W. G. WRIGHT.]

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12. About how far from Martin [Plann AA explained to witness] ? —I know that we counted six bords up and we went up the sixth. We went down the little dip way. 13. You know where the door was blown out ?—I have an idea, but I did not see it. 14. If the point marked 43 is where Martin's body was found, could you in any way define where the other boot was ?—The only thing I know was that when we came up the bord I picked up a boot and said, " I have found one of his boots." Mr. Wood, the mine-manager, replied, " That is not his boot, he is up farther." So I dropped it. 15. You found that he was up farther, and that Mr. Wood was right ? Yes, I took the boots oft Martin's body. 16. Did you help to bring Hopper out ? —I did not know which was he. I helped to bring a good number out, and may have done so. 17. You are quite certain, however, that the boot you found was picked up before you reached Martin's body ? —Yes, I am certain. 18. Did you bring the body out the way you went ? —Yes, we rolled it in a canvas and went back the same way as we came. We brought it right back to the shaft. 19. Did you go in through that door afterwards [door indicated on plan] ? —No. 20. Mr. Tunks.] The boot which you found was embedded ? —I think so, but Ido not know for certain. I just picked it up and dropped it again. 21. You do not know anything about it—whether it was a right-foot boot or a left ?—No. 22. The Chairman.] Has it been ascertained since to whom the boot belonged ? —I do not know. 23. Mr. Dowgray.] Did you see Martin's body after it was brought to the surface, ? Was it recognizable ? —No, nobody could recognize it as Martin. 24. How did you recognize it as Martin ?—Mr. Malloy, with whom he lived, recognized his boots as those of Martin. Martin had also long hair, and that was also recognized. 25. Is there not a similarity in miners' boots ? —Possibly, but Mr. Malloy recognized them at once. Martin also had five false teeth, and his sister identified them. The only trouble in connection with identification was as between Smith and Baker. Smith was buried for Baker, but when Baker's body was recovered and identified the mistake was rectified. John James Clout, Head Banksman, sworn and examined. (No. 13.) Witness read evidence given by him at Coroner's inquest, as follows : — " John James Clout, sworn, saith :lam a tip banksman at Ralph's Mine. I was on duty on the morning of the accident. The deputies go down in the first cage. I saw Mr. Gowans go down that morning. Smith and Darby would go down in the first two cages. I got the signal from below from the onsetter ' all clear,' and I let the others down. I lowered four cages that morning and then went away to do some other work. Shortly after I left the pit-head I heard a roar and saw flames come up the shaft. The deputies were let down at 7 a.m., and the miners went down straight after. " No questions." 1. Mr. Wilford.] You got your signal from below from the onsetter " All clear " ?—Yes, when he went down. 2. I want you to say when the men went down ? —As 7 o'clock. 3. Are you positive ? —Yes, when the whistle blew. 4. But the whistles do not blow together ? —That is the different mines. 5. Are they supposed to have the same time ?—They keep their own time. 6. Can you tell whether the deputies had gone down before ? —They went down in the first two cages —of course that was before my time—the examining deputies. 7. You do not know what time they went down ? —No. 8. Who does ? —The driver who was on shift would know. 9. Who was he ?—Starr, I think. 10. Would he have any record of the time when the examining deputies went down ? —I could not say. 1.1. What is the usual practice —I know only what the Act says ? —I do not know ;I am never there. 12. Do you know whether, on Saturday morning, things are done a little more laxly than on regular mornings ? —No, it should not be so. 13. It should not be so, but is it ? —I do not know. Ido not think so. 14. Who were the deputies who went down ?—Smith and Darby. 15. How many cages did you lower that morning I—Four.1 —Four. 16. Have you any check to show that ? —Yes, we keep the tally. We marked every cage down, but the tally was blown away. 17. And it is from memory that you say you lowered four cages ? —Yes. 18. How far had you gone from the pit-head when you heard the roar ? —I was by the tippler. 19. What was the distance ? —About twenty or thirty yards. I was working there. 20. Is it part of your duty as head banksman to take delivery of whatever comes up from down below ? —No, that is the brakesman's duty. 21. If some hot stuff comes up from down below, would it pass under your eyes ?—No, unless I was there. 22. Have you seen hot stuff coming up from down below ?—Only on one occasion. 23. Did you say that only on one occasion you have seen hot stuff coming up from down below ? —Yes, to my knowledge. 24. Were you ever working down the mine at any time ? —Yes, at several times I have been on down the mine. 25. Were you ever down there with Molesworth ? —No.