E. MACDONELL.]

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630. Should Durbridge not have been dealt with in accordance with clause 17 of the regulations for that one offence?— Well, possibly. I look upon it as a worse thing going.in with a lot of young fellows than going in by himself. 631. Teaching them to break the law?— That is so. 632. You have a regulation which does not allow of any person going into a police-station, other than those who are employed there ?—You mean, to stay there ? 633. To enter a police-station, in fact ?—I am not aware of that. Any amount of people go to a police-station. 634. This is the clause in the regulations that I refer to : " No person, except on public business, will be allowed to frequent police premises." Barracks, of course, are part of the police premises?— Yes. Still, I do not think that is strictly carried out. 635. Did you read Durbridge's explanation of what occurred in connection with the taking of the girls into the barracks between 1 and 2 o'clock in the morning ?—I heard the evidence given by him at the inquiry in Nelson. 636. Durbridge's statement is : "I respectfully state that I was escorting Miss ■, a young lady to whom I am engaged, and her cousin home from a Catholic social and when near the police-station we met Constable Burrell, who was going off duty." By the by, at what time was Burrell supposed to be off duty on that night ?—I do not remember. 637. I gather from the papers here that it was 2 o'clock ? —I fancy so, but I would not be sure. 638. And yet he was at the station before 2 o'clock with these young ladies ?—Yes; but I think that they disputed the time, if I remember correctly. 639. The statement goes on, "We exchanged a few words, and in a joking way one of us proposed that the girls should join us for supper, not thinking that they would accept the invitation ; but, to our surprise, the girls took us at our word and came in." Are you aware of Constable Williams's report of what occurred then, about the noise that went on ?—Yes. 640. Have you any reason to doubt that ? —No, I have no reason to doubt it. 641. That there was noise, not rowdyism, but a good deal of noise after the constables and the two girls went into the barracks between 1 and 2 o'clock in the morning? —I believe that; I have no reason to doubt it. Constable Williams went and called the sergeant in consequence. 642. With regard to the Postboy Hotel, have any charges been made against that hotel ?— No, not that I know of. 643. No charges have been brought by the police ?—No. 644. Has there been any drunkenness in connection with it ?—I could not say that. I did not hear that said. 645. In reference to Constable Brown, who played billiards at Dannevirke while on duty: he was on detective-work ?—Yes ; he was told to look after some suspicious characters. 646. Is it not common for detectives to do many things which policemen would not do ? Commissioner Tunbridge : This man was not a detective. He was only a constable on duty in plain clothes. Ron. Mr. Hall-Jones : He was on work similar to that of a detective? Commissioner Tunbridge : It would appear as if he were a detective. I wish it to be understood that he was merely a constable at Dannevirke. 647. Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones (to witness).] Was he making any special inquiry?— Yes ; about two suspicious characters. 648. Would not a man in that position be justified in going into a billiard-room, and, in fact, even playing billiards, if he wanted to get information ? —Yes, if that was so, but I am not aware that it was in this case. 649. But if he wanted to get information by appearing as a private person would he not be justified ? —I think so ; but in this case he did not allege that he was trying to get information by playing. I may say with reference to this constable that he is a very good man, in my opinion, from what I have seen of him. I should say he is one of the sharpest men about. I thought it was necessary, however, to give him a check. 650. Mr. B. McKenzie.] Mr. Maginnity asked you this question : " Who was the old woman that you said in your report was untruthful and you gave her up? " Your answer to that was, " You know her, and Mr. Graham knows her " ?—I said that Mr. Graham could tell. I was not making any insinuation against Mr. Graham. 651. Mr. Graham.] How do you know that I know her ?—Because I believe you made a complaint against me in connection with it. That was my answer before. 652. Mr. B. McKenzie.] What was the complaint?— The Commissioner told me in the hotel on arrival at Nelson that Mr. Graham complained of my conduct in connection with the inquiry I had made before, and I said it could only be in reference to one woman, mentioning her name. I understood him to say that that was the woman. 653. Mr. Graham.] Who was the woman ?—Her name is given in the file. 654. The woman whose name is given on the file was the one? —No. The women at this hotel that the widow had when I was there —before the latter had it. 655. Commissioner Tunbridge.] Is her name Hall?—I think it is. 656. Mr. B. McKenzie.] Do you believe that such a complaint was made ? —The Commissioner told me so. 657. Have you seen these printed papers ? —No, I have not. 658. Well, if you look at them you will see that in your report on page 14 all the names of the people referred to are left blank. Can you supply those names ?—They have all been supplied, 659. They are given in your original report ?—Yes. Mr. B. McKenzie : I think that all those names should be supplied. 9—l. lα.