Death of F. G. Evans

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 91, 13 December 1912, Page 1

Death of F. G. Evans

First Day, Wednesday, December 4th THE JURY. The Coroner's Court (Mr. W. M. Wallnutt presiding) resumed its inquiry into the death of Frederick Evans, which occurred on November 12, when the Miners' Hall was raided. The jury consisted of: 0. Lawlor (insurance agent), James Murray (sharebroker), Alex. Dick (retired grocer), H. H. Holmes (storekeeper), M, It. Power (aharebroker), A. T. j Ellis (electrical engineer). j

Mr. S. Mays appeared for the police, and Mr. J. K. Lundon for the relatives of the deceased and nominally for the Federation of Labor. CONSTABLE WADES EVIDENCE. An adjournment was made to the hospital., where the statement of Constable Wade ivas taken. The constable deposed: Had been just over four years in the force. At about 7.40 on November 12 was on duty in Seddon street. Saw a procession of arbitrationists pass on the Miners' Hall side. Was about half-way between the hall and the dentist's corner. Heard shots fired, and made for the entrance to the hall. When the shot was fired a good many were standing around tho door. Pushed his way past them and stood on the steps. Said something to the scabs on the footpath, and they desisted from their attempt to force the doors. They turned round and walked a couple of paces into the building. Saw Evans looking through the folding doors leading into the reading-room. Then Evans fired a shot. Could not say where it struck. Thought it was fired at him, and immediately pnshe'd through the doors, and saw three or four men running out by tho back door. Evans was the last man out. Followed close on his heels. When he got through the | building he'turned,slightly to the right. The other men went to the left. Evans run up an incline on to a road, and then turned to the left. As he ran he drew his baton and gradually gained on Evans. When within about four or yards Evans looked over his right shoul-

Resumption of Inquest

Full Report by H. E. Holland

der and swung his arm round and fiTed. fle carried the revolver in his right hand. The bullet struck the constable in tlio stomach. After the shot struck, he reached Evans, and hit him on the side of the head with the baton. Evans fell forward ou his face. Witness put his hands to his stomach and other constables came to his assistance. It was a fairly hard blow he struck Evans. He struck Evans because he thought lie would shoot again, and feared his life was in danger. His object was to hurt him, but ho had no intention of doing him a serious injury. After Evans tired the shot he still had the revolver in his right hand. When Evans fell the revolver fell out of his right hand. It was not poseible that anyone, else could have fired the shot that struck him. Wasn't aware when he entered the hall that Johnston had been wounded. His object in going into the hall was to prevent any further shooting. Knew of no plan on the part of the avbitratiotusts to raid tho hall on that morning. Didn't witness the altercation that led to the assault on the hall. Had neither done nor said anything to justify Evans in firing at him. Evans gave him no warning that he was about to fire. WADE CROSS-EXAMINED. To the Coroner: When Evans fired through the folding doors only witness was inside. Harvey was nearest to him, and was standing on the step with Johnston.

To a juror: Didn't' see the crowd touch Evans after he was struck down. The crowd rushed past in pursuit of the others. To the Coroner: Some of the arbitrationists wore in the entrance of the passage—on the steps. To Mr. Lnndon: Would be about 15 or 20 yards from the door when he heard the first shot. The procession hadn't reached him then. He would have a full view of the advancing procession, but couldn't say who was in front. Was watching the procession coming; vp —that was wh*' he was there. Constable Montgomery was with him. Didn'L see any police.,<p?r ?rs with the procession. Didn't see any other police officers in sight. Witness was 6ft. 2in. in height. Knew Evans by sight. Evans was about sft. Bin. or sft. 9in. in height, and would be quite 11 stone, and was about 30 years of age. Didn't know then that he was a married man. Had had no trouble with Evans previously, and had been in Waihi for six week?. Mounted men may have been there without his noticing them. The procession would be about 200 yards away when he saw it first. Saw it crossing over from Rosemont roadThere were about 100 in the procession. First saw Harvey at the entrance to the hall. Couldn't say whether Harvey was in the procession. Didn't know Bostock. Delaney was not present at this stage, but saw him at the back after the shooting. Harvey and Johnston were the only two others he could name v.ho were there. He had boen engaged in quelling the trouble on the previous day, and knew that Harvey had been in some of those fights. Knew that there had been considerable trouble. Was on the alert that morning. Hadn't seen Evans at all on the previous day, nor Barfoot nor Jones. He didn't know tho two latter, and could not say that any one of them was in

