Mexborough & Swinton Times – December 21, 1900
Refusing to Quit the Denaby Main Hotel
An interesting point in licensing law was raised in the course of the hearing of evidence in support of the summons by which Arthur Maguire, Jack miner, Denaby was accused of having been disorderly and refusing to quit the Denaby Main Hotel when requested to do so on the 8th inst.
The prosecution was undertaken at the instance of Mr William Isaac Gibbs, the landlord of the hotel, who was represented by Mr J.H. Pawson, solicitor, Doncaster.
Mr Pawson said the defendant committed a disturbance three weeks before, and had to be turned out. On Saturday the eighth he again went to the hotel, and Mr Gibbs ordered him to go out. He refused, and Mr Gibbs had to send for a policeman.
Mr Gibbs in his evidence, bore out the opening statement.
Defendant said he had occasion to go to the hotel to “reckon,” and a disturbance arose over the landlord ejecting him for knocking over a bottle of stout. He denied having sworn at the landlord on that occasion, and said that when the landlord asked him to leave on the 8th inst. he did not call for any more beer, but waited until he had finished drinking that which he had already.
The chairman (Mr G.B.C. Yarborough) said that if the defendant had use bad language three weeks previously he should have been prosecuted on that occasion, but under the Licensing Act a publican could not refuse to supply a man with drink unless he used bad language or did not behave properly, therefore there was no case. He quite understood the position of the landlord in trying to keep the place respectable. The prosecution could not prove this behaviour in this case, and the defendant’s previous conduct had nothing to do with the present affair.
The summons was dismissed.