141

H.—2

241. Mr. Poynton.] Did you notice whether the same people came out again shortly afterwards ?—Yes. 242. The Chairman.] Did you see the same people going in regularly ?—I started early in the morning, before people in the house came out, and I am reasonably certain I took no count of lodgers. 243. Where did you stand all this time ?—That I cannot divulge. I may want to stand there again. 244. Were you under cover ?—Yes. 245. Mr. Taylor.] How far distant ? —Within seeing distance. 246. Within 40 yards—twice the width of the street?— No. 247. Were you within 50 yards of the place?— Yes. 248. Colonel Pitt.] Were you under cover when you saw through the window of the Metropolitan Hotel?— Yes. 249. How far away from it? —Within 50 yards. 250. Mr. Tuubridge.] Will you kindly look at your notes about the Te Aro Hotel: What was the date you were there ?—23rd February. 251. Does your note say so ?—Yes. 252. When did you make your note? —Within a week of when I was there. 253. You have no doubt about your notes being right ?—Not the least. 254. How does it happen, if the 23rd of February is a Sunday, that the sth February is a Sunday too? —I might have made a mistake in the dates. 255. I think you said you made no mistakes ? —lt was a Sunday I watched the Te Aro Hotel. 256. Which Sunday?—My note says Sunday, the 23rd February, 1893. 257. When was that note made ? —On the Sunday I watched the hotel. I may have been wrong in the dates, because I did not use dates once in a month then. 258. Then, this is your explanation : You think you have made a mistake ?—I was not using dates in the week in those days, and I might easily make a mistake in the date. I will swear it was a Sunday. 259. Was anybody at the doors of the hotel when you were there?— Generally there was somebody on guard. 260. Did you see any communication pass between those watching at the doors and the people going in ?—They passed the time of day, and some walked straight in. 261. Some did speak? —They passed the time of day. 262. You are not able to say -if each one was asked whether he was a bond fide traveller ? —No. 263. What was your explanation of the men who went in with kits ? —The kits generally went in rolled up and came out full. 264. You suggest the kit was usually carried to conceal something? Yes. 264 a. Not to give the man the air of a traveller? —No, to conceal something. 265. At any rate, you are not able to say these people were not asked if they were bond fide travellers? —I will swear the greater number were not asked, outside the premises. 266. Did they all pass close by the man on the door ?—Not necessarily. 267. Where did the man stand watching?— Before the front of the hotel. 268. Were the hotel doors wide open ? —Yes, one door, as a rule. 269. And the people walked in and out as they wished ?—Yes. 270. Have you continued your watching down to recent times ? —Yes. 271. Are you going to give evidence on that ?—No. 272. Were you watching last Sunday, for instance? —Last Sunday I saw six men go into one hotel in less than ten minutes. 273. Which hotel was that ? —The Star and Garter at the top of Cuba Street. 274. What time ?—Between 9 and 10 p.m. I saw six different men go in or leave the hotel premises in that time. 275. Do you know if they were lodgers at the Star and Garter?—l do not know. 276. You are not able to say that these men are lodgers ?—No. 277. Any one watching the door?— Not that I saw at that time. 278. Was the door of the hotel open?—l made a mistake in saying the door. It was the sidegate. I was not watching, but just happened to be passing. 279. You think they may have gone to use the urinal ?—Yes. 280. Do you know if there is a urinal there ? —I think there is, but Ido not know. 281. You cannot say they went inside the building? —No. 282. And you saw none of the doors of the hotel open, and no one watching ?—No. 283. Were the men out of your view for any length of time ?—I only saw them pass the gate, and being different men I did not take the trouble to wait until they came out. 284. You are not able to fix any man as being there any particular period ?—No. 285. Are there any other hotels you have watched recently that you can give us any information about ?—I cannot swear as to the exact date, except that it was a Sunday, and from two to four weeks after the new Commissioner arrived, I counted eleven going into one hotel while I walked the length of a short street. 286. What hotel?— The Albion, at the bottom of Tory Place and Courtenay Place. 287. The length of what short street ?—A portion of Courtenay Place. The Terminus Hotel was closed that morning, and there were men there wanting to get in. 288. By what door did these people enter the Albion?—By the.door in Courtenay Place. 289. Was that open?— Yes, wide open. 290. Any one watching ?—No, not that I noticed.