any row on Monday. Had not been to Waikino on Monday night, neither had he spoken to anybody who had been there. Hadn't heard on November 12 of the Waikino affair. The procession took up pretty well the whole of the footpath. Couldn't give any reason for the scab procession crossing over to the Miners' Union Hall side of the street. Saw nothing in the way of obstruction or opposition to the procession, and neither saw nor heard anything to cause the procession to stop at the Miners' Hall. Did not hear of any threat on the previous day to take the hall. On that morning anyone calling out in an ordinary voice should liave been heard 20 yards away. There was nothing in the nature of calling out that attracted his attention. Didn't hear the door slam—it coukt have slammed without his hearing it. There was no noise up to the time the «<«>wd stopped; the noise was after the crowd stopped. When the crowd stopped he couldn't see the door. He didn't move till he heard the shots fired. Thought he heard two or three shots fired before he moved. Heard no sound of a bullet. He walked quickly to the door. He knew of no strikers who were outside the hall when he reached tlie door. Montgomery was behind him when he reached the door. Harvey and Johnston were at the hall before him. Harvey appeared to be speaking to someone inside, but was not apparently making any effort to enter the hall. The outer doors were shut. Didn't remember anyone's hand being on the door when he came, but Harvey was the nearest man to the outside of the door. Witness saw no attempt either to open or shut the dgor. Saw nothing the matter with

Johnston at that time. Had heard no suggestion at that time that Johnston had been hit. It was all excitement just then. Couldn't say whether Harvey or Johnston remained there. There was no ono either hehind or near the outer door. He told the arbitrationists not to force their way into the* hall. Didn't remember whether any answer was made. They appeared to do as he told them. Didn't remember Harvey refusing to stay out'-sido. He did not givr> Harvpy any authority to enter the building. Harvey got through the outer door; he walked a couple of paces along the passage towards the inner door, which was then shut. Evans was looking through the aperture. No word was spoken. Couldn't say where Harvey was at this time. Had no instructions to enter the hall. Hadn't seen anybody firing, and had only entered to see who was firing. The only revolver he sa-w was in Evans' hands. Saw nothing to suggest thai) either of the other men had a revolver. Witness drew his baton before getting through the fence. Couldn't remember there being any women there —either in the hall or outside. He was pursuing Evans, and Evans only. "Was possibly 15 paces past the fence "when Evans looked over his right shoulder. His intention was to arrest Evans when he got within striking distance. He had never arrested a man before by batoning him—had never before arrested a man with a revolver in his hand. Evans kept miming while he looked over hLs right shoulder. Evans blazed away without taking any aim. Evans was then almost immediately in front of witness. Hβ was positive Evans fired to hit him, and that it was not an accident that he was hit. He

did not call on Evans to stand. Hβ had no intention of using the baton on Evans, and only struck him with the baton because Evans had shot him. NO ROOM FOR HOLLAND. The court adjourned at 1.30, and Sergeant McKinoon "scored one" against The Maowland Workeh by refusing to permit the Worker representative to travel back to town in one of the brakes provided at the expense of the Coroner's Court, and. in, which both coroner, jury, legal and pressmen had travelled to the hospital. To get to town in tim« to be present at the court's resumption necessitated a walk of a mile —not much for a well man, but stiff enough for a crippled journalist. BARFOOT'S EVIDENCE. After luncheon, Henry Barfoot was the first witness. He said he was present at the Miners' Hall on the morning of November 12. Evans, Doyle, Waddell, Sowerby and Arthur Richards and four or five women were also there. Mr. Lundon here objected to any question that might be used against him. After argument, Mr. Mays asked if the witness remembered shots being fired at the hall on November 12.

Witness declined to answer, and the coroner said he would not compel witness to answer.

