TOE GAOL INQUIRY.

(Pan United Pbess Association.)

Wellington, July 16. The Dunedin Gaol Commission commenced their sittings this morning. Tl.a following evidence was given:— Andrew Cummock: I entered the Dunedin Gaol on July 7, 1879, and was transferred to Lyttelton in December 1882. A short timq after I entered the Dunedin Gaol Mr Caldwell sent for me, and asked me if I would tell him what transpired in the Gaol, and if I would speak in favour of any warder who might be brought up. He promised that if I aid he would make it all right for me. Warder Oashman ill-treated a Maori prisoner shortly after I was received. The Maori asked to leayo the yard, and the waider pressed a key hard behind the Maori's ear. He pressed the prisoner to the fence, where he fell, the blood spurting from his nose and ears. I was wardsman at the time. The matter was reported to Mr Caldwell, who, sene for me, and asked if I had seen the affair. I told him that I had seen it, and he replied that the warder would be tried before Mr Watt, and I should be asked to give evidence as to what Cashman really did to the Maori. I told him I would state the truth on bath." Mr Caldwell brought the ill-treated man before Mr Logan and another visiting Justice, f After I had stated that I would tell .the troth, Mr Caldwell locked me up in No. 1 cell, and kept me . there during the inquiry before Mr Watt, The next occasion was when I received 14 days for giving officers' bread to a Maori. j I explained the matter to the visiting Justices, and told them that I had been reported through noticing Cashman, but they concluded that I had been guilty ef a prison offence. Five or six months after this I was brought before' the visiting Justices charged with being too quiet. Mr Caldwell told the visiting Justices that I contemplated escape. I was :on that occasion reprimanded. I was brought up on many occasions, but riiy cases were not entered on the defaulter's sheet. The last. case^l referred to was not entered. Perhaps on the same occasion, when I was brought to the' office, I was not directly punished, but I was indirectly. With regard to, the charge of my having a strap in my. possession, I was not'allowed to call in the visiting Justices, but I was not punished. On February 25,1882,1 was brought before the magistiate charged with attempting to circulate false reports against the gaoler to Captain Hume, Mr Logan and Mr'Brown being tho Justices. I was severely reprimanded by them, and told that Captain Hume waß Inspector of Prisons, and not inspector of prisoners. Oa February 81 asked to see Captain Hume, but was kapt but of his'way. Afterwards I waa permitted to see him, but before this I saw Captain Hume, and wanted a private interview with him, but he told me that I must see him in the presence of Mr Cald-

well. I then asked to be transferred, on tha f rounds that my family were in Dunedin, and wished to be away, and also that I was an invalid. The application was backed by Mr Caldwell, as he said I was a thorough invalid. Subsequently Mr Caldwell opposed the transfer. When before the Justices, I told them that I was in perfect health. On that;occasion Mr Caldwell ordered me out of the office. When -I asked to seethe inspector on the Tuesday following, the inspector was in the Gaol, and I was looked up in the debtors'•quarters with prisoner M'Coll by Caahman, wnom I again told I desired to see the inspector. Next day; M'Coll and I were in the warders'quarters, and from thence we saw the inspector with Mr Caldwell, but the latter afterwards said that the inspector had not been in the Gaol that day. A few days afterwards I was charged with idleness. I told the Justices that I had seen Capt, Hume walking with Mr Caldwell. I was then debarred from seeing my friends by Mr Caldwell, who stopped mo from writing to them. ......

In tho afternoon prisoner Cummock continued hia evidence as follows :—I wrote a defence for the prisoner Strange :by order of Principal Warder Duncan. I was brought up for this, and Mr Caldwell threw me from one end of the office to the other. He shook me, and lifting me up bodily, threw me outside on to the scraper, Warder Flannery being present. On the following day Mr Caldwell talked mo over, and gave me two glasses of brandy.' On another occasion Mr Caldwell spoke gruffly to my wife, who was crying about the illness of my child. I told Mr Caldwell I Was mistaken as to bis being a gentlaman.' Mr Caldwell pushed my wife ont of the office, seized me by the throat, shook me, and locked me up in No. 7 cell. Mr Caldwell afterwards sent for me, gave me liquor, and apologised. On one occasion Warder Caahtnan ran me across the yard by my ears, and I asked Mr Caldwell to re-, move m«, but he would not. In May 1882 Mr Caldwell shook me because I said I would jtiva evidence in a case. I was locked up, and not permitted to give evidence. On the 28th October I was charged before the Justices with being guilty of improper conduct with femala prisoners, and knowing.of similar, irregularities on the part of other prisoners, I refused to say anything to Messrs Logan and Brown, the Justices, with regard to the charge. Subsequently I told Mr Logan that irregularities might have taken place in April, May, June, and July, 1881, and that: the door in the debtors' quarters was open on . one occasion for 20 minutes. I refused to tell the Justices if any impropriety had taken place between prisoner Shannon and a female prisoner. After the inquiry I was told to-put my bed: in tho corridor, WherefT was compelled to sleep for three nights with the windows open, although I was Buffering from cold; In November last I was left in a cell without being let out till after the visits of tho chaplain. I.was searched afterwards. Mr. Caldwell wanted to put in writing what I had' said. ;to Captain Hume, and promised to obtain mitigation. On refusing, Mr Caldwell; assaulted mo violently. Although very ill,-1 was not allowed to lie on the bed for some time. A few days after Mr-Caldwell told me I was to bo transferred, and offered me brandy, which I refused. Mr Caldwell thereupon said, " You'll regret this."' I had been brought before the Justices for complaining to my friends of jny treatment in, Gaol;, but was not punished. > '. To Captain Hume: I was brought before the Justices a fortnight after my reception for sitting down in the Supreme Court, and for scheming on the night of my conviction. I was reprimanded. I objected to Mr Logan dealing with me because he was a committeeman of the Athenfeum. Prisoner Gray was sick, and fell in tho yard. Warder Flannery picked him up, and- he- fell. Mr Caldwell rushed ' out, arid ordered him to be removed. He was dragged up the yard. I called out "shame, and-was brought before Mr Caldwell, who shook me, but not to hurt me. My father and mother were prevented from seeing me. I had often seen females seat to the office, riot always with the matron. Sometimes- they went without the matrons through the officers' quarters. Maggie Duncan was locked in an upstairs room, and I have seen the gaoler go upstairs and into her room wiihout the matron. Mr Caldwell visited a woman named Ingles in the same room in the debtors' quarters. Warders have also passed women up to the same room. I knew the prisoner Thoreby, who, whenever he got into trouble, received additional sentences. (Prisoner here described impropriety he had witnessed between a mala and female prisoner in Dunedin Gaol.) Female prisoners were employed in scrubbing the men's quarters, being in charge of officers who took little heed of them. . I never saw the 'matron or assistant in charge of them while scrubbing. On one occasion I saw Warder Cashman behaving improperly with a female prisoner. The armoury waa not locked. When I cleaned the place the arms were loaded. After complaining to Captain Hume in February 1882 I was still worse treated. In fact Mr Caldwell and his subordinates did their utmost to kill me. To Mr Solomon : I never complained to the doctor of my ill-treatment at the hands of Mr Culdwell. The inquiry wa3 here adjourned till Wednes« day morniDg.