i\ S. FBASEE.]

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you grown more sure in the interval ?—I am very sorry you have taken that up, because I think I could convince you with proof. 466. Here you have sworn before Mr. Justice Williams that you were not quite sure it was a Monday, and that only seven years after the event, and now, seventeen years and a half afterwards, you are sure it was a Monday ?—lf I said that in the Court before, I say at the present time that I swear it was the Monday without any hesitation. 467. Your memory seems to improve as the time goes by ?—No. 468. I did not intend to trouble you about your character at all. This may turn out to be an important matter. Before Mr. Justice Williams you swore you were not sure it was a Monday, and eleven years after that you come here and say it was ?—lf that was a Monday, I swore the same in the Court as I swear here. 469. What do you mean ? —That we were working on the Sunday, and Monday became wet, and then we met McGeorge, and McGeorge said it was Monday, and they all told me it was Monday. 470. Who is the " all " ? —I had three or four men with me. 471. They all told you it was the Monday ? Who were they all ?—There was no " all." 472. You used the word just now. I will give you names : Mr. McGeorge ?—No ; McGeorge never said anything about it. 473. Well, Mr. Meikle told you ?—Greaves told me. 474. Did not Meikle come to you, and say it was Monday, 17th October ?—He did. 475. They convinced you it was a Monday ?—They did not convince me. 476. You are not sure it was Monday ?—Yes. 477. Notwithstanding what you said when this man was tried for perjury ? —Yes. 478. I want you to tell me directly. You swore eleven years ago that you were not sure it was a Monday, and you swear now that you are sure. Is that so ? —lt is a long time since, and if I had thought that this question was to be raised I should have taken some little proof in addition to my own word ; but if you will give me time to get back to Gore, I will be quite sure. 479. There is this difference : when you gave your evidence before Judge Williams we had nothing about these teams, and now you come here this morning and say you saw this man come in with his team, and now you say you did not see him coming in with his team, but that you saw his horses ? — I did not see McGeorge with his team. I said I did not see him come in or go out with his team, but that I went in and saw the team in the stable. 480. Meikle is a friend of yours ?—Yes. 481. How long have you known him ?—I have known him for a long time. I think I knew him in the early times in Gore. 482. Did Meikle give evidence for you in any of the charges on which you have been tried and convicted ? —Yes. But I have paid for those offences. 483. You have been convicted of assault, of being drunk and disorderly, of resisting the police, of assault on a bailiff ; you have been charged with common assault, and convicted of common assault, and ordered to find sureties ; you have been eight times before the Court—seven times since the year 1888. That is true, is it not ?—lt must be. 484. Mr. Atkinson.] How did you know that McGeorge had come along that day from Islay ?— I did not know. 485. How did you know that was the day he came fiorn Islay ? —By Mr. McGeorge telling me. 486. Have you any other means but your memory and the wet day by which you can fix this particular day ?—I was sinking this well for the dairy, and the directors asked me to work my men on the Sunday, and, but for Monday becoming wet, we should not have been idle on the Monday. But we were not idle on the Tuesday. Mr. Johnston, the engineer, came from Invercargill to see the dairy factory on the Wednesday. 487. As to fixing that date, was there any business that you did on the Monday ?—Yes ; I went to Mac Gibbon, one of the directors, and I- am confident I drew some money from him to pay the men. 488. That payment could be traced ?—I should think so. 489. Is there any other event ? Can you think of any sales on that day in the neighbourhood ? —Not that I know of. There was nothing to remind me of the day but that it was a wet day and we were idle. William John Winter examined. 490. Mr. Atkinson.] What are you ? —I am a farmer residing at Wyndham. 491. Do you know the Islay Estate and Meikle's property as it then was in 1887 ?—Yes. 492. Did you have occasion to visit the neighbourhood before Meikle was convicted ?—Yes ; I had some cattle on turnips on property belonging to McGettigan. The road passes between McGettigan's and Meikle's properties. 493. You rode through to McGettigan's ? —Yes. 494. Did you see anything that day that would help you to fix the date ?—There was the agreement I made with McGettigan in the month of June. Forsyth and I had an agreement with McGettigan for the turnips and straw that he had. 495. Had you anything to fix the year ? —The block or butt of my cheque-book. The cheque was paid in August, 1887. I can'produce the butt of the cheque-book. 496. It was in August, 1887 ?—lt was in August, 11587, that I paid for the turnips. 497. Was it about that time that you visited him ?—Both before and after this I had occasion to go to McGettigan's land. 498. Was Forsyth with you on any of these occasions ?—lt was between the Ist and 6th of September that we took our beasts.