Witness said ho left as soon as the "supposed workers" rushed the hall. They burst the door open. He was trying to hold it closed, and they snatched it open from his grasp. He couldn't say who was present when he was holding the door, but Evans, Doyle and

Waddell were somewhere in the hall. Hβ rushed through the spring door and out the back, when the hall was raided. Couldn't Bay who remained in the hall when he left. The women and Doyle were ahead of him when he got outside. He came out on Moresby avenue, and went to Thompson's House. Later he left Waihi, and went to work at a timber-yard at Mamaku, where he went under the name of Wells. Did not see Evans shoot Wade; did not recollect hearing a shot. Had not described to any person how Evans shot Wade.

Witness declined to answer questions as to whether he fired a revolver on November 12, and also declined to say whether he presented a revolver at any person on that date. Hβ also declined to say whether he had a revolver in his possession on that day. Also declined to say whether any person during the currency of the striko had lent him a revolver. The question being repeated as to shooting having taken place from within the Miners' Hall on November 12, witness again declined to answer. To Mr. Lundon: He was on the doorstep of the- hall when he first saw the crowd on the 12th. There were some women, who went inside. The women were well inside before the crowd came along. All the men, except Evans, were outside the door when the procession came into sight. When the crowd got opposite the hall, all were inside except Sowerby and Richards. Nothing whatever was said in his hearing to which the crowd could exception. Their object in going inside was to avoid possible trouble; he had suggested that they go inside. There were no pickets out that morning. Hβ had heard that this was the Tesult of an arrangement made with Commissioner Cullen. Thero was no other Federationist in sight at this time". There was no reason whatever for the crowd stopping in front of the hall. The right-hand side of tho door was bolted, and the left-hand side was open, but within reach to pull it to from tlie inside. As he went in he tried to close the door by grasping a brass hook that was on the door. The door was then pulled from his grasp by someone outside. It was Doherty—one of the arbitrationists—who pulled the door. He understood Doherty was a Huntly man. Couldn't say who else , came—several men got bold of it. Couldn't say whether any constables were in sight at this time. There was no possible excuse for the door being burst open. As soon as it was pullotl open he made a rush for the bark. Saw Harvey in the scufflo with Richards outside the hall. Couldn't say who chased him; but thoro was a park of soabs after them. Whpn he got to Moresby avenue he saw Doherty chasing Waddell. WADDELL'S EVIDENCE. Walter Waddell said he and his wife went down to the Miners' Hall on the morning of November 12. Barfoot, Doyle and Evans were already there. Sowerby and Arthur Richards came a short time after. They were standing on the footpath when the scab procession came along. He advised the others to come inside. They went in without much delay. He thought all went inside. Ho went into tho reading-orom with the women. One fold of the swing door was pushed back, and ho could thus see the front door. He thought Evans, Doyle and Barfoot remained in the passage. One was standing at the left-hand side, and he thought Evang appeared to be trying to close the door with his left hand. While in the read-ing-room he heard a revolver shot. Didn't know who fired the shot, but thought it was fired from inside the passage. Prior-to the shot being fired, saw Evans in the passage with a revolver in his hand. It might have been five minutes or less from the time he saw the revolver in Evans' hand till the firing of the shot. Evans was the

only man he could swear to as having had a revolver in his hand. Hβ wa". under the impression that the othera were armed because of U conversation, he heard in the reading-room, fie oould only swear that he heard one ehot before he left the hall. Hβ tried to open the back door, but it was looked, and Doyle or Barfoot opened it. Several of them, including the women, went out the back door, up the hill and into tho paddock. He went through the school grounds, and eventually went to Auckland. He thought a revolver shot was fired at himself as he went along, but didn't hear any other shot flim, and saw nothing of the shooting of Wa4e.

