Sergeant. Fraser

3rd Oct., 1878,

I.—4a.

1305. Tou say generally so-and-so is done. Are there many cases in which rewards arc distributed ? —No ; I remember rewards given for the arrest of men-of-wars' men. 1306. But those are regularly-advertised rew 7ards ? —Tes. 1307. What I want to know is : Do you know of any cases in which private individuals have made payments on account of convictions? —I cannot remember any instances just now. 1308. There is one question I want to ask you, and I want you to try and remember, and then answer me carefully. Tou are always in the office: Do you know 7 of any payment having been made to the Inspector of Police by applicants for publichouse licenses ? —No ; 1 never remember having heard of such a thing. If such a thing has happened, it has not been within my knowledge. 1309. Mr. Swanson] If a reward is paid for anything, does it go into the general fund, properly speaking ?—No, it does not. 1310. How are the rewards accounted for ? —lt is left to the Inspector to give them to whom he thinks best entitled. 1311. Is that a rule of the service? —I do not know. I have not one of the manuals. 1312. Are you aware of the rules of the service ?—I am, generally. 1313. Then what is the rule of the service about this money ? —Speaking from memory, I think, when a reward is sent, a report of the services of the various men interested is to be sent to the. Commissioner, and he is to judge on that. 1314. AVho are the persons entitled?— Those who look up the case. 1315. Whether privates, sergeants, officers, or others ? —Tes. 1316. AVell, listen to this [reads clause 50 of rules] ?—I did not remember that passage. I must plead ignorance of that. 1317. If that is the law, then the regulations have been broken ?—Tes, evidently so. Is that a late issue ? 1318. It was printed in 1869, by " George Didsbury, Government Printer." —AYe were not under the General Government at that time. In 1869 we were under the Provincial Government, and there was no law on the subject, I think, with us. 1319. Mr. Barton] Tou have seen the Otago Police Regulations ? —Tes. 1320. Are those not the rules under which you have been working here ? —No. 1321. I do not mean the Armed Constabulary, but the ordinary police? —No; we were under the old Munster Ordinance. I think that was passed in 1846, but subsequently amended. 1322. I am speaking of since the amalgamation?— Since then we have been working under a manual compiled in the Armed Constabulary Office. 1323. Is not that the Otago manual ? —I do not know. 1324. Do I understand that you, an old police officer, do not know what the exact regulations are under which you are working ? —Really, I never give them much attention. 1325. Have you, since you were hero last, looked for the report of Farrell in Pestridge's case ?—No ; I did not know it was wanted. 1326. Tou say you took the evidence of some witnesses in Heggarty's case. Have you kept a copy of that?—No; it is not kept. It is simply written down for the use of the officer conducting the case in Court. The evidence is preserved in the depositions. 1327. But is it not a fact that a great deal of matter becomes known to the police that they cannot make use of, which never appears in the depositions, but which ought to be preserved for future use : for instance, there are the detectives' reports ? —Tes; up to a few years ago, we never got any reports of the kind. 1328. Did you receive any orders respecting the service of these summonses by Farrell ?—No. 1329. Are you aware how it was he came to be ordered to serve them ?—lt was the first occasion of Mr. Atchison getting the jury summonses, and this was the first time Farrell returned to duty after a hundred days' illness. He saw 7 Atchison in the next office, and they were talking about the summonses in a very friendly way, the result being that Farrell went out to serve the summonses. 1330. Is it any portion of your duty to receive these police reports [produced] when they come in ? —Tes. 1331. And do you lay them before the Inspector ?■—Tes. 1332. Is it not the duty of the Inspector to read these reports, minute them, and give orders as to what is to be done ? —Sometimes he does, and sometimes not. 1333. Well, here are five or six reports. I will take this one first: It is dated 18th September, and in it Constable McGrath reports circumstances which seem to indicate child-murder. Is there any minute by Inspector Atchison upon it ?—No. 1334. Did you lay it before him ?—lt was laid before him either by Sergeant Smith or by myself. It is Smith's duty, in fact. 1335. It was laid before him ? —I think so, and Farrell was informed about it. 1336. Is it not the duty of the Inspector to put some minute upon it referring it to some officer ? —Hitherto it has not been done. 1337. AVell, what does Mr. Atchison do? Tou say you write all the letters, and that he merely signs them ?—Tes. 1338. Not one of these documents are minuted with instructions ? —No. 1339. Officers are allowed to take the papers or leave them, as they think fit ? —An officer is put in charge of the case. 1340. But there is no minute made whatever?— No. 1341. This document has lain in the office since 18th September, and in the interval Farrell has been serving summonses? —He has been serving summonses; but I am not certain of the date on which he returned to duty. I know he was asked to serve the summonses. 1342. On the 19th Dr. Hector minutes the document, and says it is a case of child-birth, at any rate ?—Tes.

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