82

W. MCGEOEGE.

H.—2l.

certain what I said. I would not like to say that I could stand up here and repeat the words I said " 7. But the evidence you have given here is, as far as you can recollect true ?—I think it is cor'B. Between 1887 and 1895 when you gave evidence against Lambert, what had you been doing ? —I was always following teams of horses. 9. You did not keep a diary I suppose ?—No. 10 I suppose if I had come and asked you eight years afterwards what day you drove a team to a certain place you would find it very hard to give a definite answer ?—lt would puzzle me very lrkely ll. 1 How long would it be after you left the hut on the Islay Station that Meikle first spoke to you ? —That I could not even tell you. . , 12. It would be some time before you gave evidence in Lambert s trial ?— Likely it would be, but I could not say. 13 It would be some time after Meikle got out of Gaol ?—I suppose it would be. 14. It would be a good many years after you left the hut that any one spoke to you about it > Yes 15 I suppose you cannot recollect how Meikle first approached you about this matter ?— As near as I can remember he came to Wyndham to see me, and asked me about this affair, and I told him I did not know anything at all about anything. 16. There was some conversation I suppose ?—Very little, because 1 had not time. 17 You cannot remember what you said to him or what he said to you ?—No. 18 You do not remember whether he gave you a date. Did he tell you he saw you driving the team away on a Monday ?—I cannot say as regards that, but I know it was a Monday I left. 19 You cannot say whether Meikle said he saw you driving the team away on the Monday 1— I cannot say whether he did or not. In fact, "I had no acquaintance with Meikle before that. I had no doubt seeing him passing, and spoken once or twice, that is all. 20. You were in the employ of the company ?—Yes. 21. And you about that time were to leave the Islay Station and go to the Waicola Statron, which is another station belonging to the company ?—Yes, that is so. 22. Who gave you instructions to leave Islay Station and go to Waicola *—I would not like to say at the present time.' My superior at that time was Mr. Troup ;it would be from either Troup or a letter from him. . , . . . _, _ 23. Do you remember going to the Islay homestead on any occasion about this time '.— It 1 remember aright I think I was there on the Sunday. 24. That is where Troup lived ?— It is where he was staying. 25. You would see Troup upon that Sunday ?—ln all probability. 26. It might have been on that Sunday that you got the instructions ?—Quite lrkely I would, but I would not be sure at this day. ___~, , ~, 27. It might have been on the Sunday of the week on which you left the hut that you probably saw Troup at the homestead and got instructions from him ? —Yes. 28. At any rate your best memory is that it was the day before you left that you got the instructions ?—I would not be sure of the day. 29. To the best of your recollection it would be ? —Yes. 30. Now, can you recollect when you were next at the homestead of the Islay Station ?—I did not return. I have not been at the Islay Station since that lam aware of. 31. Can you swear that you were not at the Islay homestead after that Sunday ?—I would not swear, but I was not that I know of. 32. When you went from the hut on the Islay homestead you drove over ?—I think if I remember right I rode over on one of my draught horses. ' 33. Do you remember either on the Sunday or on some day before that driving over to the Islay homestead with your team ?—I was driving my team pretty regularly, so that I could not swear to any day or any time. . 34. I may take it that you could not tell me whether you were at the Islay station with your team a week before this Sunday ?—I would not like to say so. 35. Your memory is quite a blank as to the whole of the circumstances at that time ?—Quite, I never bothered my head about it until I was brought into the case. 36. You never thought there would be any trouble about it until Mr. Meikle saw you ?—No. 37. What you have told us is what happened to the best of your recollection; and if I produced the diary-entries of Mr. Troup—and Mr. Troup will swear to them—you would not like to contradict them ? —I do not know that I would believe him altogether, either. 38. You are in this position : you kept no diary, and do not want to ask these Judges to treat your unaided recollection as being absolutely reliable, do you ?—No, I would not like to say that lam quite reliable. . . . 39. You knew Meikle before he got into trouble ?—I think I saw him once or twice or spoke to him once or twice, that was about all. 40. You lived in the hut that Lambert was staying in ?—Yes. 41. So you were not very far from Meikle's land ? —That is so. 42. Of course, at the time the matter was published in all the papers, and you knew Meikle had got into trouble ?—Yes, I heard the evidence read from the newspapers. 43. You did not send any word to Meikle after hearing the evidence read to you ?—No. 44. Mr. Atkinson.] Were you aware that Meikle was in trouble before you read the evidence in the newspapers ?—No, I did not know particularly that he was. Of course Mr. Troup came to me when I