To Mr. Lundon: Was aware that that morning the pickets had bMO. with-* drawn as the result of an arrangenentf with the Commissioner, made tho pre* vious day. He had certainly got the impression that under these circumstances the police would proteot the hall. Remembered Sowerby getting i»t_ the hall. Never heard anything off#n-» sive said by any Federationist outaida the hall. Thought it advisable to get inside the hall because he saw the Boab procession occupying the footpath, and apprehended that something might happen. Had heard that something had happened at Waikino the piwiou_ night. Couldn't say who first attempt* ed to shut the door, hut it was ♦Hie** Evans, Barfoot or Doyle. The last he Baw of the front door it was about two inches open, and Evans was trying to shut it. He had expressed the opinion! afterwards that Evans bad given his life for him (witness), because by Evans' action the crowd was delayed and thus prevented from using violenoa towards him. He didn't go away till next morning. A written notioe wa* sent to him to get out of Waihi within 48 hours, or take the consequences. The notice was written on one side of an, envelope, and on the other si<!e was the name and address of the Secretary, School Committee, Waihi. A matt handed this to his child at horn*. Had not done anything to cause anyone to chase him. Was not award that Detective Powell had chased, him. He got to Auckland on the) following Friday morning, and he left his address at Constable Waghouse's at Kingsland on tho Saturday, and also had an interview during the following week with an officer he thought was Sergeant Bird, at the Trades Hall. The* statement that the police could noH find him was quite untrue. The laßtl he saw of Evans was at the front door. To Mr. Mays: Had done nothing td the scabs to make them attack him. Still, in. view of the previous Jay's do* ings, and the procession, he thought Igood enough to geji, ouji of the Way. Hd had „ Viry strong suspicion that it wai secretary of the School Committes) who sent him the notice to quit. Hes had gone and got the subpoena from the police station himself LEECH RECALLED. William Leech, recalled for cross-ex-amination, said the statement referred! to in his previous evidence that Evans had told him that the scabs had made 1 an attempt to raid tno hall referred td Monday, the 11th. Evans told him some of the scabs had made an attempt to Ret into the hall, but ha_ not succeeded. Said they had come! up the steps and had attempted td shove past him to get into the hall, I bnt he had kept them hack. He askea him if any of the scabs had a right* to get the hall by reason of them hay« ing been members of the union, and Evans said: "Oh, that's a legal points they're not going to get it anyhow.'* He said that if the soabs did get intd the hall there was a reception wait* ing for them that they did not expect^ At this stage the court adjourned til) next morning. ■ ,

Second Day, Thursday, December sth DELANEY'S EVIDENCE. The first witness on Thursday was Jamtes A. Delaney, whoso photo, (labellod "the principal strike-breaker") recently figured in tho "Auckland Weekly N*wS," who was recalled. He admitted he was at the head of tho scab procession, and said Rudd was also in the forefront. There was no discharge of firearms till he got to the 3oor. There was a scuffle at tho door, but he was not in it. He thought Harvey Was in it. Know Harvoy had a fighting reputation. Harvey shaped up on tho road after Richards was dragged up on the road. Scuffling was going on when ho heard a shot, and that wrti the first thing that attracted hie attention. Nothipg else indicated to him that Evans had fired the first .shot, but that Evans had a revolver in his hand. Couldn't say whether anyone was nearer the door than himself, but nobody could have had a clearer view of the door than himself. He declared that he had no firearms that morning, and had never carried a revolver. If it was said that Harvey banged the door between the firing of tho two shots he would not deny it. He would not deny that thei door Xvaa opened in consequence of Harvey's attack on it. Didn't know whether Wade- opened the door or whether it Was opened from within. When Evans was being pursued by Wade, he turned his head over his right shoulder and fired with his right hand behind his back, without ceasing to run. Delaney was the first man to reach Wade. Harvey was then on his right. Harvey fcad no revolver, but ftatf a baton. Evans' action in shooting was instantaneous, and up to the moment not a wofd hid been said by anybody. After Evans fired, Wade hit him with the fcatdn. He didn't think Wade hit Evans while the latter was on thjs ground, but .wouldn't swear that he didn't. He would not swear that Evans was not hit by someone, whilst on ihe ground. Ho would swear that neither himself nor Wado hit Evans while he was on the ground, but would not Bwear that Harvey didn't. (It must be remembered that only Delaney, Harvey, Wade and Plvans were present at this time.) After Evans fell on his face, Delaiipy didn't see the 'revolver, neither did he see Evans move. He (Delaney) was engaged, in company with Capper, Dnwson and about 30 others, that day in giving notice to people to get out of Wnihi. but he didn't know atl.V of th£ names of the people to whom he had £iven notice. To Mr. Mays: The notices to quit were served because the strikers had used violence, niid not as the result of my prearranged scheme. LEGAL ARGUMENT. At this stage, Mr. Mays took the extraordinary objection that the matter of notices to quit cotild have no ■loaniig on the case whatever. Wade -lit , made a statement on oath that he 'anew rorhing at all about any organiz*& scheme against the unionists.

lit. Lundon: The- Crown looks upoh Wade as the man who killed Evans. R'edoiiot.

