I.—7a

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138. Mr. Skerrett.] Then, before you were dismissed by Castendyk, I believe, they had found out that you had received two sums of £20 from a client of theirs ?—I decline to say. 139. By whom were you employed before Castendyk?—By the Phoenix Company (Limited). 140. Were you dismissed from that employment ?—I decline to say. 141. Were you not dismissed by them for dishonesty ? —I decline to say. 142. Before the Phcenix Company ?—By Wilkie and Co. 143. Were you not dismissed from that employment for misappropriating money belonging to the firm ?—I was not. 144. Mr. Barmby was your immediate superior there ? —That is so. 145. Why were you dismissed from Wilkie and Co's?—l left their employment. 146. If Mr. Barmby says you were dismissed for dishonesty, is that untrue ?—lt is untrue. 147. Were there deficiencies? —Not that I am aware of. 148. By whom before Wilkie and Co. ? —By Hudson and Co. 149. Were you dismissed from their employment ?—I believe I was. 150. For what ?—For no specific reason. 151. Did you not confess to Mr. Milne, the manager for Hudson and Co., that you had been guilty of embezzlement ?—I decline to say. 152. Did you not ask Mr. Milne to give you a fresh trial ? —That I decline to say. 153. Was it not found, after a fresh trial, that you continued the same practices ?—I decline to say. 154. Why were you dismissed from Hudson and Co.'s employment?— For a reason they knew best. 155. But were you dismissed ?—Yes. 156. You were in the employment of Price and Co., of Invercargill; they were drapers; that was after you went to Brown, Ewing, and Co. ?—Yes. 157. Now, is it not the fact that you embezzled the moneys of Brown, Ewing, and Co. ? —I decline to state. 158. You'adhere to your statement, that you kept these notes for the purpose of protecting yourself against any possible charge of conspiracy ? —Quite so. 159. Have you the letter you received from Mr. Gellatly, of the 11th May?—[Letter produced and put in.] 160. What did you do after that ?—I did not do anything for three weeks. 161. Did you inform any one, during the time you were in the employment of Briscoe and MacNeil, that you would take very good care to make it worth their while to keep you on permanently at a good screw?— That is a supposititious conversation. 162. There is no " supposititious " about it ? —I have no recollection. 163. Do you not recollect saying that you would make it worth their while to keep you on permanently?—l have no recollection of making such a statement. 164. You would not make such a statement ? —I have no recollection of it. 165. Did you not inform some one that you did not think they would dismiss you, after that letter?—l have no recollection. 166. With the exception of six items, all those fraudulent entries were made by you?— That is so ; I think so. 167. One of them consists of an entry made before you came into their service ?—Quite so. 168. Apart from the inference to be drawn from the six items which have been entered in some other person's handwriting, have you anything but your own word, to show that these fraudulent entries were made by Bridson's direction ? —Nothing but my word. 169. Then, I understand you to admit, that unless weight has to be given to the inference drawn from these six items, you admit there is only your word to inculpate Mr. Bridson in these charges? —That is so. 170. Can you give me no reason why you did not mention the matter to Mr. Gellatly or some one else in the employment ? —I can give you no reason. 171. After three weeks, that you were out of employment, what did you do ?—I applied to John Duthie and Co. 172. But you lay by for three weeks?—l was out of employment. 172 a. After that three weeks you began to use your material; what did you do with it; who did you tell about it ?—The Hon. John Bigg. 173. He is a friend of yours ?—Yes. 174. lam glad to hear it; and then you went to Mr. Seddon?—Mr. Bigg went to Mr. Seddon. 175. After that whom did you see ? —I decline to state. 176. Did you see this list [list put in by Mr. Hutchison] ? —I could not see it. 177. Do you mean to say you do not know in whose handwriting it is ?—1 decline to state. 178. You do not know who it was wrote it ?—I believe it was Mr. G. Hutchison who prepared the list. I do not really know who wrote it; Ido not know the handwriting; I never had any communication in that writing. 179. Although your original intention was in making these notes to protect yourself, after you find your letter of the 10th May miscarries, you begin to make complaints to different persons of these overcharges? —I stated that. 180. Before you made complaints to the Public Works Department ?—Yes, that is so. 181. I understand you to say that your system of calling over the entries was, for Bridson to hand you the book while he read over ? —I read over. 182. He compared them with the order-book and gave you the weights to enter? —Where the weights were not already stated ; or if I had not procured the weights from the yard. 183. Was it your business to procure the weights from the yard ?—lt was my business to do what he asked me to do, I believe.