WHAT WILL YOU HAVE?

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1926, Page 11

WHAT WILL YOU HAVE?

SUNDAY IN A HOTEL SERGEANT NOT RECOGNISED. INFORMATIONS DISMISSED. Arising out of an unlooked-for visit paid by Sergeant Martin to the Moturoa Hotel at 11 a.m. on Sunday, November 21, Thomas Knowles, licensee, was charged yesterday morning before Mr. R. W. Tate. S.M., with several offences under the Licensing Act. viz., exposing liquor for sale, opening licensed premises for the sale of liquor during prohibited hours, selling and allowing liquor to be illegally consumed on the premises after hours. Catherine Knowles, wife of the licensee, was also charged that, being a person other than the licensee, she supplied liquor on the premises to James Alfred Carr and Percy Janies Bartholomew, who were not entitled to be on the premises at the time for the purpose of obtaining liquor. The two latter men were also charged with being illegally on the premises. Senior-Sergeant McCrarie appeared for tlie police and Mr. A. A. Bennett represented all the defendants, except Carr, for wljom Mr. R. H. Quilliani appeared. They all pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Martin stated that when he visited the Breakwater Hotel about 11.29 a.m. the licensee was sitting outside in front of the hotel. After speaking to the licensee he passed into the hotel by the main door. He could hear voices in the bar. Upon trying the door leading into the bar he found it locked. Two men came out of a door further along the passage and, on entering that door the sergeant found himself in a room that had been a private bar. Turning to the right he entered the public bar, where there were five men standing. Three of these had full glasses of liquor standing on the bar in front of them. The licensee’s wife was in the act of serving the other two. Witness), was in plain clothes at the time, and Mrs. Kuowles evidently did not know him, since she approached him and asked: “What are you going to have ?”

"THEY ARE BOARDERS.” He asked her what the men were doing on the premises at that hour. She replied: "Oh! They are al! boarders.” He saw a man named Carr there, whom -he knew was not a boarder. In reply to his questions' Mrs. Knowles said he was the milkman. "Does he deliver milk in the bar?” queried the sergeant, to which Mrs. Knowles replied: “Sometimes he does,” Witness then inquired as to who (laid for the drinks, and after a little while Fanning admitted he had paid for them, but said that Carr was not his guest. When asked what he was doing there, Fanning said he was a boarder and had b n staying at the hotel for four years. The other men there were Bartholomew, Carr, De Blois and Graham, The two latter were hoarders. The others said they were outside and had been invited to come in and have a drink. The whole contents of the bar, which was a circular one, were exposed. The licensee was not in the bar at any time whilst witness was there. Witness, when he left the hotel, asked the licensee if he knew that Sunday trading was going on inside the hotel, and he replied that he knew his wife was in there serving boarders Cross-examined by Mr. Bennett, the sergeant said he was sure Knowles did not know him. He did not think he had seen hint before. With reference to the bar, counsel suggested that it was “a square bar. had no round corners and was not circular.” >

MILKMAN IN THE BAR. The witness replied that a person had to go right round the room to compass the bar, and he regarded it as a circular bar, whether it had square corners or not. Senior-Sergeant McCroric: Of course it’s a circular bar. Constable Parkinson stated that he knew Fanning, Graham and De Blois. They were lodgers at the hotel on November 21. Carr, he knew visited the hotel daily with milk. He had never had any trouble with the licensee. Mrs. Knowles stated that- on the morning in question Carr and Graham came into the bar together. Graham asked for the drinks and paid for them. While she was still in the bar Fanning came in with De Blois and Bartholomew. Graham paid for the first two drinks and Fanning for the last five. The drinks were just served when Sergeant Martin came in. He questioned Fanning and Graham about (laying when they admitted they had paid for the drinks. James Alfred Carr, milkman, Spotswood, stated in evidence that he had been delivering milk at the hotel for ten years. On the morning in question he was met in the corridor by Graham, who wanted him to have a drink. Percy James Bartholomew said he had known Fanning for about five years. The water system at his .house had gone wrong and he had gone down to the hotel to get Fanning to fix it up. Just as they were coming out of the hotel Fanning asked him if he would have a drink. In dismissing all the informations the magistrate stated that the onus was on the defendants to show how they eanie to be on the premises. If a defendant, being on the premises lawfully, was given a drink by a bona fide guest, no action Jay.