Mr. AVallnutt gave the equally ex•sraordillr>cy filling that) this evidence :-ould not bo admitted.

Mr. tuiidon pointed out that in Mr. ."Sye , Arinliiiatioii tho coroner had permitted the statement to be made that people had been ordered out of the town, and now refused to allow even an opportunity to refute it.

It was evident that the Crown was determined to prevent any exposure of the things that were done as part of ihe conspiracy against the unionists by the Government and mine-owners.

At this stage Mr. Lu/idon insisted that the police should have called every person who could throw any light on the matter at all. Four or fivr> Women were present in the hall at the time of the raid, and while statements had been taken from them by the police they weYe not being placed in the bos. It was d&Mdedlv unfair to him ns counsel. These .statements were, trindo one hour after tha Bhootinp. and the fact that they were withheld and that he had no opportunity of examining witnesses was decidedly unfair to him as counsel.

After fe.f)6ated objections by Mr. Mays, Mff. Sfirensori wn? placed in the fcox. MRS. SORENSON'S EVIDENCE. Ellen Rose Sorenson (wife of one' of the jailed strikers) said she. went to the hall on November 12 with Mrs. Chas. Cottie. When the. scab procession came along soneone suegested that they should go into the hall. They went into the passage, and remained there until the procession passed, when they w«nt to the reading-room. fch« Saw some strikers there, but not any with firearms. She heard no Bhot until the scabs came. Didn't know who fired the shot, but was undor the impression tha,t it cams from the street. Later a |ot of men (scabs) came thrmieh the door from the street, and there was a commotion near the door and a sound of hammering. The women went out throiigh the back doer find up behind the back of the hall. When witness got through the fer«"<\ Evans was ahead of her, but she didn't any consta- ■ '■•. She didn't know where Barfoot a ! 't ot;,,r n^n went. At this tinm FvHi..-. ;i|-.[v.v. ) . '~.. ninninc; towards T>r. Crniz'?- .- ■■■■■ iii.-n. ,-n • ---v n T , o . v eat<"h hold <m' U'--. ?>■■.<•! !: ; }-\i n ~,, |i in back of tjie i'i'if!. v.'i-V wa* firsc! before the *t?uit Eyssns. There was no aggiP , :J <*f :*.>;• sort to cause the blow to h n rl-'iiv ;■»■,]. !'.\ ;: ; ,

derncath H'fri. wtirii h<? v.-ns struck, ami then one of flip srahs up and bit him wibh an instrument Hko a baton. At this time t^vans wns lyitift on the {jrounci riiotionlrss. Otlior sffihs then carfrA tip, anfl hpgair pulling him about. Sbc saw kicks bfcing tiolivcrcd at 'Evans hy'V-he scabs, anrl assprtprl thai OTory ono of thorn that near him more or fa ss nssanJtccl him and that no' attempts wore rtiaflo by tlio police to prevent them. She and others called out: "You cownrds, you arc hitting an insonsihlo wan," and Wado thereupon tufherl round. A shot ivas fired, and Wado put his liand? to his Btomaeh and said: "I'm shot." The shot that struck Wade was fired from behind.' Evans had no revolver in hi« hand to her knoivledjif, and she had jiev«?r (wen him with ;.. rov.olvor. In duo time, other srabs came on the some hnd nn additional policeman, the latter foing to Wade's assistance Tlie scabs

