85

H.—2l.

A. MCDONALD.]

144. You told us the date —at Hewitt's Hotel ?—Yes. 145. Mr. Justice Edwards.] Why did you say it was a fortnight afterwards \ —No 1 never mentioned it to Mr. Meikle. 146. Dr. Findlay.] How did you come to go to Hewitt's Hotel ?—I walked there with Meikle and my brother. 147. It was after Meikle's arrest, and you walked up the street with him and talked about the weather ?—I do not know. 148. I suppose you talked about his arrest ? —I suppose so. 149. You had been at this man's house, had had breakfast and tea with him, and walked up the street to Hewitt's hotel—will you swear that you did not tell him of this conversation with Lambert ?— No, I did not tell him. 150. Not on the way to the hotel ?—No. 151. When you were in the hotel ?—No. 152. Do you swear that you never mentioned that conversation either on the way to the hotel or in the hotel ?—No, I did not. 153. Mr. Justice Edwards.] Not even when you heard him speak to Lambert about it ? —I heard him speaking. 154. You did not join in and say, " That is all right, Lambert can get you off " ? —No. 155. You said not a word about it ?—No, I did not. It was somebody else who told Meikle of it first. 156. Dr. Findlay.] When you met Meikle on the street and you walked to the hotel and he was good enough to treat you there, why did you not tell him of this very important piece of evidence ?— I do not know. 157. You can give no answer as to why you did not tell Meikle of this conversation with Lambert ? —No, I did not. 158. Mr. Justice And you cannot say why ?—No. 159. Although you were talking to him about the case ?—I never mentioned to him at the hotel that Lambert could clear him if he liked. 160. Dr. Findlay.] Now we come to the conversation two or three days afterwards at Hewitt's hotel. Just tell us again the exact words that were used ?—Meikle " shouted." 161. What took place before Meikle " shouted " I—l1 —I suppose Lambert was there before Meikle " shouted " < —I could not tell you how long Lambert was there before Meikle " shouted." 162. How long did you see Lambert and Meikle before Meikle " shouted" ?—I cannot say. There were five or six in the room —myself, my brother, Meikle, Lambert, and another man named Evans. 163. Anybody else ? —I do not know. 164. Meikle shouted for the lot ?—Yes. 165. He came in with you and your brother ?—Yes. 166. These others were in the room ? —Yes. 167. Was there some conversation at first about shearing ?—Not in the room. 168. Where was that conversation ?—ln the passage. 169. After the " shouting " the conversation took place ? —Yes. 170. What was that conversation ?—Meikle and Lambert started talking about shearing. 171. What conversation took place during the time the " shouting" was going on ?—I could not say. 172. Anything about the case ?—No, not that I heard of. 173. Will you swear that Meikle did not turn to Lambert and ask him something about the case while the " shouting " was going on ? —No. 174. What happened after you had the drink ?—They walked out to the passage, and Meikle said to him something about shearing. Meikle also said, " Now be truthful about this case," and Lambert said he would be truthful. 175. His words were, " Yes, he would be truthful" ? —Yes. 176. What else did he say ?-—He said, "I am waiting till I get £10 blood-money from Stuart." 177. What did you understand by that ?—I do not know. 178. You repeated the very same words that Meikle repeated to us on Friday ? —Yes. 179. Meikle says that he understood by those words that Lambert had put the skins upon Meikle's land and was to get paid for them ?—I do not know whether he put the skins on the land or not. 180. You repeat here the evidence you gave at Lambert's trial for perjury, that he said he was waiting until he got £10 blood-money out of Stuart ? —I suppose he was to get something for doing something. 181. What did you understand by it ?—I do not know. 182. What did you understand Lambert was to get this £10 for ?—I suppose he was to get £10 from Stuart for putting the skins there. 183. Then he was to tell the truth according to your story to get £10 for putting the skins there ? —Yes. 184. Is it not an amazing story ?—[No answer.] 185. You have seen this book [Meikle's pamphlet] ?—Yes, I believe I did. 186. Meikle lectures throughout the colony, and makes a certain amount of profit by selling these books ?—I do not know. 187. You do not know that Meikle has been going throughout the colony selling these books ?— No, I never saw the book until I was in Mr. Atkinson's room here. 188. Had you any conversation with Meikle before you gave evidence here % —Yes.