1-la.

102

[E. MACKAY;

187. That is your explanation of why you did not do anything in the matter?— For the reason that if anything had leaked out you would have blamed me. 188. Now, with regard to Remnant's complaint against Burrell, I may say that I did not quite understand your evidence a little while ago: you said that Remnant said he had been insulted, not assaulted?— Yes. The first I heard about the alleged assault was when the man at the inquiry said " insulted," and you said, " No, assaulted." 189. Are you sure you are correct ?—Yes. 190. Was not this what happened at the inquiry: did I not ask the man, "Do you mean ' insulted' or ' assaulted ' " ? —Yes; you put the word into his mouth. 191. Were not those the exact words?—l would not be sure; I know that when he said "insulted" you said "assaulted." I cannot recollect exactly, but I know that you drew his attention to it. 192. I asked whether it was the one or the other. Did you never hear ignorant men use the word " insulted " instead of " assaulted " ? —I cannot say that I have except on that occasion. 193. When the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones asked if you examined Remnant you said that you looked at him to see if he had any marks. Now, if you understood that he meant " insulted," why did you do that?—l looked at the man, and had there been marks on him I would have seen them. 194. But do you not see the distinction ?—Yes, plainly. My reason for looking at the man was his impertinence—when in a drunken state to drop down into the chair in my office. 195. Will you please explain why, if the man said he had been insulted and you so understood him, you told the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones that if he had been assaulted he would have had marks on him, and that you would have seen them when you looked at him?—l did not mean that I examined him to see if he had been assaulted. I looked at the man when he sat down in the chair, and had he been assaulted and had a mark on his face or head I should have seen it. 196. Now, you said that you heard —it was only hearsay—that Remnant assaulted his wife : will you tell us who told you ?—I cannot really tell, because I have heard it three or four times. 197. You cannot tell who said so on any of the three or four times ? —No. I did not ask. I heard it in conversation with some people. I do not know who they were, and I did not ask them any question about it. 1&8- You cannot give the name of any of them ?—No. 199- Did you say at the inquiry at Nelson that Remnant appeared as if he was going to fall asleep in the chair?— Yes, to the best of my recollection. 200. You said that you sometimes ordered him off for loitering at the corner ?—I did. 201. Can you name any of the corners that you ordered him off?— Yes. I ordered him away •from the Masonic Hotel corner. He and others were in a cluster there, and I ordered them away —not him in particular, but the whole of them. 202. You just moved them off in the usual way ? —Yes. 203. How often did you ?—I cannot say. It was my practice to go round on Saturday night, and if I met them I moved them on. There was generally a cluster of them. 204. Now, with reference to Burrell, you say that you understood that he ordered Remnant off the corner, and that was all that took place ?—Yes. I have said so. 205. That Burrell told you so?— Yes. 206. Can that be correct if he was not on duty at the time?—l myself whether on duty or not would have ordered them off, and I would expect him to do the same. 207. Is it usual for constables in their own time to order people off for blocking the footpath? Did you ever see any of them do it ?—Yes. 208. Are you certain that he made that explanation ?—Yes, as nearly as I can recollect. 209. Did'you question him as to what happened at the time? —Yes. I fancy I asked him whether he had said anything to Remnant, and that is what he told me, that Remnant was standing at the corner and he ordered him off. 210. You cannot say whether Burrell was on duty or not ?—I believe he was not. 211. Now, with regard to the young women being in the station at night, where did you go after you were called and saw the constables and the women ?—lnto my office. 212. How long did you remain there ?—I should say I was in there five or ten minutes perhaps. I called the constable in almost immediately after going in. 213. What did you do when you left your office? —I went into my quarters. 214. Did you see the women away before you went ?—No. I believe they did go. I saw somebody behind me when I was near my gate, whom I took to be them going away. 215. You did not think it necessary to see for a certainty that they went away before you went ? —I did not, because they were respectable young girls as far as I knew, and respectable young men. 216. Now, do you say that no one ever drew your attention to the fact that the single constables at Nelson were in the habit of spending their time in the station and at other places when they should have been on duty at night —that they did so pretty frequently ?—No one ever did. Nobody mentioned that to me to my recollection. 217. At any time ? —At any time. 218. You say that you knew they were in the habit of going in to get some tea ? —I cannot say that I knew it. 219. Do you remember my telling you when you came back from Collingwood that I found two men in the station on two nights running while you were away, and that you replied to me, " I never watched them. I had no suspicion " ? —No, I have no recollection of that. 220. You said, in answer to the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones, I think, that you got up out of bed and walked round the town several times, and found the men on their beats ?—-I have done so, just when the fit took me.