51

I—4a.

Detective Farrell,

4th Oct., 1878.

Sergeant Smith.

4th Oct., 1878.

and that my little game was well-known to everybody—meaning, no doubt, I was Mr. Barton's informant. 1423. What did I tell you about the documents ?—Tou told me the documents where at my disposal when I liked ; but such is not the fact. 1424. Did I not say I was in the next room, and you might have asked me for the documents ? — Tes; but you were talking to some one. • 1425. Did I not say you could have any papers or documents, or copies-, on proper application being made ?—Tes. 1426. And then you said, "Mr. Bowen told me to take them;" and I said, "I don't believe he asked you to bring them away in that manner " ?—Tes. 1427. The Chairman] Who gave you the papers?—Ellison. He took me upstairs, and I then took the documents in his presence, and sat down on a chair and counted them. 1428. Inspector Atchison] Did you not know I was in the next room ?—Tes; but you were talking to some one. 1429. The Chairman] Is there any other evidence you wish to give ?—I would point out to the Committee that Sergeant Smith has only had fourteen or fifteen months' experience, and yet I, with my thirty-three years' experience, have to take my orders from him. I do not get instructions from the Inspector, but from Smith. In fact, lam afraid to go into the Inspector's office ; because they were, I am sure, endeavouring to get something out of me which would enable them to report me for disobedience. If I had done wrong it was the duty of the Inspector to report me to Mr. Shearman, aud not to have abused me before these other two men. 1430. Inspector Atchison] Tou are accustomed to make these charges against your officers, are you not ? —No. 1431. The Chairman] There was a further complaint that a man was reprimanded for speaking to you. Just state what it is again ?—I was going home from here on Thursday last, when I saw 7 Constable Timothy Carroll. I spoke to him, and he said, " Oh, don't speak to' me." I said, " AVhy? " He replied, " Because I have been reprimanded on parade this morning, in the liresence of the men, by Sergeant Smith for speaking to you yesterday." That was on the AVednesday. I said, "Is that possible ? " He said, " Tes ; " and I passed on. I determined to come straight back to the House and make a complaint—not for my own sake, but for the sake of the men, because it is quite in accord with tho Regulations that I should ask questions of constables. In this easel was speaking about a man named Clarke, who was " wanted " from Sydney ; and I simply asked if he knew 7 such a man, or had seen a man agreeing with the photograph I showed him. Smith saw us, and this was the result. 1432. Hon. Mr. Fox] I think you said the man was fined ? —He was fined for something; but it was added to the offence with which he was charged that he had been speaking to me in the street. 1433. Tou were not called ?—No. 1434. Then he was condemned on that point without any inquiry ?—Tes ; apparently he was. If I am to be debarred from speaking to the constables I cannot do my duty properly, because, being all over the city, there are many things seen by them which should be know 7n to me; and, if the police are not civil to me, how can I expect the public to be so. I have been put dow7n as an informer, and it has injured me. I should like to read to the Committee a paragraph I have here from one of the papers, showing that a little while ago Sergeant Smith entered tbe Melbourne Hotel to quiet a disturbance one Sunday morning, between 12 aud 1 o'clock. He was assaulted, and the case came before the Court. Smith swore that the place was a most disorderly house, and Mr. Mansford, the Resident Magistrate, ordered the landlord to be prosecuted. The next day 1 met the proprietor, and he said he was going down to Ames's Hotel to square the " old man," meaning Atchison. Now, no one has been summoned, though the Resident Magistrate ordered a prosecution, and Smith swore the house was a disorderly house. Here is another thing : Sergeant Smith is connected by marriage with the proprietor of a certain hotel in town —he has married the daughter of Thomas, of the Central Hotel, just opposite the station. Now, I should like to know whether it is likely that any constable will do' his duty with respect to that hotel while Smith is standing at the door in plaiu clothes, or looking at the house from the police-station gate. AVhy, it is more than a man's position is w 7orth to complain of that hotel. Mr. Atchison asked me just now if I was not in the habit of making charges against police officers. I wish to answer that question. I have never made charges against a police officer, aud I w 7ish to lay before the Committee my testimonials, to prove where I have served, and how I left the service. This (produced) is my certificate of discharge from the Otago Police; here (produced) is Mr. Weldon's opinion of me; and here (produced) is what Mr. Carew, the Resident Magistrate at Balclutha, has to say about me. Sergeant Smith, being duly sworn, was re-examined. 1435. The Chairman] There has been a complaint made by Detective Farrell that he has been intimidated in the execution of his duty in consequence of the evidence he has given before this Committee; and he says, further, that yesterday morning he was spoken roughly to by the Inspector, yourself, aud Sergeant Fraser, in consequence of his having brought documents to this Committee." AVould you state what occurred ? —The day before yesterday, in the evening, Ellison, the second clerk, reported to me that Detective Farrell had been there, and bad taken certain papers away. I asked him by whose authority that had been done, and Ellison told me that Farrell had said by orders of the Committee. I saw Inspector Atchison, and told him exactly what had occurred ; and he told me to see Farrell and get a receipt from him for the papers. The following morning I spoke to Farrell, and asked him whether he had taken the papers away. He said "Tes," and that Mr. Bowen had ordered him to do so. I asked what Mr. Bowen had to do with the office. I followed that up by saying that Farrell had no right to take papers out of the office without tho permission of his superior officers. He said nothing ; and I told him I had reported the matter to the Inspector, and that he had ordered me to get a receipt for the papers. Farrell left the room then, saying he would not give any receipt. The Inspector came in about half-past 9or 10 o'clock, 7.—1. 4a.