I.—lα.

70

[W. J. BANNEHK.

124. Were you satisfied with an apology for the gross assault on you ?—I was. 125. Why did you not take criminal proceedings against him (Durbridge) ? Would it have done you any harm to have laid a charge against that man and had him punished ? —I considered it would have done so. I considered things left unpublished was better. 126. If you had gone into Court and proved to the Court that this man was wrong, and he had been convicted, and you were honourably exculpated from any blame, that would have done you no harm ? —lt would not have done me any harm. 127. Why did you not take those proceedings ?—There are any amount of people that consider that that sort of thing is not the thing for anybody to be mixed up in. 128. That is the only reason you can give for not taking those proceedings ?—Yes. 129. You were satisfied with the apology ? —I was. 130. Have you had any conversation with Inspector Macdonell with reference to this matter ? —Yes. 131. When ?—He came up to our works and interviewed me. 132. When? Was that in February of this year? —I could not say. 133. Did he come to you for the information ? —He did. 134. You did not go to him ?—No. 135. He interviewed you on several occasions, did he not ?—Only once. 136. Did be interview your father?—l do not know. 137. Have you never heard that he interviewed your father?—l have never heard. 138. Did your father not mention it to you ?—I do not think he did. 139. Have you had any conversation with Inspector Macdonell since you came over from Nelson ? —Yes. 140. In reference to this matter? —No. 141. Not a word with reference to this matter? —Beyond the fact that I asked him with regard to our expenses, and that I was considerably put out by being here. 142. Were you a great deal in his company yesterday ?—I was not. 143. Do you mean to say that you have not had any conversation with him in reference to the evidence that you were to give here to-day? —I have not. 144. Commissioner Tunbridge.] You knew, Mr. Bannehr, that of course you had a remedy against this constable if you chose to go for him ? —Yes. 145. You also knew that the sergeant was close by; that his house was next door to the policestation ?—lt is near the police-station. 146. It is next door ? —Two or three doors away. 147. It is next door. If you went to the police with the intention of reporting this trouble to the sergeant why did you not go to the sergeant's house and call him out ?—We would have done it. I believe my father threatened to do it. I believe it was the last step that brought forward the apology. It is a long time ago, and as I had accepted an apology one does not like to stir it up. 148. You had been very seriously assaulted? —I had. 149. And you went to the police-station to see the sergeant and to lay the complaint against this constable ?—I did. 150. Notwithstanding that, on your arrival at the police-station you did accept the apology from the police constable ?—We demanded to see the sergeant, and we were denied this. 151. You could have seen him yourself, could you not? —We could have gone and knocked him up. 152. You went to the police-station to complain to the sergeant notwithstanding that interview with the constable that you obtained from Kemp ?—After he apologized. 153. Your readiness to make it up with the constable was not owing in any way to your condition, was it ?—I should have thought that my condition by this time ought to have been amply proved. 154. Your readiness to make it up with the constable was not on account of your sobriety or otherwise? —No, of course not. 155. If there had been no question of your sobriety what possible harm could have been done towards you if proceedings before a Magistrate had been taken ?—My object for not going to him was perhaps because it was out of thoughtlessness. You might say it was that, and also, as I said, I was just starting this business and I did not want to be mixed up in anything that I thought would be detrimental to my advancement, and that is the reason why I did not press on the charge, and now I am sorry I did not. 156. Now, had you seen the sergeant and reported the matter to him, were you prepared to leave the matter to the police authorities to deal with ?—I do not know what course I would have taken if I had proceeded with the thing. 157. Well, as a matter of fact, you were not clear in your mind as to what you went to the police-station for? —I was. We went to see the sergeant. 158. To make it clear, was it your intention, when you went to see the sergeant, to report it to the sergeant, and leave the matter to be dealt with by the police authorities, or did you desire the police authorities to lay an information against the constable, and bring the matter into the Court ?—lt was to report to the sergeant; this was what we intended to do. 159. Your father accepted the apology as well as yourself ? —We were both satisfied. 160. And, notwithstanding that, are you aware that your father afterwards complained to Inspector Macdonell?—l do not know what my father did. 161. Mr. Ward —you know Mr. Ward?—l know a Mr. Ward in Nelson. 162. Edward George Ward, a grocer?—l do not know him. But you have a mistake there. The name ought to be Wood. 163. You know Edward George Wood, then ? —Yes.