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The Maryport Advertiser - May 5, 1882

SUPPLYING DRINK
DURING PROHIBITED HOURS.
_____
 

 At Cockermouth, on Monday, William Elliot WATSON, publican, Main-street, Cockermouth, was charged with having supplied drink during prohibited hours on Sunday, the 23rd of April.
 
 Sergeant GRAHAM stated that early on the morning of 23rd April he, in company with Police-constable ABBOT, concealed himself near to the defendant’s house. About twenty minutes past six o’clock a man named YOUNG went up the passage leading to the house, and returned in a short time. Shortly after a man named STRICKLAND went up the passage, knocked at the defendant’s door, and he also returned. At twenty minutes to seven o’clock the defendant came out of the house and looked up and down the street. At ten minutes past seven the shutters of the house were taken down.
 
 Shortly after this, STRICKLAND, in company with three men, went up the passage and returned in the course of a few minutes. A woman then went up the passage, then a man, and then three other men after these.
 
 STRICKLAND, who had been joined by three other men, went again up the passage and returned with a half gallon measure containing liquor and brought it to his companions, who took it into a house. After this three men went into the defendant’s house, and witness and Police-constable ABBOT followed them. They found the land lady with a pint measure in her hand, and witness noticed that the moustache of one of the men was covered with the froth of ale. Went into the house where STRICKLAND had gone with the beer, and found him and his companions drinking it. He brought the measure which still contained some liquor and charged the landlady with supplying it to STRICKLAND during prohibited hours, which she denied; and denied also that she ever served liquor to anyone that morning. Police-constable ABBOT gave corroborative evidence.
 
 Mr. ATTER, of Whitehaven, who appeared for the defence, put the defendant into the witness box. He stated that, to his knowledge, no one had been served liquor on the morning in question on his premises.
 
 Sarah WATSON, the defendant’s wife said, that she had kept a public house for nineteen years, and there had been no previous complaint against her. On the morning in question she went out into the passage for some water for the kettle and left the back door open. STRICKLAND and two other men came into the house and asked to be served with liquor, which she refused to do. At this juncture the constable entered the house, and the sergeant brought STRICKLAND in with half gallon measure containing beer. He charged her with supplying the beer to STRICKLAND, who said he got the liquor the previous night at the defendant’s house, and that the measure was his own. Witness afterwards returned the measure to him.
 
 Catherine BURKE stated that on the Saturday night, the 22nd of April, STRICKLAND brought some beer in a measure to her father’s house. The beer was partaken of by STRICKLAND and some men in the house, and as some was left in the measure she put a saucer over it and left it “sittin” on the table till the next morning when the policeman came for the measure and took it away. He never had it returned to him. He had never been up the defendant’s passage once that morning in question.
 
 Chairman said the Bench could not help feeling that there had been a deal of hard swearing in this case, especially in the evidence of the last witness, who had stated that he had not been in the defendant’s house once on the morning in question, when the constables swore they saw him going in twice. Of course such witnesses as these destroyed the evidence of the other witnesses, and the Bench were perfectly convinced that the charge against the defendant was proved.
 
 In consideration of this being the first offence the license would not be endorsed, but if a similar charge were again brought against the defendant his license would be endorsed. The defendant would be fined 20s including costs.
 
 
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