91

E.—3b

Geoege Mahony, recalled and re-examined on former oath. 34. Mr. Fell.] With reference to the story you have just heard from the little boy Lynch : he said he made certain statements to you. Will you be good enough to state the circumstances ? —A fortnight or more ago, when I was at the school, I was giving a little lecture to the boys. I said that I had never had any complaints from them, and I invited any of the boys who had complaints to make them. I told them that rather than there should be any dissatisfaction I would like the whole school to come down to the inquiry. I invited all those who had complaints to make to meet me next morning before I left. At my request the Brothers gave them full liberty to come. This was on the Sunday evening. Next morning several boys came outside my room. I told them to come in one by one. Amongst those who came in was Thomas Lynch. He made an insinuation of an immoral nature against one of the Brothers. I suggested that it was a grave statement to make, but he insisted that it was true. I did not question him further then, as I intended to make further inquiries. His charge was made only in general terms. I heard what the other boys had to say. Whilst at dinner in town, at 1 o'clock on the same day, I was called out to see Frank Gurran, the baker at the Orphanage. He said that Lynch had sent word by him that what he had told me in the morning was quite false. I afterwards heard that after leaving that morning the boys were talking about the matter, and that, in consequence of something said by Lynch, James Maher said to him, "Ifit is not true you should go and tell Father George." In the end Curran came down, with a message, on a bicycle. I accepted that and thought no more about it. On Friday, the 3rd August, Dean Mahoney and I drove up to the Orphanage. Whilst there I noticed several boys about the yard, amongst them the boy Thomas Lynch. When Lynch saw that I was free —that is, away from the others —he came up to me and said, " I told you a lie the other day, Father." Then I questioned him more closely about it, and he said, " About what I told you on the Monday, when the boys were making complaints." He told me then that there was no truth whatever in the charge he had laid against one of the Brothers. I asked him then whether he was telling me the truth this time, and he said he was. 35. Did he say how it came about ?—-He said the boys had put him up to it. I told him what a serious thing it was to make a charge of this kind against a Brother without any foundation, and he repeated again that there was no truth in it, and that the boys had put him up to it. I questioned him very closely, and received a complete denial of his first statement. 36. Have you had any conversation with the boy on the subject since ?—No. 37. Did you disclose the matter to any one? —I told it to Dean Mahoney, and to two of the Brothers who were in town giving evidence. That was after I got the message from Frank Curran. 38. Mr. Hogben.] Have you ever had any complaint of this kind before? —No. 39. Have you ever seen anything at the school as pointing in the direction of that kind of thing?— No. 40. Or between the boys themselves ? —None whatever. 41. You know that in a public institution of this kind there is a danger of such vices springing up ?—Yes; I am quite aware of that. 42. Have precautions been taken to prevent such a vice springing up at this school ?—Yes ; I have insisted on the boys being vigilantly looked after when together in various places. Edouaed Fobbier (known in religion as Bbotheb Wibeetus), examined on oath. 43. Mr. Fell.] You are a member of the Marist Brothers ?—Yes ; I have been so for the last twenty-six years. 44. What is your nationality ? —I am a Belgian. 45. How long have you been at the Orphanage at Stoke ? —For the last ten years. 46. For some years you were prefect in the school ?—Yes ; for four years and six mouths. I was the first prefect. After that Brother Ligouri came from Sydney to recruit his health, and he was appointed prefect. He died at the school, and he was succeeded by Brother Kilian. 47. You have resigned your duties at the Stoke Orphanage ?—Yes. 48. And you left Nelson when*? —Last Monday, with Brother Loetus and Brother Kilian. 49. Under orders from your Superior, I believe you three had taken your passage, and were going to Sydney last Thursday ? —Yes. 50. You, after all, gave up your passages and came back here in consequence of these proceedings ?—Yes ; Brother Loetus and I returned. 51. You also received a subpoena from the Commission?— Yes, last Thursday. 52. And you had an urgent wire from your Superior telling you not to go to Sydney ?—Yes. 53. You have heard the statements made just now by the boy Lynch and Father George Mahony? —Yes. 54. It has been suggested that you were guilty of some act of immorality with that little boy, and you have heard his denial. Was there any truth in his first statement ?—There has never been anything of the kind. 55. With that boy, or any other? —Neither with him nor any other. 56. Mr. Hogben.] Have you at any time within the past five years, with perfect innocence, of course, treated any of the boys in a more affectionate way than you have the others ? —ln the matter of clothing, when a boy has taken greater care of his clothes than other boys I may have given him a better suit or a better coat. When that has been done other boys have taken offence, and put it down as favouritism. 57. Have you ever at any time shown affection to any of the boys—for instance, have you put your arms round their neck ?—I may have slapped them on the shoulder in passing in a friendly kind of way. 08. You do not remember having shown undue affection to any boy or boys ?—No.