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ten minutes to eight." Honourable members will find that the spot where the nrurder was committed is not distant from Hawkings's house more than three or four minutes' walk, and here are these people having their tea, and waiting until ten minutes to eight o'clock, when this witness said, "It is strange he has not come in." " She said, ' You had better go down the hill and see if you can see him.' I looked at the time. I got the lantern. I went about six or seven chains from the house to where is another house ; there 1 found the mare and trap, this side of where they are living." [The mare and trap had entered through the gate into the enclosure surrounding the homestead, and stopped there. According to Mr. Bowles, who discovered the mare and trap, the mare was standing still in the enclosure.] " The near-wheel was in the paling fence. I looked ; I called for Mr. Hawkings. I found the reins tied up at the front board of the trap, as he always did at the bottom of the hill. I got the horse out of the fence; I took the horse and trap home, and gave it to Harry Norman. It is a dwelling-house, unoccupied. I then went down to look for Hawkings. I followed the road right round until I came to where I found Mr. Hawkings. I found him laid straight across the road, feet towards the bank, head towards the gully. I found him lower down the bend —forty or fifty yards lower down. I took hold of his wrist. I turned him over on his back. I put my hand on his stomach. I found he was quite dead. I left him lying on his back." According to this evidence, Mr. Bowles was the first person who came upon the body, or in any way interfered with it. Instead of going back to the household, when he found Hawkings on the road in this condition, he goes away from the house in an opposite direction. He went to some butchers (Dimock's) who were carrying on business on the Hutt Eoad. He says, "I left him on his back, and I went down to Mr. Dimock's. Before I got there I saw young James McCallum leading a horse up to Mr. Cates's stables." lam not suggesting anything against Mr. Bowles at this moment; but supposing he had been in any way connected with the crime, and he was met coming from the direction where Hawkings was lying dead, his object would be frustrated by meeting this man McCallum. He meets him on the road, and he says :" I asked him to go back and tell Mr. Dimock that I found Mr. Hawkings dead up the hill. I returned to the horse until Mr. Dimock came up, where I was standing with the horse." 'The 'Chairman: Have you a plan that might be placed before the Committee; we would be able to follow the evidence better ? [Plan of locality produced and the position of Hawkings's house, the shed, Dimock's house, and Chemis's house (No. 21) explained.] Mr. Jellicoe : The evidence for the prosecution shows that the distance between Hawkings's house and Chemis's house cannot be traversed under twenty or thirty minutes. His Excellency Lord Onslow went out and walked over the ground for the purpose of satisfying himself on that point. If the evidence as to time is carefully considered, Chemis must have committed the murder, if at all, within twenty minutes or so after he arrived home on the 31st of May. The Chairman: I intend to go out to the locality myself, and perhaps members of the Committee will accompany me. Mr. Jellicoe : lam glad to hear that honourable members will go. They will understand the lay of the country better ; then they will be able to appreciate any description of mine. The witness says: "I waited with the horse until Mr. Dimock came up where I was standing with the horse." There is no suggestion that he went on to the house and reported himself. He was found waiting with the horse and cart when Mr. Dimock came up. He next returned down the road with McCallum. He continues : "It was William Dimock and Victor Dimock. Victor went up with one or two more to where I found the body, and William Dimock and myself went to the telephone at Dimock's. I informed him to telephone to Dr. Martin. Dr. Martin was not at home. Dr. Cahill came out. I should say it was half-past eight. I cannot say what time it was Dr. Cahili came out. I went up the hill with him and five or six more. It was a very cold, windy night. It was starlight; not dark ; no moon. Wind blowing direct up the gully. We call it a south-east wind." This road is almost south-east, and rises up the gully, and there was a south-east wind blowing. Honourable members will form their own opinion as to the quantity of newspaper that would be likely to remain stationary on the gorse bushes or at this spot with such a wind blowing. " Mr. Dimock and young McCallum and Dr. Cahill and myself went up. The doctor looked at him, and we brought the body clown the hill. Police had not arrived up to then. Dr. Cahill followed us down to Mr. Dimock's. Police came out fifteen to twenty minutes after we brought the body down. We had the body down the hill before the police came, but not into the express. When the police came they borrowed Mr. Dimock's express, and the body was, by order, taken to the Morgue. I stopped down at the bottom of the hill till halfpast twelve. Mr. Dimock and the police took the body into town. Before Dr. Cahill went into town he and Constable Carroll went up and saw Mrs. Hawkings. They came down before the body was taken away. Carroll rode in the express. I did not see Mrs. Hawkings that night." That is such an extraordinary circumstance that I specially direct the attention of the Committee to it. Here is a man who is sent out to look for Hawkings. He goes out to see where Hawkings is. He finds his horse and cart in the condition and position described, and lower down the road he finds Hawkings lying dead. He proceeds to call in the aid of Dimock. He is met on his way by McCallum. He meets McCallum on the road, a few yards from where the body lay. He returns to the horse and cart, and, instead of going on to the house, he waits alongside the horse and cart, and about the road with Dimock until the police and one person and another arrive—until the body is taken away, and he says, " 1 did not see Mrs. Hawkings that night." It is a curious circumstance that he did not go back to the household and report himself, or explain what had befallen his master. He says Dr. Cahill went up with police-constable Carroll before the body was taken away; and it is an extraordinary circumstance that, although Bowles was sent out at eight o'clock to see for Hawkings, and had not returned when Dr. Cahill arrived, neither Mrs. Hawkins nor any other person appears to have gone out to ascertain the reason Bowles did not return. Although this man Bowles lived on the premises, worked on the farm, and returned to the enclosure around the house, he did not go into the house and acquaint the inmates of what he had discovered. He