H.—33

32

31st May last. I saw Mr. Hawkings in the evening of that day at about 5.30. He came up to the house. I did not see his horse and cart. He came up for bread. He did not stay more than a minute. I saw him leave my house. The next I heard was that he was dead, from a boy named James McCallum. That would be a little past eight o'clock. lat once telephoned to the doctor. My brother came back from the body, and told me Hawkings was dead; then I telephoned for the police. Dr. Cahill came, and I went up and assisted to bring the body down. Next day, the first thing, as soon as it got light, I went up the hill to look at the place where the accident happened. I saw two constables there. I saw my brother Victor pick up a piece of a knife about forty yards further up the hill than where we found the body, on your right-hand side as you go up, about ten yards before you get to the turn. The knife was handed to the constable. 1 sa% pieces of paper and pieces of cloth lying about. The paper had evidently come out of a gun ; some of it had shotmarks on it where it had been rammed against them. The paper was close to where the knife was found, but more on the road. The police were there when we got there. They were there all the time we were there. They came away with us. I picked up some paper, and gave it to Constable Carroll. I think it was Healey was the other constable. A piece of lining looking like piece of a pocket was picked up. I picked up two buttons about two yards further down the road. I handed them to the constable. I examined the gorse-bushes on left-hand side of the road. I saw some paper there, but did not touch it. I just picked up paper where gun had been fired off. I left not later than nine o'clock. John Alfred Koch, sworn, saith : I am a ledger-keeper, Bank of New Zealand. I knew Thomas Hawkings, of Kaiwara. I know his hand-writing. The document produced, a paid-in slip for £6, is signed by him. [Exhibit No. B]. The sum was paid in, and the amount went to Thomas Hawkings's credit. The teller's initials are those of Mr. Matier on the slip. Victor Dimock, sworn, saith :lam a bacon-curer, residing beyond Kaiwara. I live with William Dimock. I knew the late Thomas Hawkings. I saw his body at about 8-30 p.m. on the 31st May last. I went up before the doctor. Robert Sedgwick and another man went with me. I helped to carry the body down. I went up the next morning, the Ist June, with William Dimock and Albert Dimock, my brothers. We stopped where the blood-pool was first—where we found the body the night previous. Two constables were there ; one was Constable Carroll; lam not certain of the other's name. After we looked at the spot we went further up. I picked two pieces of the knife up about forty yards higher up the road than where the body had been found. I saw some paper, which looked as if it had been rammed down a gun and fired out. Constable Carroll took it. lam not certain who picked it up. Malcolm Campbell McCallum, sworn, saith : I live between Kaiwara and Ngauranga with my father, who is a currier. I remember the Ist June, Saturday. I went with my brother Donald up the road to see where Mr. Hawkings was killed. It was about eight o'clock a.m. ' I first saw the blood on the road. Constable Carroll and another constable (Webb, I think it was) were there. The three Dimocks were also there. I stayed near the blood about five minutes, then went up the hill to go home. I saw some paper and some rag lying in the middle of the road. It was newspaper, little pieces, and a kind of black rag in little pieces. I sung out to Constable Carroll. He came up and picked them up and put them in his pocket. I think one of the Dimocks picked some paper up. I did not see what he did with it. Then I went home. Donald McCallum, sworn, saith :lam a brother of the last witness. I went with him on the Ist June up the road past Dimock's. I saw Constable Carroll and another constable (I think it was Constable Webb). I saw some blood on the road. I went up the road afterwards'with my brother, after I had seen the blood. I saw some paper and bits of rag further up, laying on the side of the road scattered about. Constable Carroll put them in his pocket. Mr. Bunny.] I know Chemis. I know he supplies milk in Kaiwara. I saw him on Saturday morning. I took the milk from him. I did not tell him anything about Hawkings having been killed on the road. I don't remember speaking to him that morning. I never spoke to him about it, and I do not remember his saying he was sorry for Mr. Hawkings's death. Mr. Bell.] It was I who took the milk from him that morning ;my brother was not with me. Mr. Bunny.] I did not speak to him on the Sunday morning about it. Malcolm Campbell McCallum (recalled by Mr. Bunny), saith : I remember speaking to Chemis on the morning after Hawkings's death, about Hawkings's death. Ido not remember him saying he was sorry to hear it. He said some one in Kaiwara had told him about it. Mr. Bell.] I saw him between his own place and Kaiwara. He was coming home. I was going to meet him to get the milk. That was before I went up the hill, about 6-30 or seven o'clock a.m. I got the milk that morning. My brother went down to Kaiwara for butter. He went before me. Michael Geeen, sworn, saith: lam a labourer. On the 31st May last I was laying gas-mains at Kaiwara. I knew prisoner by seeing him work alongside of me. I saw him on 31st May, spreading metal by the Eainbow Hotel, a little nearer Ngauranga. I saw him knock off work about 4.30 p.m., as near as I could say. It might have been a little before or after. We knocked off at about 4.40, and he had knocked off before we had. Caplin was at work with me. Caplin and I went to town together in a cart, a spring-dray. We trotted some part of the way. Mr. Bunny.] I had been working there about a week. During that time I had been working near accused. I had seen him knock off work the same time before. I have seen him working there when we were leaving —sometimes when a cart comes with a load of metal. I did not see if he went away in a cart on. the 31st May. When he passed me he was on foot and alone.