Thursday Flashback
Pictured on Foreshore Road close to the bottom of Blands Cliff is the lifeboat Edward and Lucille, possibly on the day of her arrival in town. The Edward and Lucille had a temporary but successful stay in Scarborough, being on station from 1901 to 1902 and saving 16 lives. She (the chief ) considered the case of the hotel on that particular night shocking and most disgraceful.
Defendant, in the course of a statement to the magistrates, said the alleged illumination of the yard was a pure fabrication. He had spent between £250 and £300 to have his premises properly shaded to conform with the regulations and the persecution of the police. It was not, continued the defendant, a fair prosecution but persecution. There were 378 windows to the hotel and he had used every means in his power to have them shaded. He could not do any more.
The chief, replying to the defendant’s allegation of police persecution, said the police had had more trouble with this hotel than any one in the town. At one time things became so bad that he had to call the attention of the military authorities to the hotel, but having regard to the work defendant had done to have his premises shaded he was let off. He was succeeded the Queensbury II and was replaced by a third Queensbury in 1902. Photo reproduced courtesy of the Max Payne collection. Reprints can be ordered with proceeds going to local charities. Telephone 0330 1230203 and quote reference number YRN160509-134627050. continually giving trouble. He had been four times previously convicted for similar offences, the fines imposed in respect of which were 10s, £1, 7s 6d and 7s 6d. It exhausted his (the chief ’s) patience to think that people should bring danger on the town in this way.
The mayor said defendant would be fined £1. The magistrates took strong exception to the way in which the defendant intimated that there had been police persecution in this case. It was the duty of the police to protect all the inhabitants of the town under the Defence of the Realm Act. Other persons in the town had been put to considerable expense, and larger establishments like the Balmoral Hotel more so, in conforming with the regulations, but it was possible to have lights properly obscured. The mayor expressed the opinion that the space at the side of windows should be properly shaded, by overlapping paper, for instance. The defendant in this case did not seem to realise that the regulations should be absolutely and carefully observed in the interest and safety of the whole town.
During an interval in the hearing of the cases the mayor said the magistrates thought lodging-house keepers should put up a notice in the hall calling the attention of visitors to the lighting regulations in order that they might be better observed.