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2986. Was that a safe place to keep it in in the event of lire?—We have very limited saferoom, and we want another strong-room. The strong-room is so crammed wo have not room to put it in the strong-room. 2987. Are you aware that the large parcel was taken out of the strong-room safe yesterday'?— No, not out of the safe; out of the lobby between that and the safe. 2988. Are there any valuables in this large parcel?—l am not aware. There are some photographs. 2989. Have you ever looked into it ?—Yes. 2990. Are there any letters in it ? —I cannot recollect, it is such a long time since I saw it. 2991. At any rate, before you open it, whatever it contains, if there is not much money-value in the contents to realise, should it not have been sent to the late Mrs Dallon's son ?—When he proved his title to the property. 2992. Then, perhaps, in your goodness, you would have sent him the photographs? —Anything that was left. 2993. Even the packet of lace ?—Yes. 2994. Did you write to him since the sale, and say to him what effects had been left over and not sold ?—I did not. 2995. Then, he was kept in the dark ?—We wrote to him no more—that is, on those papers. 2996. He was kept in the dark. Is that not so?—We did not tell him. [Witness opens the larger parcel, which is found to contain a packet of private letters, writing-desk, photographs, &c. The packet of private letters was sealed up and tied with red tape, and upon it was gummed the following memorandum : " Mrs. Curtis, with whom deceased lived for sixteen years, in her letter (enclosed herein) to the son of deceased, says that Mrs. Dallon tells her to tell him that he was born on the Ist July, 1859, at 88, Upper Seymour Street, Euston Square; that his father's name was Arthur Dallon, and that he was formerly in the army. It appears, however, from the other papers enclosed in this packet, that a Major Williams could give a very different account of the boy's parentage.—C. D. db C.—ls/1/89."] I do not think you will find anything of any particular money-value. 2997. Then you did not know you had put this sealed packet away with that parcel ?—I had forgotten that. These letters, I expect, are the letters showing his illegitimacy. 2998. You believed the sealed packet contained the letters that reflect upon the man's legitimacy ?—Yes. The others were destroyed. They were of no consequence. These are photographs belonging to friends or relatives, and would have been sent to the boy when the others were. 2999. Then, what is the use of lumbering your strong-room—where they ought to have been— or your cupboards with them ?—We must send them to the persons entitled to receive them. 3000. Were you ever going to send them ?—When he made application in proper form. 3001. But you felt satisfied in your own mind that was an impossibility—you felt perfectly convinced in your own mind that he could not prove his legitimacy ?—Yes. 3002. Then, you knew in your own mind that you would never be called upon to send the rest of the effects away?— Unless he proved his legitimacy. 3003. You have told us he could not ? —I have told you as far as I know. 3004. You have told us those things would never go out of your possession ?—There is a provision in the Act that an illegitimate son's things may be handed over to him. The things have not been handed over to him. 3005. Then there is a provision that the son of a widow leaving effects like these may have them handed over to him ? —Yes. 3006. Mr. Loughrey.] Is the provision that all property should be handed over?—l think so. 3007. The Chairman.] Do you remember the section ?—I think it is the Administration Act of 1879. 3008. However, you are satisfied that is the law ? —Yes. 3009. Well, knowing that the law allowed the Public Trustee to send such effects—effects, I learn from you, of no value —to her son, or the next-of-kin, why were they not sent? —It is for the Public Trustee to direct that they be sent. 3010. Well, now, did you ever before sending jewellery to the auction-room, have it valued by a competent person ? —No, it has never been valued prior to sale. 3011. That is to say, that if a watch was worth £20 and sold for £5, you would not be aware of it excepting on your own estimate ?—No. 3012. It never occurred to you or to the Public Trustee, in order to guide you in the sale of these effects, to have valuable jewellery valued ?—No ;we very seldom have any valuable jewellery. It is a very rare case. 3013. But you have had valuable property ?—We have. 3014. That bracelet, for instance, which is missing out of Mrs. Dallon's estate ? —I do not think we could have had that. There is a note from. Dallon asking for certain articles, and I have ticked those sent to him; those not ticked we never had. 3015. Did Mr. Morrison deliver the jewellery to you? —Yes. 3016. Then, you admit Mr. Morrison delivered the jewellery to you ?—Yes, all the effects. 3017. He delivered the jewellery to you—into your hands ?—Yes, I believe he did. 3018. If he states, as a matter of certainty, that the bracelet was among the jewellery, would you contradict him?—l say there is nothing there but what appears on the account sales. I have received nothing but what appears on the account sales. Do you think I stole it ? 3019. Did you not tell the" Commissioners the other day that you took the jewellery yourself from the box in George Thomas and Co.'s rooms?—l do not recollect. I rather think Morrison gave it to me. I got everything from him—the be-xes and that box. 3020. If you have stated that you took the jewellery from the box in the auctioneer's rooms or