H.—l9b.

230

C. SMITH.

32. I think it has been stated, has it not, that your brother was removed to the Kaiwarra Hospital on the 16th June: where did that come from? —That is a mistake. Mr. Russell made that statement in the House on the 9th July. 33. You think that is wrong?—l think that must be wrong. 34. Apparently he must have been in the Trentham Camp on the 20th?—Yes. 35. Do you know whether any other persons received a letter from him? —Yes; there is a Mr. Marshall, of Timaru, received a letter from him. 36. What date? —About the-same date as mine, tlie 20th. 37. And there was a letter received by a young lady, in Dunedin, whom your brother was corresponding with: what was the late of that letter? —The 3rd July. She said that it had been posted then, and she received it on the Bth July. 38. Have you the envelope?— No. 39. Where was it written from? —The Wellington Hospital. 40. Was any information given to you as to the cause of your brother's death? —I could not get very much satisfaction. One doctor said it was malignant measles, and another one told my 7 mother it was pneumonia. 41. Who was the doctor attending him at the last?— Captain Harrison, 1 think. 42. Captain Crawford sent the telegram? —Yes. 43. What do you think were the movements of your brother : was he discharged from the Wellington Hospital? —I think so, and taken to the Trentham Military Hospital. 1 do not know how he came to be discharged, because he could not have been in a fit state. 44. One would not have imagined that he would have been discharged. There is a difference between a removal and a discharge. A discharge would be the discharge of a man cured, but a removal infers a transfer to, probably, another hospital foi*convalescents, to enable him to fully recover. Can you get no information about it?— No. He was in the Wellington Hospital for a few days, because this friend of his, Mr. Brunton, called at my mother's place and told her. 45. Do you know when he left the Wellington Hospital? —He left there on the Sunday; but his movements from then on till he died we cannot find out. I want to say also that my mother says that her boy was lying in bed when she saw him with a dress-jacket on, and no underclothes. 46. The Chairman.] She has heard that?— She saw him; and in that same room, which was very small —about 5 ft. by 10 ft. —there was another trooper very ill whilst my brother was dying. It seemed rather too much of a crowd there. 47. Mr. Ferguson.] The room must have been bigger than 5 ft. by 10 ft. I—lt1 —It was a verysmall room. I think they were dressing-rooms, just as you go in at the gate. Tho stretcher of this other young fellow was at the end of my brother's stretcher. William John Luke sworn and examined. (No. 57.) 1. Mr. Skerrett.] Where is your residence? —My home is in Dannevirke. 2. What are you by occupation? —A carrier. 3. You have not expressed any desire to be called as a witness before the Commission?— No, sir. 4. You have been called in response to a subpoena which was issued upon information supplied to me? —Yes. 5. You are, 1 think, a member of the Sixth Reinforcements? —Yes. 6. When did you go into camp?— About the 20th April, the Tuesday after the Fourth Reinforcements left. 7. I think you got a cold and influenza some time towards the end of June? —Yes; I think about the 22nd June. 8. Were you sent to the hospital? —Yes, at the racecourse. 9. Where were you put?—ln a loose-box. 10. How long were y 7 ou there? —About twenty-four hours. 11. What did you sleep on in the loose-box? —On a palliasse laid on the floor. 12. From there where were you removed to? —To the tea-kiosk. 13. Was that pretty full?— Yes; there were a good number there. I could not say how many; it was pretty full up. 14. AVhat do you say about your treatment in the hospital? —I had nothing much to complain of. I objected to the way they gave the men medicine and took the temperatures. 15. Tell us in detail what your experience was in regard to giving medicines?— One of the orderlies used to bring a cup or a tin pannikin. 16. The. Chairman.] Was it glazed? —No, just an ordinary tin pannikin, 1 think. 1 would not be quite certain. Two men used to come round. One used to have a pannikin with water in it, in which he used to dip the spoon after giving each man a dose of medicine, but the other fellow never dipped the spoon in anything. 17. It passed from one to another? —Yes, without dipping it in anything. 18. Mr. Skerrett.] There was no sterilizing or cleansing of the spoon between the administration of the medicine to one patient and the administration of the medicine to another patient?— No, nothing of that kind. 19. How about taking the temperature?— The same thing applied. One had a cup ot something, in which he dipped the thermometer, and the other went from one to another the same as with the medicine.