NEW THROAT WASH

Southland Times, Issue 19278, 24 June 1924, Page 5

NEW THROAT WASH

SPIRITS FOR COAL-DUST. MAGISTRATE ADVISES CHANGE. A man named John Patrick Coyle entered a plea of guilty, when charged at the Wanganui Police Court last Saturday, with drunkenness and procuring liquor during the currency of a probation, order. He said that he had been employed on a coal boat for some days and his throat became so bad that it was amply black with coal-dust. He consulted a doctor in regard to the matter, and was advised to take some spirits to wash his throat. Mr Barton, S.M., “You must have let some of it slip down!” Senior-Sergeant Lopdell handed up a lengthy list of previous convictions against the accused for drunkenness, andl remarked that Coyle had informed him that he was not used to liquor. The Magistrate: <r Why, you have 40 charges here on the list, and ten of those are for procuring liquor while prohibited. You will have to find a more innocuous throat gargle to get the coal-dust out. This is the second time you have been charged with drunkenness since January last. Have you any dependants ?” Defendant: ‘Yes sir, I have a wife, and there is the landlord.” The Senior-Sergeant: “That is a new class of dependant!” The Magistrate told defendant that he had been sent to Roto Roa five years ago, and if he did not want to go there again, he must leave the liquor alone. On the charge of drunkenness he was fined 25/', and on the other count, £l.