83

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46. Did you see any one else ?—No. 47. Did you come up here to see Dick Seddon last night ?—Yes. 48. Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon.] Was there any money passed when that document (the transfer) was given—did I pay any money to Turn Shum ?—No. 49. There was no money passed?— No. Turn Shum said, " You look after my claim while I go home," and all the party, too. 50. What was the value of the claim : do you know of any sale of shares ? —They were about £70 or £80 shares. At that time they were getting good gold. 51. There were ten shares in it ?—Yes. 52. Mr. Graham.] Did you know the contents of this document when you signed it: did you read it ? —No ; I cannot read. 53. You did not know what you were signing?— Turn Shum sent it there for Dick Seddon, and told us Dick Seddon would look after his interest. 54. You knew what this meant: it was interpreted to you ? —lt transferred Turn Shum's share to Dick Seddon. 55. Was there another agreement at the same time, that, if Turn Shum was to come back, Dick Seddon was to transfer this share back?— Yes, he (Turn Shum) took that away with him. 56. You saw that agreement?— Yes. 57. This was only intended for Mr. Seddon to take care of for him while he was away ?—Yes. 58. You are quite sure you saw that other agreement, and that that was the meaning of it ?— Oh, yes. It meant it would be all right until Turn Shum came back. 59. It was really Mr. Seddon who took care of his share while he was away ?—Yes. 60. Who got the share of gold that belonged to that man that went away ? Mr. Seddon did not get it ?—Oh, no. 61. Who got it?— His brother, Gee Hung, who was in the party, got the gold and sent it home. Dick Seddon never got the gold. 62. He (Dick Seddon) never got any profit out of it at all?— No. Joe Gett sworn and examined. 63. The Chairman.] What is your name ?—Joe Gett. 64. Where do you live : in Wellington ?—Yes. 65. How long have you been in Wellington ?—-Four or five years. 66. What are you ?—I am a storekeeper. 67. Before coming to Wellington were you on the West Coast ?—Yes, sir. 68. For how long ?—I left the Coast six or seven years ago. 69. How long were you on the Coast before that?— For eleven or twelve years. 70. Bt. Hon. B. J. Seddon.] Do you remember a party of Chinese that had a claim in the Greenstone Creek?— Yes. 71. What was the name of the party?— Bung Tuck, Yun War, Tien Gan, Turn Shum (he was the principal). There were ten in the party altogether. 72. Were these the party : Gee Hung, Tien Gan, Ah Young, Yun Wah, Turn Shum, Bung Tuck, Shaw Kow, Yun Chee, Ling Too, Yun War? —Yes. 73. These were the Chinamen in that claim first ?—Yes. 74. Did you know each one of them ?—Yes. 75. Was it a very valuable claim ? Was there plenty of gold in it ?—Yes. 76. Did you know anything about Turn Shum, or anything about a share he had in the claim ? —Yes. When I came to Kumara I heard Turn Shum had transferred to Dick Seddon. He (Turn Shum) went home. When he went home he died at home after a few months. He never came out again. 77. You were interpreter in the Court in some of the law-suits between the party?— Yes. 78. Do you remember Bung Tuck giving evidence ?—Yes. 79. Was he in the Court ?—Yes. 80. Did you interpret for him? —Yes. 81. You said that I was to hold the share for Turn Shum?—Yes. 82. How did you know that?— Turn Shum is my cousin. 83. Then Turn Shum was also cousin to Joe Tie ?—Joe Tie and Joe Gett—all cousins. 84. Who worked in the claim ?—Ah Lie, for Turn Shum. 85. Was that arrangement made by Turn Shum ?—Ah Lie looked after the dividends, and sent them back to him (Turn Shum). After a while the claim got worked out. . 86. Gee Hung, he was a brother of Turn Shum's, was he not ?—He was the nearest relation. 87. Did you ever know two Chinamen, one named Wong Shung Wai ?—I never heard such a name as belonging to the party. 88. Did you ever know any Chinaman of that name on the West Coast ?—I never heard of such a name. 89. Did you ever know a Chinaman of the name of Tsai Chung ?—There might have been ; but I know he did not belong to this party. 90. How far is this claim from Waimea —how many miles? —About ten or twelve miles—l could not say exactly. 91. If any one said Turn Shum's or Bung Tuck's claim was at the Waimea, six miles, that would be wrong, would it not ? —Yes. Greenstone is on this side of the range and Waimea is on the other side; 92. Mr. Massey.] Were you in Kumara at the time of this transfer, when Turn Shum was supposed to have transferred his share to Dick Seddon ?—I was not there. 93. Do you know whether the share was ever re-transferred? —Turn Shum left it to Ah Lie Ah Lie interpreted it in Chinese to me.