OTAUTAU COURTS.

Western Star, 20 April 1920, Page 3

OTAUTAU COURTS.

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1920

(Before Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M.)

—Civil Court.—

Jessie Thomas (Mr O’Beimo) v. C. Renowden (Mr Russell) claim £7 for hire of three horses for seven days and cost of shoeing. Plaintiff said the horses were taken off a contract where they were earning £3 per day, with one man. The horses had, been taken away from the contract when Mr Renowden hired them, and went back on to the same work after being returned. For this work they did not require shoeing. Defendant gave her no reason for not paying the cl aim. —Chas. Thomas, son of the plaintiff, said that he arranged with Renowden to shoe the horses, and pay reasonable hire, which witness considered would be £1 per day. He went and brought the horses back himself. He had just finished a contract on which, he earned £3 per day, and one previous to that he earned £4 10/- per day.—Thomas Gains, driver for the defendant, said that he had gone to Thomas to see if Renowden could get' his horses. Three horses were used on one day and two the rest of the time. —Defendant said that he arranged to pay a few shillings for the hire of the horses, and Thomas said that if he shoed them it would be alright. The horses were used) for gravelling shortjy afterwards, when it was necessary that they have shoes. The defence was that there was nothing owing. Defendant only wanted two horses, but Thomas. asked him to t• Ice the three so as not to leave one by itself in the paddock. Thomas had informed defendant that he had three horses doing nothing. Defendant . offered a few shillings for hire of tae horses, and when it was found that they required shoeing Thomas said if he shoed them it would do.—Judgment for defendant with costs. Police v. Thos. Gaines, charged with procuring liquor while under a prohibition order.—Fined £l, costs 7/-. Brown Bros. r. A. Bloomfield, claim £3 Is sd.—Judgment by default for full amount with costs. Public Trustee v, Watson.—The reserved decision was given as follow--: Judgment for plaintiff for £5. Counter claim; Judgment for plaintiff, oosts £5 10s. —Police Court.— Police v. John Sheehan, Harry Evans and Jack Sneddon, charged with on 4fh April, at Drummond, being on licensed premises during closing hours. Constable Shyer prosecuted, and Mr Russell appeared for defendants. Police v. Mrs Prendeville, licensee Travellers’ Rest Hotel, Drummond', , charged with selling liquor during closing hours. Constable Sivyer prosecuted and Mr Hunter appeared for defendant. The two cases were taken in conjunction.. Constable Sivyer said! that on Sun- : day, 4th April, he met Constable Boyle and proceeded to Drummond, arriving at the hotel about 4.20 p-.m. When approaching the hotel there were two men at the hotel corner. Before they got out of the gig the daughter of the licensee came out of the hotel with a man (her brother). He went into the hotel by himself and noticed quite a number of mien running and walking quickly in the hack part of the premises. The daughter of the licensee asked him what he wanted, and he said hei wanted to see Mrs Prendeville. She said Mrs Prendeville was in the sitting room, Mrs Prendeville was not there, but -she came along the passage a few ■minutes later. He asked her what all 'the men were running about for and she said there were no men running about. Ho asked her if these were any persons except her family and the boarders on the premises and she said- “ No.” He went into a room and found nine men, three of whom were the defendants. As soon as he got into the room the licensee .said “All the Nightcaps men have come in for an early tea.” She said to her daughter, “ Go> -and get the meat and potatoes on the table quick.” The three defendants said] they had come for tea. Sneddon gave him the name of Ned Stiff. He asked him if it was Edward and he said yes. Constable Boyle said this was not his name, and he then <*aidl, “Well, ain't, I stiff being caught here on Easter Sunday.” Constable Sivyer, continuing, said that through a window in the bar he saw a quantity of glasse.of liquor on the bar counter. Tr.ey all had a head on tlieml as if they had been just drawn. When he askc the licensee to open the bar she sab 'she did not have the key. Miss Prendeville, who opened the bar, said the liquor was in the glasses since Saturday. There were ten. glasses o! either beer or shandy, and the bar was wet with liquor. There we e dirty glasses on the bar counter. When they came out of the ban - they asked Mrs Prendeville if she had any explanation and Miss Peggy Premieville said the beer was left over from dinner. Miss Prendeville said sum did not have beer for dinner, and Mi Prendeville said that would be u There was a motor bus in the yarand quite a lot of men about Lb place, he counting 32 while outside. A motor car with five men came u; and drove half-way into the gate an then turned and went away. Tw< motor cycles with side; chairs ais came up. While lie was in the dinirm room) one of the men said “ Well, w may .as well have a feed now.” J-i« also heard- one say, “ She’s gone r million.” Ha opened up all the door of the passage, and one of the sou was lying on a bed practically drunk, -Sneddon and Curry were under the influence of liquor and others showed signs of having had drink.—To Mr Russell; He gave the men to understand he was a policeman. Sneddon said to him that if he had informe*. him he was a constable ho would hav.given him his right name. Mis.-Prend-eville came in and said, “Ten is ready for the Nightcaps mien who ordered it.’’ It was possible them wag a room between the- room the men were in and the bar.—To Mr Hunter: He had no personal knowledge of a sale of liquor. He was led to believe Miss Peggy was in charge of the hotel. The dining room was on the other side of the house from the bar. The bar door was locked.— Constable Boyle, Nightcaps, said that ha drove along opposite to the main

