A MATTER OF A BOAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1922, Page 6

A MATTER OF A BOAT.

IN A BAR AFTER HOURS INFORMATION DISMISSED. The question of whether Thomas Elliot, waterside worker, of New Plymouth, was within his legal rights in being in the bar of the Terminus Hotel at 9.30 on the night of November 10, formed the crux of a charge against him at the Magistrate’s Court, at New Plymouth, yesterday, of being illegally on the premises. Arising out of the same circumstances, the licensee, Frederick Charles Faber, was called on to answer two charges of exposing liquor for sale, and allowing liquor to be consumed in his bar when it w’as required to be closed. Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., was on the bench. Senior-Sergeant H. McCrorie conducted the case for the police, and Mr. R. H. Quilliam appeared for both defendants, who pleaded not guilty. The case against each defendant was taken separately, Elliot being the first to answer. For the police, Senior-Sergeant. McCrorie stated that, in company with Constable Palmer, he had found Elliot and the licensee «n the bar, each with p glass containing beer in front of him. In reply to a question, Faber had stated that Elliot was his guest and had been invited by him to have a drink. He was courting one of his housemaids, which was the reason for his presence on the premises. Elliot then, according to the senior sergeant, bad said he had come about a “vote,” and he corroborated the licensee’s statement that he had accepted his invitation to have a drink. Senior-Sergeant McCrorie’s evidence was corroborated by Constable Palmer, who, however, was more explicit about the “vote” statement, alleging that Elliot had said that he had come to see about getting on the election roll.

Evidence for the defence was given by the defendant Elliott, Faber, and Joseph Martin, and it appeared that what’the police had taken as “about a vote” was really ‘about a boat.” Martin had a boat at Waitara, which Elliot was trying to lease, Faber backing him in the deal; and on the irght of the alleged offence Elliot had left bis fiancee in the housemaids’ quarters while he had gone across to the hotel to inquire if Faber, who was conducting the negotiations, had heard anything further from Martin. They had discussed the matter in the passage, a statement on which Elliot and Faber agreed in evidence, and then the invitation to have a drink had been extended. They were both certain that they had told the police that Elliot had come about a boat—not about a vote. Martin’s evidence was simply in substantiation of the fact, that there were negotiations pending for the lease of his launch. Mr. Mowlem said the case was quite a proper one for the police to bring for investigation in the court, but it would appear that the defendant had really gone to the hotel for the specific purpose of inquiring as to how the negotiations were proceeding. He would get the benefit of the doubt and the case would be dismissed.

The charges against the licensee were then taken, but no further evidence was called and the police accepted the dismissal of both of them.