A LONG WAIT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17019, 18 April 1923, Page 7

A LONG WAIT.

RAID ON MASONIC HOTEL. OFFENDERS CAUGHT BY POLICE. “ Watch and Wait,” was the motto of two police officers who visited the licensed premises of the Masonic Hotel at 8.30 p.m. on March 10. Tlieir suspicions were aroused and for two hours they waited to get admission to the bar. When they did so they found the licensee's wife ancl three men hiding under the counter. As a result of this discovery the licensee, William Brown, appeared at the magistrate's court this morning before Mr Wyvern Wilson to answer the chargee of exposing iiquor for sale utter hours, and failing to admit the police to the bar when called upon to do so. Mr M. J. Greason appeared for the defendant who pleaded guilty to both charges. Senior-Sergeant F. Lewin said that on March 10 at 8.30 p.m. two police officers visited the bar of the Masonic Hotel, and through a glaes door, halt frosted, they saw a woman in the bar but no one else. They knocked, but could not get a reply. At 10.15. when Brown arrived home, they got admission, and when they went into the bar they found Brown’s wife am! three men crouching behind the bar counter. Mr Gresson said that the offenders were admitted in the licensee’s absence and bis wife, as n . ulo. bad nothing to do with the working of the bar. She had on this occasion, however, when she was in charge, acted very foolishly. and lost her head. The magistrate held that Brown was responsible for the running of his house. For failing to admit the police he was fined 40s and costs, and for ex posing liquor for sale after hours £5 and costs.

T. Hart. Norman Oldridge and E. A. Rattray, tlie three men who wore found behind the counter, were each fined 40 and costs.