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I.—2b

111. You heard from Mr. Lingard?—Yes. 112. Are you aware that Mr. Wrigg was a recipient under Colonel Lyon of the War Medal ?— I heard that he had received a War Medal. 113. Under Colonel Lyon ?—I do not know whom it was under. 114. Are you aware the War Medal was received for services rendered some considerable time before ? —I have no idea. 115. Mr. Wrigg has sworn that he volunteered to carry despatches to Tauranga in June, LBG7. Can you contradict that?—No, I will not contradict that. 116. Again, he has said that ho carried despatches. Can you contradict that ?—How can I ? 1 was not there. 117. Have you seen the camp order which he produced?—l have not; I would like to see it. 118. Here it is. You see this camp order ?—I do. 119. Do you know Captain Gwynneth's signature?— Yes, I do. 120. Have you any reason to say that it is not Captain Gwynneth's signature ?—I will not swear to it. The Chairman : Perhaps if the witness saw the signature of Captain Gwynneth in the minutebook of the troop it might assist him. [Minute-book produced.] 121. Mr. Wilford.\ Have you any reason for saving that that is not Captain Gwynneth's signature? —I haye not said it is not his signa'ure. 122. Do you recognise it as his signature V—l would not swear to it. 123. Were you aware that Captain Gwynneth was commanding the Bay of Plenty Cavalry Corps ?—Yes. 124. And would you considel , that an order of tho commanding oilicer of that troop would bo sufficient for a trooper to leave the lines?— Certainly not. 125. Can you contradict Mr. Wrigg when he says that he had never been over that road before ? —I do not know what his knowledge was. 126. Were the rivers very high at the time V —What river.; ? 127. The rivers between Opotiki and Tauranga ?—They may have been so. 128. Is there any hazardous part except the bluff at Ohiwa?—The portion considered dangerous at times was between Opotiki and the bluff. 129. Is there plenty of ambush ?—On both sides of the Waiotahi Bivot there are facilities for ambush. 130. Mr. Monk.] You are somewnat acquainted with military discipline, are you not, Captain Mair? —Fairly well. , 131. Would not a camp order be issued by the commanding officer ?—That is the rule. 132. And if a camp order were issued by the captain of* a company, and the commanding ofiicer was there, would he not think it a subject for court-martial, that is, when martial law was prevailing? —The proper course would certainly be for the commanding officer to issue the camp order, particularly as he wrote the despatches that were being carried. 133. Would it be likely that Major St. John did direct Captain Gwynneth to furnish him with a volunteer trooper — this company thai. Captain Gwynneth commanded was considered a Volunteer company, was it not? —They were members of the First Waikato Regiment who had joined this Volunteer company. 134. I am speaking now of the mounted Force?— They were mostly selected from the Hrsi Waikato Kegirnent. 135. But went under the name of Volunteers ?—Yes. They were immediately under Colonel St. John. 13(5. If Colonel St. John directed Captain Gwynneth to (uruish him with a volunteer would he not furnish him with a volunteer trooper ?—At that time there was so much feeling between Colonel St. John and Captain Gwyuneth, which afterwards terminated in a libel action, that I do not think they would have had any connection with one another. 137. It is evident that if Colonel St. John had required a trooper to carry despatches he would not be likely to have given the order to Captain Gwynneth to furnish him with a trooper?—No ; I think he would have given the order direct to the adjutant. 138. And the adjutant would then have arranged the details?—-Yes. 139. With whom?— With the captain of the troop principally. He would tell the captain of tho troop that the commanding officer required one or more men. 140. He would not be likely to go cmongst the men himself to select a man ? What is the military usage ?—Properly speaking it should be done through the officer commanding tho company. The colonel commanding would give the order to the adjutant, and the adjutant would, no doubt, go to the officer commanding the corps the men were to be duly picked from. 141. Is it likely that, with the relations existing, Captain Gwynneth would have dared to issue a camp order? —It is very improbable, I think. When I heard that these men wore detailed to carry despatches on a camp order signed by Captain Gwynneth I always doubte.d it. 142. You know it is against military routine?— Yes. 143. In the relations existing between the two, a breach of discipline was not likely to be tolerated? —No, it would not be overlooked. 144. Have you any knowledge of Mr. Wrigg's professional ability as a ealigraphist ? —Yes; he had a very high ability in that reaped. 145. Have you heard anything of documents having been imitated by Mr. Wrigg so perfectly, that they absolutely deceived the owners of the names inserted in those documonts?—Yes, I have. 146. Can you mention a case? -Well, there was one ease that created some talk iv Auckland, where Mr. Wrigg made a pen-and-ink sketch of a table-cover showing a number of. cards, and on each of the cards there were what purported to be signatures of weli-knovJn Auckktudttre. They