I,—lβ

62

289. Was that the only piece of paper?— The day he was arrested I picked up a piece on the road, as I said before. 290. Did you mark that piece of paper in any way ?—No, I did not. 291. Mr. Earnshaw.] What size was it ?—lt was about the size of the palm of my hand. [The witness indicated the size on his hand.] Ido not think I would know it again. 292. The Chairman.] Did you find any other paper about Chemis's house ? —I did not, but the other constables picked up some papers in the drawers, like receipts and other things. 293. Did you see what they did with these papers ?—Constable Healy had a haversack on him, and they were put into it. 294. Not distinguished in any way by being put into envelopes at the time?—No, I do not think so. 295. Did you go from the sitting-room into the bedroom ? —I think we went to the bedroom first, and from there into the sitting-room. 296. Was Chemis at home then ?—He was arrested at that time. 297. Did you see the other constables taking the papers out of the drawers?—-Yes; I saw Benjamin take out some. 298. What kind of papers ?—They were like receipts. 299. Mr. Allen.] Pieces of newspaper?—l could not say whether they were. 300. Did they seem to be much concerned ?—She (Mrs. Chemis) did not seem to be much. She was behaving as if it were a joke. She was pulling Benjamin by the coat-tail. 301. Mr. Earnshaw.] That was not the act of a woman who had a suspicion of her husband being guilty of murder?—l would not like to give an opinion on it. Ido not know what to say about it. I thought it very singular at the time that her husband was charged with such a serious offence. 302. Mr. Jellicoe.] Who was the first person connected with Hawkings's household that you met ?—The first man I saw after passing Dimock's slaughteryard, about 100 yards beyond where the blood was on the road, was a man named Bowles. ■ 303. What was he doing? —He was standing on the road. 304. Waiting for you? —No ; he did not appear to be waiting for us. 305. The Chairman.] What time was that?—lt was about 7 o'clock; perhaps ten minutes past 7. 306. Mr. Kelly.] Was he simply looking around him ? —He was just looking about the road. 307. Mr. Earnshaw.] Had you any conversation with him ?—I believe I spoke to him. I could not say at this time what he said to me or I said to him. I could not recollect. 308. The Chairman.] Were you present at the inquest on the Monday ?—Yes. 309. Did you see the body after the clothes were removed ? —Yes, at the inquest; that was the clay after the murder. 310. Have you seen the stiletto that was taken out of the house ?—Yes. 311. Do you think the wounds on the body were made by the stiletto?— Yes, from the way the doctor inserted it, I should think they were. 312. Could you tell the Committee if all the paper that had been found up to that date (on the Monday) had been produced at the Coroner's inquest ? —I do not know : I was not at the inquest ; that is, I was there, but I had to remain outside. 313. Mr. Lake.] I see by your evidence that you state there was a mark of blood on the coat; did it appear to be fresh ? —lt did not appear to be fresh. 314. As regards the papers you picked up on the road side, what did you do with them?—l put them in my pocket, and kept them there till I went home, when I locked them in a box there ; I then brought them, by order of Mr. Thomson, to the Morgue, where the inquest was first held. 315. Nobody saw them?— Nobody saw them. 315 a. They were not shown at the inquest or anywhere else?— The ones I had were not. 316. But you had them in the Morgue ?—I took them to the Morgue, but I had them in my pocket. 317. You said you had them in your hand?— Yes, I had them there. 318. Were they in an envelope or loose ? —I had them rolled up. 319. There was no possibility of their getting mixed with others or dropped?—No, there was not. 320. Mr. Earnshaw.] On the morning you went to the scene of the murder, was there any conversation in regard to searching Hawkings's house?—l had no instructions to search Hawkings's house. I was sent out by Sergeant-Major Morice to take a view of the place, and pick up anything I could find. 321. Did it not suggest itself to you at the time that you should go to Hawkings's house? —No. 322. Or to go even up to the door, or as far as the house, in search of evidence ? —No. 323. The Chairman.] Were you referring to the same papers when you stated that you only gave one portion of the papers to Mr. Tasker ?—Yes ; the same pieces. 324. Mr. Lake : Did you tell Benjamin you thought the paper had been fired out of a gun?— I said so, but I do not know whether I said it to Benjamin. 325. Was Dr. Cahill at the Morgue? —I think Dr. Cahill was at the Morgue: we met him there. 326. Did you speak to the doctor after he came there about shot-wounds ? —Benjamin went away when the first message was sent out. I believe I did say something about shot-marks. 327. Did Benjamin go away with the impression that the wounds were stabs before you drew attention, from what you had observed of it, to the probability of the paper having been fired out of a gun ? —Yes ; 1 believe he did. It was only stabs that had been seen then ; it was not until the body was turned over that the shot-marks were seen.