Startling Evidence by Mrs. Sorenson

then began to pick Evans up. Sergeant Wohlmann canie down to where witness and others were standing and said something about it being a bad bush ness, as Evans had shot the constable. They complained to Wohlmann of tho way Evans had been treated, and told him that Wade- had not been shot by Evans, but from the ranks of tho scabs. The sergeant told them they had better go home. She positively did not tell Wohlmann that it was a policeman that had shot Evans. She; wns a, strong Federation sympathiser, especially since her husband had been ! jaikd. She could not identify the men i who had assaulted Evans because she did nob know them. She knew that the man who struck Evans with a baton was a scab because he was with the other scabs. For tho same reason, she kne\v that the man who fired at Evans j was a scab; and anyhow only scabswould have done what she had seen done to Evans. The reason she believed that a scab had shot Wade was because when the shot was fired she saw the smoke coining from amongst a bunch of scabs. If Evans got a blowj on the bridge of the nose it must have been after he had been felled by Wade. The marks on his eyes and left ear | could only have been caused in the i same way. On November 11 Rudd had caught her and another woman by the shoulders, and had pushed them \ along the street, saying: "Get away; homo!" If Rudd denied this, he would be lying. Mr. Mays subjected the witness to the most severe and searching crossexamination, but failed to shake her evidence in the least. The evidence at this stage revealed; a remarkable act of suppression on the | part of the authorities. To Mr. Lundon, witness stated that she had first made a, statement in that courthouse on the Tuesday morning, a little after the occurrence. That state-; ment was taken by a detective. She, had been asked by the detective to j make the statement. When asked how { he knew they were in the hall, tho de-1 tective said: "I knenv with my eyes." She did not know on that morning that the pickets had been withdrawn. The j iron bars the scabs carried would be J about as thick as her thumb. Her; statement to the police included the as- j sertion that th«i shot seemed to come | from the street. There was no pressure.j whatever made on her in connection, with the statement she had made in Mr. Mays' office at Auckland. I

At Mr. Mn.vs' request the sworn statement was produced by Mr. Lundon and nut in by Mr. Mays. Mr. Lundon, Was proceeding to cross-examine wit- j ness on the statement. FURTHER LEGAL ARCUMENT. ' Mr. Mays objected to that portion of , the statement (which he himself had ; put in) which referred to anything; which happened either before or after j the death of Evans. Once again the , Crown evinced a feverish desire to sup-1 press evidence that would lead to exposure. ! Mr. Lundon pointed out that Mr. j Mays had all along, to suit his own . case, been referring to matters that j happened long before the date of thei occurrence. He said be would follow Mr. Mays' example.

Mr. Mays said that would not be permitted in this case.

Mr. Ltind'in fenicl that all the events, wore, linked up together. They were | going to draw conclusions from all the | events. He said that instructions had '< been received to ston the strike within i a certain number of days.

Mr. Mays: Uα yoli say that is so?

Mr. liiinrlou : "Well, I haven't got pos-1 session of the written instructions, but! if you have the<ni 1 shall bo glad to putj them in us evidence. :

Alter further strenuous efforts on the part of Mr. Mars to prevent the whole of the document being read, Mr. Luudon proceeded to read it.

The Charles Matthews refei'rcd to, in I'fT sivnni statement of November ( 21, said witness, wag then manager of the Miuers' Union store, which was! broken into and seized by the scabs, j

Mr. Mays interjected: "Did she see! it?" and when witness said she had not' seen it, Mr. Mays interjected: "Well, then, hold your tongue." \ : Witness further stated that fcudd; had no justification for assaulting her j on the 11th; he was then under aj bond to keep the pence, and So far ns ! she knew h? had not been prosecuted i for that breach of the peace. No person inside the hall said anything to any member of the procession. She heard; nothing said to piiyone outside ths' hall by any Federationist to cause the procession to rtop. If Richards had 1 ' said anything rhe citainly could have' heard him within the hall. Tliere was! nothing to prevent her hearing. Her! impression was that when the door was! closer! it was done to prevent n row. ■

When Mr. Lumfon asked whether Richards had -said anyt.hin.e to the seahs, witness replied that she really did not know. Mir. Mays offensively interject*.: "She does tell the truth sometimes." ''I tell the truth all the time," was the witness's indignant rejoinder. Third Day, Friday, December &th SUPPRESS-0 STATEMENTS. The facts disclosed concerning the attempted suppression of tho sensational statements of Mrs. Sorenson and >fiss Hvslop and others has created ,111 ~-'•-■ 1 •■- fonviction that th- 1 CovCrnmcnf i« wh'i'.lv ■:'; ..:■ --*>d at the possibility of a ; i ihe iV ■':.■ r.,:i-.■-, ■■■■' .; (he murder of Y'.-:in: : - b''i!i.: rriad.- ,- io. There i.s the ■.ii iti'-.'-t- in.-li'.-iiat'i-.ri •■ the deliberate atte:n,l. ( to hide '!.. ruth, and the fact that the t-'ipv -:■''-! statements were taken by ill!- !>'.li-':' from women who Were seen by trailed detectives separately wil'hiti 0110 hour of the tragic occurrence, and while tho incidents Were fresh in their minds, and that these statements, which' coincided in their fundamentals, were wholly unfavorable to the police side of the case, is freely commented upon. It 19 sisnJncrnt that the sensational evidence as to the brutal attack on Evans after he was on the ground is borne out by tha reoort In the Waihi "Daily T«le?raph" and in "Auckland Star," the latter of which is said to Have been written by Mr. Wallnutt, the coroner in the present case. On Thursday seine -f the plainclothes police appeared in court wearin_ the bndic of the sc:ih union, of which they have apparently become members—another practical demonstra-

