E.—3b

90

Satubday, 11th August, 1900. Mr. Fell : I have just had handed to me a letter received by Brother Loetus from the boy Thomas Lane. It was written in June. [Letter put in.] Thomas Lane, recalled. 1. Mr. Wardell.] Is that your writing [showing Lane the letter] ?—Yes. 2. Did you send it to Brother Loetus? —Yes. Mr. Wardell read the letter, as follows :— " Deae Beothbe Loetus, — " Nelson Hospital, Bth June, 1900. " I now take the pleasure of writing you a few lines, hoping to find you in good health, and to let you know how lam getting on. lam getting a lot better now. I would like you to give me a situation up at the Orphanage when I am better, and I would do my best to do everything well and get on very well. I would like you to write down and let me know if you will, and I would be very thankful to you. lam also very thankful to hear that my brothers are getting on well. Dr. Talbot is going to leave the hospital on 31st August, to go to England. Mr. O'Connor is getting no better. Eobert Sullivan is getting better slowly, but I think will take a long time. I hope you will leave my brother answer my letter next week, and fetch them down to see me on Sunday. This is all I have to say at present. So good-bye, and may God bless you. " I remain, &c, " Thomas Lane." Mr. Wardell : Is the lad Ross here'? The constable in attendance : He says he will not come unless sent for. Mr. Wardell: He was told yesterday to attend to-day. Thomas Lynch, examined on oath. Witness : I am an inmate. 3. Mr. Wardell.] Did you ever make a statement to a boy named Quinn, or Barrett, charging one of the Brothers with improper conduct towards you ?—No. 4. If these boys, Quinn and Barrett, ever told other boys that you did so, would they be speaking the truth ?—No. 5. Did you make a statement of the kind I mentioned to anybody else besides Quinn or Barrett or Father George Mahony ?—No. 6. Mr. Bush.] You never told anybody?— No. 7. Not even Father George Mahony ?—Yes. 8. Mr. Wardell.] When you told that to Father George Mahony, were you speaking the truth or not ?—No. 9. Have you since told Father George Mahony that your first statement was not true ?—Yes, I told him it was not true. 10. Did any one tell you to tell Father George Mahony that your original statement was not true ?—No. 11. How did you come to tell him that if it was not true? What made you say it?— Some of the boys put me up to say it was true. 12. How long ago is it since you first mentioned this to Father George Mahony ?—Three or four weeks ago. 13. Is it since you have heard about the trouble about the boys being locked up ?—Yea. 14. Mr. Bush.] Do you want us to understand you made this charge, knowing that it was not true, because other boys told you to make it ?—Yes. 15. You are quite certain there is no truth in it ?—Yes. 16. You are not saying this because you are afraid you might be beaten ?—No. 17. Mr. Hogben.] How many boys told you to make that statement ?—Three. 18. Who were they?—O'Leary, Yeadon, and Barnshaw. 19. Were they altogether when they told you ?—Yes. 20. Where were they ? —ln front of the Orphanage. 21. Do you remember when it was?— No. 22. What time of the day was it? —After breakfast. 23. Do you remember what day of the week?— No. 24. How did you come to be out in the front ?—We were going to See Father George Mahony. 25. Can you remember what they told you to say ?—No. 26. Did they tell you what to say ?—Yes. 27. And did you say what they told you ?—Yes. 28. Had they spoken to you about it before ?■—No. 29. You are quite sure it is not true at all ?—Yes. 30. What made you say it ?—They told me to say it. 31. What did they want you to say it for—did they say ?—No. 32. You know that, if it were true, it would be a very wrong thing?— Yes. 33. Have you ever done anything wrong like that ?—No. Mr. Bush : The boys John Barnshaw, William O'Leary, and Arthur Yeadon made complaints to us when we were up at the Orphanage. After making their complaints, we asked them if they had anything else to say, and they said " No." Mr. Fell: The name of Father George Mahony having been mentioned, I would like the Commissioners to allow him to state the circumstances under which the boy Lynch made the statements to him. I also propose to call Brother Wibertus in reference to this particular matter.