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2948. Do you remember when the first sale in Mrs. Dallon's estate took place ?—I am not quite certain, but I think in March last year. 2949. And when did the second sale take place ?—That I do not know ; we could turn up the records. 2950. Was it six months ago ?—I do not remember that. I have very little to do with the sales. 2951. So that the last sale took place in March last year—more than a year ago —and this packet of lace has been in the Eev. Mr. De Castro's custody ever since, or ought to have been ?— Yes. 2952. Do you think it is likely he has had it in his office drawer all that time ?—That is what he told me, and I quite believe it, of course. 2953. Was that all the conversation he had with you?— Yes. 2954. Did he ask you where you had searched in the safe ?—I told him I had searched through and through the boxes and parcels. 2955. Did he seem surprised you could not get it there? —No. Mr. Moginie further examined. 2956. The Chairman.] Mr. Moginie, do you keep the key of the safe containing the jewellery in Mr. De Castro's absence ? —Yes. 2957. Did you open it yesterday ? —No. 2958. You parted with the key yesterday ?—Yes ; I handed the keys out to Mr. Stanley Hamerton, and he opened the cupboard where the things are kept. 2959. Did you see him open it ?—No. 2960. Then, did he give you back the keys yesterday? —Yes; he handed them back shortly afterwards, and I kept them. 2961. You have them now ? —Yes. 2962. Have you opened the safe or lent the keys for the purpose of opening the safe this morning ?—Yes ; I handed them to Mr. De Castro this morning. 2963. And has he got them still?—No ; he has handed them back to me. 2964. And Mr. De Castro is in the office, is he ?—Yes. The Eev. Charles de Casteo further examined. 2965. The Chairman.] Mr. De Castro, on the subject of those private letters again, can you tell me how many letters belonging to the estate of Mrs. Dallon you destroyed ? —No, I could not tell you. Do you mean roughly ? 2966. Yes ; state roughly how many you destroyed ?—To the best of my recollection, somewhere about from a dozen and a half to two dozen. There was a small package of them. 2967. Then, were any private letters at all preserved in connection with the estate ?—Only those upon record. 2968. You are quite sure of that ?—Yes. 2969. Now, have you been into Messrs. Thomas and Co.'s auction-room of late ?—Only at your request the other day, to ask him about the commission. 2970. You called there the other day, since this Commission has been sitting ?—Yes. You asked me to see him to ask whether any commission had been refunded. 2971. Did you speak with him on any other question?— No. 2972. Now, how is it in this book of yours that there is no mention of the packet of lace?— Because I said " Box of jewellery." That lace was in the box of jewellery. 2973. And the box of jewellery was in the safe ? —Yes. Properly speaking, there should have been details, no doubt, of the articles, but, that book being small, I had not room to enumerate them all. 2974. Do you know there are a great many pages in your little book which have no writing on them at all?— Yes; they are all separated alphabetically. 2975. Could you not have opened another book ? —Yes; no doubt a detailed account ought to have been kept of them. I quite admit that. 2976. Does this packet contain that portion of the lace belonging to Mrs. Dallon ?—lt is the lace. This large parcel was tied up after the jewellery was sent away. 2977. Then you were realising the last of the personal effects of Mrs. Dallon. When you found it desirable, under the authority of the Public Trustee, to sell all her personal effects, why, then, was the packet of lace not sent to auction too ? —Simply because I did not think it worth sending. If you will look at it you will see it is not particularly valuable. lam not a good judge of these things. 2978. Will you open it ? [Witness opened the smaller of the two parcels produced, wrapped in a clean piece of light-brown glazed paper. It was found to contain about 3 yards of lace.] —I recollect there was a hole or a tear in the lace. 2979. Your reason for not sending the packet of lace to the auction-room with the jewellery was because you did not think it was worth sending?—l did not think it would fetch anything at an auction-room. 2980. Then, what did you intend to do with it ? It was part of the effects of the estate ?—lt should have been put in that larger parcel. 2981. It is more than twelve months since the last sale took place. Where has this packet of lace been since ? —ln a drawer. 2982. What drawer?—My drawer. 2983. Which drawer? —The drawer in my table. 2984. Your writing-table ?—Yes. 2985. That drawer is not in the strong-room?—No,