89

I.—lβ

Thomas Alfred Bushe Bailey, sworn, saith : I am a clerk in the office of Mr. Jellicoe. I remember the office-boy bringing the bandbox produced. I placed it in the safe. I remember Mr. Woodward removing it. I was not in the office when it was taken to the cab. I saw it half an hour or an hour before. The box is not now in the same state as when I saw it. It has had a piece cut off round the top. George Gropp, sworn, saith :lam a clerk in the office of Mr. Jellicoe. I remember taking the box produced from your house to the office. It was put in the safe. I took it into the cab to Mr. Woodward. The box is not now in the same state as when it was put into the cab. The top has been cut since. William Henry Warren, sworn, saith: I was in Court yesterday afternoon. I was taking shorthand notes. I was present when Mr. Bell cross-examined Mrs. Chernis. Annie Chemis recalled, and re-examined. By Mr. Jellicoe.] lam responsible for this prosecution, and I am paying for it—whatever way I am paying for it. I will pay for it in time. I told Benjamin if I had to sell the last piece of clothes I had I would prosecute him. Benjamin came up with another gentleman sometime about the time of the Cabinet meeting. Ido not know the other man. He came to my house for a drink of water and I gave him a cup of milk. I spoke to Benjamin, and said how shameful it was of him to swear so much lies about my husband through his having denied these things were in the drawer. The other gentleman remained by the cowsheds. Benjamin came up to the house and carried my little boy. The other gentleman came up afterwards. Benjamin gave the boy a shilling to buy lollies with when he came up the road first, before I told him I would spend the last shilling. Benjamin went up the hill, and my little boy told me he had given him a shilling. They came to the house afterwards and I did not give him back the shilling. I do not carry a watch. My husband cut a cask full of mangolds. The cask was kept in the shed close to the cowshed. The cask prodμced, is the same. I was in the cowshed milking when he passed. He chopped the mangolds with the chopper produced. He was pulling up mangolds while I was in the shed. I could hear him chopping the mangolds when I was in the kitchen. I was in the cowshed when my husband passed from his work. He went to the kitchen with his basket, and when he came out I asked him the time. He said, "After 5." My children were about. It was some time about 6 when my husband came to tea. It was nearer to 6 than any other time. From the time my husband passed the cowshed and had his tea my husband did not leave the premises. The gun of my husband was hanging in the bedroom from the time my husband passed me at the shed and teatime. After tea he read the Post. When the children wore put to bod he was reading the paper. I put them to bed at 7 o'clock. Ist June was the first time I remember baking quail. I have a colonial oven. I looked to see when the quail were done. When I took them from the oven I knew they were done. Only our own family dined off the quail and the joint. Another joint of meat was being cooked when the quail were in the oven. I gave my brother some of the quail at tea. There is a form standing by the house at the back of the yard. Some boards are on the ground leading to the water-taps opposite the kitchen door. Yesterday when I went home I had to milk the cows. Dowd had to feed the cows. I prepared the children's tea after milking. Afterwards I got them ready to go to bed. John Dowd left the house with a young woman who had been looking after the children. He returned before I went to bed. I know all the things I have mentioned were in the drawer. They were not placed in any particular place in the drawer. The bullets were in the right-hand front corner of the drawer. I saw Inspector Thomson inspect the documents. I still swear no newspapers and no fragments of newspapers were brought in the handkerchief and placed before Inspector Thomson. The documents were placed in the left-hand drawer after the police left on the first day of June. The documents were in the morning in the left-hand drawer. I kept the money in the right-hand drawer. I kept it locked because 1 did not want the children to go near the drawer. The key was kept in the left-hand drawer. I remember the bandbox being taken away by you. The box is not the same now as when it was taken away. It was level at the top. I said yesterday that if a piece had been taken off the top since it was not done in my house. I remember Tuesday, the 20th August. Mrs. Eichardson called at my house, the wife of one of the Ministers. She had two of her children with her. She asked me questions. She had a, note-book and pencil. She told me she was the wife of the Minister of Lands. Augusta Richardson, sworn, saith : I am the wife of George Frederick Eichardson, Minister of Lands. I remember last Tuesday afternoon. I went to Mrs. Chemis's house with my two daughters —eldest and youngest. I could not say how long it took me to go from the road to Chemis's house. I saw Mrs. Chemis. No one sent me up; I went of my own accord. Mrs. Chemis was milking the cows. I spoke to her, and went into her house afterwards. I spoke about the newspaper found by the police. I asked her where the paper was got, and she said it was not in the bed-room or drawer, but some was found in the kitchen and parlour. I wrote down two dates, nothing else, Ist June and 31st May. I inquired about Mrs. Chemis' means. My object was to do what I could to assist Mrs. Chemis if I could. These two dates refer to the newspapers. I asked if she had paid her lawyer to see if she was short of money. I cannot remember the whole of the conversation. I have no idea how long we were talking. At the cow-shed I asked her if she had any of the newspaper of the 23rd May. She said she thought not. We talked of her husband coming home that night and what he did. I asked her about her money matters to see how she was situated. She told me what she drew from the bank. I went to see what I could do for her. I generally carry a note-book with me. By Mr. Bell.} I have had no communication with any police officer. Colonel Hume was at our house. I told him I was going to see Mrs. Chemis. Colonel Hume asked me to find out anything I could with the hope of clearing up anything connected with the murder. Mr. Fisher had asked 12—1. Iβ.