the > S.-M. : I was working with a gang of .men laying gaspipes near Hullett's hotel. Hullett knew I was prohibited, because he asked the men to* have a drink and I stayed outside, so he sent me- out a bottle of lemon 'bquash. . ,' Sergeant .Tackson stated that m Conversation with Hullett later m jthe week conceiving his having served Craib, Hullett said that it was ell right,- as, Ci-aib's 'name was spelt ■•wrongly on tho order. He admitted fcaving been shown' a list >by Conetable Hampton with the name spelt correctly. Ho h,ad a correct list, but said he destroyed it on the morning witness spoke,, to him. He didn't, recollect supplying- Craib with\onydrink, but the latter had a bottle of beer on him, and if he had not had It, Hullett would -probably have

given him one. When Craib- began to make a row m the' -billiard-room, Hullett told him he had better get out until the matter regarding tho order was settled. Constable Hampton, facially typical of O'Hora in ."Robbery Under Arms," gave corroborative evidence, and concluded the case for the prosecution. \. , v ' After hearing a lengthy address from counsel for , the defence, his •Worship decided to hear Hullett's evidence. Previous to March 28, witness had never seen Craib. On that day_ witness refused to give him a drink, simply because he had "had enough." Later m, the evening lie heard that there'vwas ■'an.; order against- Craib, and; alter consulting his L.V,, list, he turned him out. In answer to Sub-Inspector MacKinnon, witness said be hadn't trouble Lo find out if Craib. was on the prohibited list, while ho was m Sumner. He also emphatically denied the lemon squash incident. Witness went on to say that the present case had been the tnlk 'of, Sumner, and he had heard several people say that they thought C'raib's order had run out. The information was dismissed m feoth. pjiarge£*