H.—33

44

the kitchen. As they were leaving, my husband asked them if they had taken the revolver, and Detective Benjamin said "No," and pointed to the shelf where he had put it. They took the stiletto, shot-pouch, and bullets away, leaving the letters and papers on the table, and Thomson examined the documents, and said to me, " There is nothing there, Mrs. Chemis I can take; you can put them back in their place again." I did so. 3. I was at the drawer which had contained the stiletto and shot-pouch that morning and the day previously. We used to keep money there. I always went to the drawer when I wanted change or money. The money was kept in an empty cocoa-tin. There was also in the drawer a revolver, powder-flask, box of caps, bullets, cake of dynamite, a box of dynajnite-caps, a wadcutter and box of wads, and a tin containing powder which my husband had himself ground, and the empty cocoa-tin hereinbefore mentioned. After the police had left I went into the bedroom to see what they had done. i. After the police had left, my husband brought the revolver from the shelf and put it back in the drawer in the chest of drawers in the bedroom, whei'e it was always kept. I took the paper and documents and put them in the left-hand top-drawer of the chest of drawers. The right-hand drawer, when I went into the room, was open. 1 saw my husband put the revolver into it. It then contained the wad-cutter, the box of wads, the powder-flask, the box of caps, dynamite, and dyna-mite-caps, the tin of ground powder, and the cocoa-tin. 5. On the sth June my husband was arrested. Detective Benjamin went to the drawer, took possession of the revolver, and handed it to Constable Healing, and then Benjamin took away the Italian letters, lease, and documents. The articles mentioned in the last-preceding paragraph were at that time in the drawer, and remained in it until the drawer was taken away by Mr. Jellicoe last Wednesday, with the exception of the, wad-cutter and box of wads, which I took out and gave to Mr. Bunny after the arrest, to produce in Court. 6. On the Ist June last when Thomson, Benjamin, and Campbell were at my house there wa"s a biscuit-tin on a shelf there over the cupboard in the kitchen containing four quail. We had the quail for dinner on Sunday, the 2nd June. Benjamin opened the tin, looked in, but did not take anything out. My husband shot the quail contained in the tin on the previous Wednesday and Thursday mornings from the back premises. 7. On Friday, the 31st May last, my husband wore an old coat which was black when new, but had become brown by fadiug; the coat was torn. He was wearing a brownish moleskin trousers and a gray-tweed hat. He wore the same clothes the following day, and was wearing them the day he was arrested; and he was also wearing a grey-flannel shirt on the 31st May, and was wearing the same when arrested. 8. My husband never carried a sheath-knife. 9. On the road up to our house from the Hutt road there is a box for the baker to leave his bread. 10. I remember about Easter-time my husband telling me the blacksmith at Kaiwara had brought him a wad-cutter. Shortly after I saw him cut a piece of cardboard from a cardboard box and cut with the wad-cutter the wads I have hereinbefore mentioned. The remainder of the cardboard box was left on the shelf1 in the sitting-room, and was used by me for keeping odds and ends in until it was taken away by Mr. Jellicoe on Sunday last. It was there on the occasion when the police visited and searched the house. Detective Benjamin took some lollies out of it on one occasion, and gave them to one of the children. After Mr. Bunny was dead I went to his office and obtained from his clerk the wad-cutter and wads I had previously given him, and I handed them to Mr. Jellicoe. Annie Chemis. Sworn at the City of Wellington, this 23rd day of July, 1889, before me—A. Gray, a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand.

I, Jeremiah Buckley, of Kaiwara, in the Provincial District of Wellington, labourer, make oath and say as follows : — 1. I know Louis Chemis, and during the winters of 1887 and 1888 I worked with the said Louis Chemis for the Hutt County Council, and during that time—in the day-time—l was constantly in his company. 2. The said Louis Chemis never carried a sheath-knife. We frequently had our lunch together. He brought his wrapped up in paper, in a kit, and I also brought mine in paper. After we had our luncheon we generally threw the paper away. Jeeemiah Buckley. Sworn at the City of Wellington, this 27th day of July, 1889, before me —A. B. Campbell, a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand.

I, Thomas McCleland, of Manners Street, in the City of Wellington, bootmaker, make oath and say as follows : — 1. On Sunday, the 21st day of July instant, 1 visited the spot where it is alleged the late Thomas Hawkings was murdered. On the left-hand side of the road going towards Hawkings's house, and behind and at the side of the first furze-bush, I found the four pieces of paper now exhibited to me. Thomas McCleland. Sworn at the City of Wellington, this day of July, 1889, before me—T. E. Fleming, a solicitor of the Supreme Courtiof New Zealand.

I, Henby Cbofton Blandfoed, of Ngauranga, in the Provincial District of Wellington, polisher, make oath and say as follows:— 1. On Sunday, the 28th day of July instant, I, with William Hardcastle and another, went as a search party on to Hawkings's land, and we carefully searched the round adjacent to the land