CUTTING IT FINE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 313, 23 July 1896, Page 10

CUTTING IT FINE.

An interesting and novel case came before Mr Justice Andrews and Mr Justice Murphy, in the Exchequer Division, Dublin, on the 17th inst. in Walsh v. Parker. It was a case stated by the magistrates sitting at Timoleague Petty Sessions, in the County of Cork, for the opinion of the Court as to the validity of a conviciton. Parker, the defendant, a publican at Courtmacsherry, was summoned by the police for selling drink during prohibited hours on Sunday. Evidence was given that four men. who had travelled from Burren, applied to the defendant to be supplied with drink, claiming that they were bona-fide travellers. It appears Burren is some five miles distant from Courtmacsherry by road, but the men had crossed the neighbouring arm of the sea by boat, the distance that wuy being only about a mile and a quarter. The defendant before serving the parties, sent for the police, and informed them of the circumstances ; they warned him not to supply them with any drink, but he ignored this caution, and did so in their presence. It was held by the magistrates that the offence had been committed. The question at issue was whether the arm of the sea crossed by the four men was a public thoroughfare. Their Lordships held that as people were in the habit of crossing this seaway in boats, it was a public highway, and that the p-irties were not bona-fide travellers. The conviction was therefore affirmed.