15

F. H. DUKBEIDGE.]

I.—lα.

151. Who did you marry? —Miss Smith. 152. Was she one of the young ladies whom you took into the police-station to have some tea—under charge No. 1 against you, which was inquired into by Commissioner Tunbridge ? — Yes. 153. She is now your wife, living with you at Belgrove, where you are keeping an hotel ?— Yes. Miss examined. (No. 5.) The Chairman : You are going to be examined by Mr. Maginnity before this Committee, Miss — . Giving evidence before the Committee is equivalent to giving evidence on oath, so that anything you may say will bear all the pains and penalties that it would if you were sworn. 154. Mr. Maginnity .] Do you know Mr. Durbridge, who was formerly a constable in the Police Force ?—Yes. 155. I want to ask you a delicate question, Miss ; but you will understand that what you state here is probably not going outside of the Committee, so that you need have no hesitation in answering ; and, moreover, it is a matter of very great importance; therefore what we would under ordinary circumstances respect as modesty must not weigh with us in an inquiry of this sort. A complaint has been made to the Government that some time ago—the exact date is not mentioned —you were pregnant to Mr. Durbridge : is that true, or is it false ?—lt is false. 156. Commissioner Tunbridge.] It may be suggested that, although what this young lady states is correct —namely, that she was not pregnant to the ex-constable —there might have been immoral relations between them, and I think that should be settled. I will therefore put that question to Miss . Is it true, Miss , that immoral relations have ever at any time taken place between yourself and ex-Constable Durbridge ?—No. Examination of Fkedekick Henby Dukbkidge continued. (No. 6.) 157. Mr. Maginnity.] The next complaint is No. 1 in the correspondence, in regard to the treatment of a lad named Walker, who was charged with a number of thefts; the charges are all set out in the correspondence. You remember being sent out with, I think, Constable Kemp?— Yes. 158. Will you describe shortly to the Committee the steps you took in regard to the arrest of Walker ?—On information coming to the police-station Constable Kemp and I were detailed off by Sergeant Mackay to make inquiries relative to a stolen dog, which Walker was supposed to have stolen, and then to have gone across the Maungatapu. On making inquiries we found that Walker and a boy named Howard had camped over the Maungatapu, in thePelorus. We proceeded there. The first day we were unsuccessful, and came back. When we reached town we heard of the boy Howard, who was one of the suspects. We found Howard, who made an open confession of the whole thing, and told us he would take us to the camp the next morning. Howard stayed with us that night, and we got up early the next morning and proceeded to the camp. We reached it at about 2or 3 o'clock in the afternoon—l would not be sure of the exact time. I may say that on the way Howard told us to be very careful how we approached the camp; that Walker had in his possession two or three rifles, and was an excellent shot; and that if Walker saw us coining he would take to the bush, or might make a fight for it. So we took every precaution in approaching the camp. Constable Kemp went in front of me; I stayed behind with Howard, because we had suspicions of him too, and being'in the bush we did not wish him to escape. I therefore kept him near me, and Kemp went down to the camp The barking of the dogs attracted Walker's attention, and he came to the track to see who was coming. Kemp put out his hand like that [indicating action] to him, and said, " I arrest you for various thefts." Upon that Walker turned round and made a plunge away into the bush, but Kemp put' his hands on Walker's shoulders and prevented him. I could see the whole affray. 159. What happened when Kemp put his hands on Walker? —Walker struggled, and they both fell to the ground. Kemp held him there, and I ran up and handcuffed him. I put Kemp's handcuffs on him, and he got up and said, " All right, I will keep quiet. The game is up ; you have got my mate and me." We talked to him quietly and kindly, and brought him back to the tent. When we were about 10 yards away —Kemp having hold of him all the time—he swung round and made another plunge away. Kemp caught him again, and I took him by the collar of the coat and gave him a shake. He then wrestled for a good while, and I said, "If you won't be quiet we will have to make you " ; so I put the handcuffs round his ankles. They were a large pair of handcuffs, and went round his legs. I then said, " Now, you can stop like that till we are ready to deal with you." We had a look through the tent, and found sundry articles that we had on our books as being stolen. I took Walker back to the tent and asked him which were stolen and which belonged to him. He said that certain things in the tent belonged to him. After some time spent in taking an inventory of what was there, we took the handcuffs off his legs, he promising that he would behave himself. We took them off his ankles, but not off his hands. That night Constable Kemp slept handcuffed to Walker, and I handcuffed to Howard. The next morning we started for Nelson. 160. Was any unusual or unnecessary harshness or cruelty used to Walker ?—No, none whatever. 161. Did you meet a boy or a young fellow as you were going up to Maungatapu ? —We met a lad as we were going down the other side. 162. Is it a fact that one of you drew his revolver and told the lad to put up his hands ?—lt is absolutely false. 163. Will you tell us what happened ?—We saw the boy coming up the track, and I suggested that we should " plant " behind some scrub till he came along, in case the person might be Walker. I was looking for the dogs, as Walker was supposed to have two or three with him. The boy