CAUGHT IN BILLIARD ROOM

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1930, Page 14

CAUGHT IN BILLIARD ROOM

MEN PLAY AFTER CLOSING TIME,

CHARGES INVOLVE -SEVEN MEN.

Seven men were involved in charges In the New Plymouth Police Court yesterday arising out of. the fact that a billiard room in Brougham Street was found open by the police after the closing hour of 10.30 p.m. Vincent Sisarich was charged that, being the proprietor of a billiard room, he permitted the playing of a game in the room after hours and failed to close it at the closing hour. The charges against him were dismissed. Lionel Galvin, the manager of the saloon, was charged with permitting a game after hours, failing to close the room and with permitting a person under 18 years to remain in the billiard room. He was fined £3, costs 10s. Thomas Hartigan, who was charged with being found in a billiard room after hours, was fined 20s, costs 10s. Charges against John McQuilliam, Cyril Jeffries, John Ray and Frank Clark of being found in the room after hours •were dismissed. Constable G. E. Stanton said that at 11.45 p.m. on June 14 he heard the clicking of billiard balls in the Civic Billiard Parlour in Brougham Street. He had gone up and found Galvin, McQuilliam, Hartigan, Jeffries, Ray and Clark. Galvin was playing with Hartigan and the others were looking on. Hartigan had said his age was 17. He would deal first with the charges against. Sisarich, said Mr. C. H. Croker, who appeared for the defence. Some years, ago he had been a fislr proprietor with premises in Brougham Street. To get living accommodation for men to look after the shop he had to take the billiard room above. Afterwards he had shifted to main premises in Devon Street and leased the Brougham Street premises to a man called Forester. Forester had failed so to relieve himself of the liability Sisarich, who was a busy man with 14 employees under him in Devon Street, had put Galvin at Brougham Street in charge. Galvin had been there only four days and during those four days the offence took place. Sisarich really had no responsibility and Mr. Croker suggested that the case against him should be dismissed.

With regard, to Galvin he could say little. It was his job as manager to close the shop. The only excuse for him was that Hartigan had come in during the afternoon and played a “good stick.” Galvin had played him again in the evening and in playing they had gone over tho closing time. As for Jeffries, Ray and Clark, they had an appointment to meet Galvin at closing time. When he did not appear they went up to get him and were sitting watching tho others finish the game while they waited. As regards Hartigan,. all of the men in tho room were prepared to say that ho appeared to be over 18 years of age. Ho was an extremely capable billiard player, so capable that it seemed to them ho must be a frequent player in billiard rooms.

In the case of Ray, he could bring evidence to show that he had never played a game of snooker, billiards or pool in his life. He just went there, as he did on most evenings, to look on.

Tho magistrate said that, it seemed to him that Galvin was the source of all the trouble. All the others were involved simply because Galvin had failed to close the premises at the proper time.