entrance to the yard. He saw the Nightcaps motor bus standing in the yard. He went on through the passage into the dining room. He saw three girls run into a bedroom, which he discovered later led to the bar. He was standing at the table between the slide leading from tho bar to the sitting room and saw a tray on the counter with ten full glasses of either beer or shandy. He said to the men sitting there that they seemed to be having a good time, and they said “ Why not ? It’s Easter.” He heard Constable Sivyer ask Mrs Prendeville what tho drinks were doing on tho counter, and she said they had been there from Saturday night. Miss Prendeville said she had pulled the beer for the boarders that dialy. Her mother said she had not, and Miss Prendeville said she had, and when she had taken it in they did not want it. Mrs Prendeville said she would go and get tho key. She waved to the men in the car to go away, and they went the same way as they came. During tho past six weeks there had been a regular motor service run from Nightcaps to Drummond every Sunday. When this car returned on Sunday night the men had beer which they supplied to their mates. The beer in the glasses was freshly drawn. He counted 27 men in and about the place.—To Mr Russell: , Sneddon asked him if he was a policeman, and it was not likely that he would know Constable Sivyer.—Jno. Sheehan, miner, Nightcaps, said that the lorry went a- long, round-about route, and did not go straight to Drummond. While the driver was away getting petrol the men went into the hotel and ordered tea. He heard no one order any liquor; They left Nightcaps about three o’clock.—Henry Evans, miner, Nightcaps, corroborated the previous evidence. He said there were ten persons in the lorry.—Jno. Sneddon, miner. Nightcaps, said that he gave his name- to Coustbale Sivyer as Dead Stiff. He did not know he was a policeman. Henry Alfred Holmes, motor lorry proprietor, Nightcaps, said he had only done two trips previously with the motor lorry, ’ one to Clifd§n and one to the Riverton races. He had not intended to, go to Drummond, and he did not go ■ the shortest route. Before they got to , Drummondi the motor lorry was not pulling too well, so he looked at his petol supply and thought it would ; likely be short. He went to- the blacksmith to see if he could get some: petrol. To Constable Sivyer: He did ; not remember the ilame of the black-; smith. He said that if Constable'; Sivyer was suggesting that he did not; have tea with the blacksmith he 1 would give £SO if it could be proved that he didn’t. He said that Constable Boyle had suggested that he was running a service to the Drummond Hotel every Sunday, and if it could be proved that he had been to Drummond Hotel more than three times in the last four months he would give £SO to some charity.— ! Minnie Prendeville, licensee Travellers’ Rest Hotel, Drummond, said that owing to the Riverton races there were eight or nine (men staying at the hotel. Margaret, her daughter, was left in charge of the hotel while she was away. It was her custom to offer ale or tea. for dinner. When she saw them both the constables were in the bar parlour. Her daughter had the key when the constable- asked her for it. He asked her to account for the glasses on the bar, and she said she did not know, as she was away at church. She thought that the glasses had been there from Saturday night. Peggy said that the beer had been drawn for dinner.—Margaret Preudeville (Peggy), daughter of the licensee, said her mother left tho hotel about 10 a.m. Her mother left the key of the bar with her. There were 20 to 25 for lunch thialb day. She brought down a tray of shandies and a tray of beer to the dining room at lunch time. One tray of 'full glasses was taken back to the bar.—The Ma-gie-; trate reserved his decision. On Thursday evening at 8 o’clock a meeting of the Committee of the Riverton Rowing Club will be held! in More’s Committee Rooms. Afterwards a meeting of all interested in the Carnival, to be held on 30th inst., will be held. At the Otautau Court on Monday Constable Sivyer said that he had, shown the froth on the top of the | glasses Of beer on the bar counter to Miss Prendeville, suggesting that they had been freshly drawn. Miss Prendcville said that their beer kept fresh for a long time. Mr Hunter thought this was a- good advertisement for the quality of the beer kept by his client. A contractor, at the Otautau Court on Monday, said that he earned £3 to £4 10/- per day with three horses. The Magistrate thought that this was profiteering. Mr Russell considered it was time the Wallace County Council wakened up and put a stop to such profiteering. At the Otautau Courts on Monday Mr Russell asked a witness if he knew Constable Sivyer when ho spoke to him iu the Drummond hotel. Witness ; “ No, I did not know him.” Mr Russell: “Who did you think he was,” Witness: “Well, he looked like a fellow walking in looking for at drink.” The Hon. E. P. Lee hm been given tho portfolio of Minister of External Affairs.