H.—2l.

140

[j. D. LEKCE

309. Do you remember what you said ?—I cannot remember. 310. Did he see you again alone ? —Yes ; he spoke to me again about it shortly afterwards. 311. Do you remember what happened when he spoke to you again ?—No ; but he made a further complaint about sheep-stealing. 312. Now, I come to the time when Lambert was appointed. Can you tell the Court how Lambert came to be appointed as a private detective on Islay Station ? —Troup came to my station and told me that Mr. Cameron, who was outside, wanted to see me. I went out and saw Mr. Cameron, and he spoke to me about the sheep-stealing that was going on, and said it had not been coped with or dealt with. I said I was unable to cope with it, and it would be better to put on a man to see who was taking the sheep. They said they had not a man to put on, and asked me if I could suggest some one. I suggested a man named William Lambert. 313. Had you known Lambert before ?—Yes. He was about Mataura for a while. 314. Had he been associated with you in any work % —Yes ; he used to do bailiff's work forme. 315. How did you find him in the work he did for you ? —I found him correct. 316. And honest ?—Yes. 317. You recommended Lambert. Now, was anything said to you about Lambert's pay ? —I think he was to get £1 a week from the manager. 318. Was anything said about giving him something in addition to the salary ?—No. 319. Do you remember any subsequent discussion about a premium ? —Yes ; Troup showed me a letter in which a sum of £50 was offered if a conviction was secured. 320. You have been a great many years in the Police Force. May I ask you whether from your own knowledge there is anything unusual in giving a sum in addition to salary to a detective if he discovers a culprit ?—No. 321. Do you know that that kind of arrangement is made ? —Yes, to detect crime. 322. Troup came and showed you the letter which Cameron had written under which this man was to be paid a sum of £50 if he secured the thief ?—Yes. 323. I believe it was you who executed the search warrant at Meikle's place in November, 1887 ?— Yes ; with the assistance of others. 324. Who were present ? —Detective Ede and Constable Fouhy, Mr. Stuart and Trotter. 325. You went to the hut below the prisoner's house, and searched, and found nothing ? —That is so. 326. So the first place you went to was not the barn or smithy ? —Yes. 327. After that you went to the barn ?—Yes. 328. The door at the back was open ? —The door was open, but I cannot tell whether it was at the back or not. 329. You and Fouhy went in ?—Yes. 330. You found sheep-skins hanging from a beam in the barn ? —Yes. 331. You pulled them down and examined them, and found the two skins which were produced in the Court at the trial of Meikle ?—Yes. 332. You went to the stable after that and searched there, and found nothing ?—Yes. 333. Detective Ede asked Meikle something —what was it ?—He asked Meikle if the sheep were there. 334. What sheep ?—The sheep named in the warrant; and Meikle said, " Yes, they are down below here." 335. Was that in a fenced paddock ? —Yes. 336. Did you go down ? —Yes. 337. What did you do ?—We brought up the whole of the sheep we found in the paddock, and drafted them. We drafted out a number of sheep belonging to the station. We found twenty-five belonging to the station. 338. These twenty-five were identified by Stuart and Trotter ?—Yes. 339. Do you recollect if any question was put to Arthur Meikle beyond the one you have mentioned ? Was any question put to Arthur Meikle about the skins ?—I think Detective Ede asked him how the skins got there, and he replied that he got them off the fence. 340. Was Harvey present ? —Yes. 341. Did he hear Ede's question addressed to young Meikle —" Where did these skins come from " —and did he hear Meikle's answer ?—I cannot say whether he did or not. 342. Did you hear any statement made by either Harvey or Meikle as to where the sheep got in by ?—Yes ; I believe it was said by one of them that the sheep had got in at the top of the fence. 343. I call your attention to the piece of land coloured pink on the plan.. There is the leasehold of the company, coloured drab, and the pre-emptive right, coloured green. Where did Harvey or Arthur Meikle indicate that the sheep had got in ?—At the top end of Meikle's land adjoining the company's leasehold (coloured drab) —the top north-east corner of Meikle's land. 344. Did you examine any part of the fence ?—I examined the fence between the blue and the pink right down towards the river, but not quite to the river. 345. What condition was the fence in ?—lt seemed in good order. 346. Was it, in your opinion, sheep-proof at that time ?—Yes. 347. Can you recollect when Stuart informed you that sheep had been stolen from the Islay Station? —It was the 29th October. I think. 348. Now I pass from that to another matter. Lambert gave evidence in the lower Court in Meikle's trial, at Wyndham. Do you remember that ? —No ; I think we were all ordered out of Court, and I did not hear what was said.