There’s no doubt that modern day policing has its challenges and the boys in blue never know from one shift to the next what they are going to encounter. While that has always been the case, society has become a lot more violent in recent times and life for the average policeman is way more complicated than it was 100 years ago.
I have been looking at some of the incidents that ended up in court in 1915 as reported by the Cork Examiner at the time. Society might have changed a lot over the years, but some things still remain the same and alcohol was playing a part in court reporting back then just as it is now.
A publican in the city centre, was summoned for a breach of the Licensing Laws on a Sunday in 1915 and two women were summonsed for being on the premises during prohibited hours.
Constable Conlon was on duty at the time with Constable Carroll at 12.40am. While they were passing along Cove Street they heard a noise coming from the pub. They saw the side door was slightly ajar and went in and found three women and four men on the premises. They also found freshly drawn stout or porter in vessels in the same room.
The women were not there, according to the publican, for the purpose of getting drink. One of the women was described as being a servant in the house, and another was described as ‘a gossip of a woman who lived upstairs’. They claimed they were there to visit a lady, who was ill in bed, but the publican was fined 20s, and the women were each fined 2s 6d.
Pat McCarthy, was summoned by Sergeant Gloster for having allowed his donkey to wander on the public road. The sergeant said that this was not an ordinary case at all. This was a very vicious donkey, and a woman had shown him that her child had been bitten by it. The donkey was a great source of danger in the locality. It had actually chased the sergeant himself, and this brought laughter to the court.
The defendant claimed that he had put the donkey into private property, but youngsters had broken down the paling and allowed it out. It was only when the children annoyed the donkey with sticks that he chased them. Sergeant Gloster said there was no paling and the owner was fined 1 shilling.
In a separate case, a licensed publican on Gerald Griffin street, was prosecuted by District Inspector Simey, for having unlawfully permitted drunkenness to take place on her licensed premises.
Sergeant Clarke stated that he entered the publican’s premises on the day in question. In the tap-room he found Joseph Cummins helplessly drunk. He was seated on a bench with his head on his bands, and the floor had the appearance of vomit, and he was covered with ashes and sawdust.
There was a glass full of porter near Cummins, but the publican said it belonged to another man. Two men lifted up Cummins, who was unable to stand, and he had to be assisted home. The publican said he had tried his best to eject him and the case was dismissed.
A licensed publican in Wolfe Tone St., was summoned for having allowed a woman to be on the premises during unlicensed hours. Sergeant Gloster gave evidence that he saw her enter the premises, and she subsequently left with a jug containing a pint of porter under her shawl.
The publican gave her the drink on the representation that it was required for a woman who was nursing a sick child, but he was still fined 20 shillings.
Anne O’Brien, a shopkeeper, was prosecuted for having sold to Sergeant Brady, an Inspector under the Food and Drugs Act, a pint of new milk. It was not of the nature, substance and quality of pure new milk, being deficient of butter fat. Three per cent was the standard percentage of butter fat required but the analyst showed that there was only 2.4 per cent in the sample.
The defendant said she sold very little milk and what she bought was intended principally for use in her own house. What milk she sold, would not leave half a crown profit in the year. There was very little milk in the pan when the sergeant came in, but she was fined 2s. 6d.
I’m sure the lads in Anglesea Street today would be quite happy if their biggest cause for concern was detecting shop keepers who were watering the milk around the city.
Michael Healy, a hackney car driver, was summoned for having furiously driven a horse on Saturday, at 10 p.m. in George’s street, and for having used obscene language on the same occasion. The constable stated that on the night in question he was on duty outside the Post Office, when the defendant drove his horse along George’s street at such a furious pace that the crowds of people had to run out of the way. As the driver passed, he made use of obscene language.
The solicitor who appeared for the defendant contended that, though the constable no doubt believed that his evidence was correct, he maintained that it was exaggerated. He could not understand how the constable could possibly hear the obscene language, if the horse was going at such a furious rate and making such a row when galloping on the hard pavement.
The driver had six previous convictions recorded against him and was fined 15s. and costs for the furious driving and 5s. and costs for the obscene language.
Fortunately, hackney drivers these days are a much more pleasant bunch and would never dream of swearing at the public or driving furiously.