tion of the "impartiality" of the police and the Government in control. MORE STARTLING EVIDENCE. Kathleen Hyslop, whose statement was among those taken by the police, and would have been suppressed had it not boon for tho demand of counsel representing the Federation of Labor, was the first witness on Friday morning. Her evidence concerning events leading up to the raiding of the hall was similar to that of Mrs. Sorenson. After she got into the reading-room she heard someone banging at the outsido hall rloor. Some of the. men were then in the passage. One of the men lin the reading-room told the women to go out the back way. Evans was in front of her as she passed out of the Lack door. After she got outside she heard one shot fired. She ran up -the hill behiud Evans, and got through the fence at the back of the hall, and then stopped. Her sister came to her. She saw Evans about 10 yawls away; also saw a crowd of scabs coming from the right of the hall and hoard a shot fired. Evans was still running after the shot was fired. A few yards further up Evans fell (she thought he tripped). Saw a policeman run up and bit him on the head after ho foil; one of the scabs did the same thing with a baton. Could not identify the scab, but knew ho Was a scab because he came from the mob of scabs. After that the mob of scabs got round Evans and appeared to be kicking him. Mrs. Somison > and Mrs. Cottic were further up tho • paddock. She was very much alarmed that morning. She would not swear that she saw all that happened to Evans that morning. I

To Mr. Lundon: She had made a statement to a detective of police almost immediately after tho occurrence. In that statement she had said that she thought the shot she heard was fired by one of the' scabs. When they got to the hall that morning they learned that the pickets had been withdrawn. Nothing whatever had been done by the. unionists to cause the scabs to attack the, hall. The scabs came, from the right of the hall, and were undoubtedly bent on cutting off retreat from the back of the hall. When they saw Evans they changed their course, and pursued him. She/ didn't notice any police with tho mob of scabs. Her attention was first drawn to a constable by seeing him strike Evans. The baton seemed to strike Evans about the ear. She did not see anything in Evans , hand. Evans appeared to be lying on his stomach with his face turned somewhat to the right. The policeman may have been in the act of running when he struck Evans. He stooped to strike. The constable went on; he ran a few yards up the paddock, aud she didn't see him after. She next saw one of the free laborers come and hit Evans on either the head or the face with fl baton or stick of some description. Didn't sec anyone put a hand on him until be was struck by the scab. When the , mob of scabs got round Evans they appeared to be hitting and kicking at him. Didn't know whether flarvey was there or not. The attack on Evans must have lasted a few minutes. Evans could not have fired unless she had seen him. The sound of the shot seemed to come from where the scabs were. Before going into the hall, one of the strikers urged thorn not to call out "scab" that morning. It was also said that the pickets were called off, and if anything were said they would not have a chance against the mob. The scab procession ■whs then coming across to the hall side of the street. When she told the detective that Evans had no revolver, he replied that Evans had had a revolver in his possession.

To Mr. Mays: She did toll the detective that one of the free laborers struck Evans with a baton > and if the detective said she did not he would be wholly wrong!. Mr' Mays tried to entangle the witness by suggesting that notes had be.en carried out to her by Mr. McLennan. She absolutely denied that this w:is so, and counsel put forward no evidence whatever to support the extraordinary assertion.

Mr. Tendon drew the court's attention to the fnefc tlißt. a police officer bad interfered with his assistant, Mr. Lark, and had charged hit" with carrying information to people outside, whereas the only message sent out was t<l two witnesses tn the effect that they wPre not to leave the precincts of tho couft. as they mk'M be immediately required to eive evidence.

Mi". Litndon made it clear that he. 'vMild not tolerate any interference with his messengers. (Proeoedinrj)