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Mr. Wa&tkk IjBbIjIR Rworn and examined. 175. Mr. Wilford.} What is your name, Mr. Leslie? Walter Leslie. 176. What are you?— A Uaimard reporter. 177. Do you know Mr. Wrigg'/•—Yes. 178. How iong y>eya you known liim ? I have known him about thirteen years--that is to say, it is thirteen years since 1 first knew him. 179. Have you at any time boon in Che Government service at the same time as he?— For three years, off and on, I was a draughtsman in the Public Works Office. 180. At that time Mr. Wrigg was a clerk there as well as yourself ?—He was Chief Draughtsman. 181. Was Mr. Koch employed in the office at that time?— Part of the time. 182. What part of the time? —He was retired, I think, on compensation —at any rate, he left about a year before I did. 183. Are you aware if ho blamed anybody about his being retired?—l do not think that he has actually told me so. 184. Were you led to believe anything?— -J inferred from conversations with him, and subsequently with other oflicers of the department, that ho was under the impression that Mr. Wrigg had something to do with his leaving. 185. Will you tell me on what terms they wore while in the oflice ?—I have reason to believe they worked fairly well together in the work of the oflieo,, but they were not otherwise on good terms. The reason I have for saying so is this : for some considerable time I was working in the same room with Mr. Koch and another draughtsman, Mr. Goll, and for a considerable number of weeks whenever 1 was left alone in the room with Mr. Koch he used to come and. say all kinds of things to me about the work of the oflieo and the arrangement of the work, and about Mr. Wrigg and Mr. Gell, and when I was left alone with Mr. Gell he used to do the same thing, and Mr. Wrigg used also to tell me his view of the case. 186. At that time would you say from the conversation that you had with Mr. Koch that he used to speak in a perfectly friendly manner of Mr. Wrigg?—No, certainly not. He gave me the impression that he thought he and not Mr. W gg ought to be Chief Draughtsman. 187. Did this occur once, or was it a trequent occurrence ?—lt was a frequent occurrence during a considerable time. There was one particular " row " Mr. Koch and Mr. Gell had—a tremendous row about something —and they took the matter to Mr. Blaekett or Mr. Blair, and I fancy Mr. Wrigg considered Mr. Gell in the right, and supported Mr. Gell. 188. Did he strike you at any time as being a man who was spiteful towards Mr. Wrigg?—-It certainly struck me that he used to say things to me, not only about Mr. Wrigg, but about others in the office, which were unnecessary and uncalled-for, as if he wanted to prejudice me against him and them. 189. Would you say from your knowledge of him whether he was a man of cool deliberation or was prone to exaggeration ?—Mr. Koch, I should say, was particularly cool, as far as my recollection goes. 190. Would you say he was a man of exaggeration ?—I do not know about exaggeration exactly. I should say Mr. Koch was a man who would say things in an irresponsible way. 191. Was he a man with a good memory ?—I have no idea at all. Lieutenant James Hervey Peice sworn and examined. 192. Mr. Wilford.] What is your name, Mr. Price ?—James Hervey Price. 193. What are you at present ?—A retired lieutenant in the Eoyal Marines, and am working as a draughtsman. 194. That is the Imperial Service ? —Yes. 195. You now are working as a draughtsman—where, Mr. Price ?—ln the Public Works Department. 196. Do you know Mr. Wrigg?—Yes. 197. About how long have you known him ?—I have known him since I came to the colony— since 1875. 198. Did you ever work in the same office with him?— Yes. I worked for three years consecutively with him, and at intervals : altogether for about four years. He was Chief Draughtsman. 199. During that time were you on friendly terms with him ?—Yes. 200. It has been suggested that Mr. Wrigg has not discussed his claim to the New Zea'and Cross with any of his friends or acquaintances. Taking it that you are a friend of his, did he ever discuss his claim with you?—l remember him talking about the war, and his saying thafhe could get the New Zealand Cross if he applied for it. 201. Did he tell you why he had not applied for it ?—He said he thought it was not an Imperial order, and he did not care about getting it. 202. He did not follow it up ?—No. 203. Why?— Because he thought it was a colonial distinction. 204. Did he ever lead you to understand that he had been enrolled in the Imperial Service ?— Yes; he told me he was a trooper in one of the dragoon regiments, I think. 200. You understood that ?—Yes. 206. Did he ever tell you what he had done for which he deserved the decoration ?—No. 207. Simply told you he could get it if he applied for it?— Yes. As a matter of fact, I looked upon it as one of those things a man might say without meaning it. 208. There is no doubt whatever but that he did make use of the expression ?—Yes. 209. About what year was it this discussion occurred between you and Mr. Wrigg?—Some time between 1885 and 1889, I should say.