THE KAIWARRA MURDER.

Evening Star, Issue 7997, 28 August 1889, Page 1

THE KAIWARRA MURDER.

THE CHARGE OF PERJURY. WELLINGTON, August 27. John Dowd, continuing his evidence, said that when he went out shooting on Sunday, the 26th May, he took caps and wads with nim. He got the caps and wads from the drawer. Some wads-were loose, and there were also some in a box. The wads were made out of a piece of bandbox. He took the wads out of a box similar to the one produced. After he had been shooting on the 26th May he put back in the drawer the shot, caps, and flask. He watC not sure whether he put back the wads. He did not get a shot that morning. He loaded the right-hand barrel, and discharged it before taking it into the house. When he returned the flask, caps, and shot, there were also in the drawer a wad punch, a tin of blasting powder, a dagger, some dynamite caps, some fuse, a cocoa tin, and some other articles, which he did not take notice of. The first time he saw the wad punch was before Easter. It was Sunday, the sth, or Sunday, the 12th May, when he took from the drawer the wads, caps, shot, pouch, and powder flask. The wads which he then took were similar to those which he used on the 26th May. No one was with him on that occasion. When he came back he returned the powder, caps, and shot to the drawer, but not the wads. He recollected Sunday, the 2nd June. He heard about 10.30 that morning that Chemis's house had been searched. On the same day Greaves's house, where he was living, was searched by Benjamin and Campbell. On the afternoon of Sunday he went up to Chemis's house. He left Greaves's house a little after three, but could not say how long he took to walk to Chemis's place. He got there between three and four. He did not see Chemis when he arrived at the house, but believed he was about the shed. Mrs Chemis told him something about the detectives, and in consequence of what she told him he went to the right-hand top drawer and examined what was in it. He found in it a revolver and a powder flask, a wad cutter, some dynamite caps, a tin of ground blasting powder, some gun caps, some fuse, and some revolver cartridges. The wads he saw were in a box. There might have been some wads loose ia the drawer. The drawer was not clean. Witness had tea at Mrs Chemis's. He was given some pieces of quail which Mrs Chemis said had been left over from dinner. He was at Chemis's on the day of the arrest. Witness was sent to town to see Mr Jellicoe. He asked Mr Chemis for some money. She went into the bedroom, and from the right-hand drawer she took some money, which was in a cocoa tin. On his way to town he met Benjamin, Campbell, and two constables going in the direction of Ngahauranga. At the police station he was told that Mr Devine, solicitor, had seen 'Chemis, so he did not go to Mr Jellicoe's. When he returned to Chemis's house he found that the revolver had gone. Witness worked with Chemis, and at one time lived with him for eighteen months. That was over twelve months ago. Unless Chemis and witness were working close to their home they usually took their lunch with them. The lunch was wrapped in a paper. The paper they sometimes took back home, and at other times it was thrown away. To witness's knowledge Chemis did not carry a sheath knife. Cross-examined : Was only living at Mrs Chemis's now to oblige her and advise her in her present trouble. He was not aware that Timothy Dowd, his cousin, had a gun. Timothy Dowd was living at Eaiwarra in May last with another cousin named John Dowd. He did not know if the latter had a gun on the occasions when witness went out shooting. There might have been a second box of caps in the drawer, but he did not examine it carefully. On June' 2 he examined moat of the articles in the right drawer. Some were examined carefully, ' and others passed over. Among those oarefully examined were the powder flask and the revolver. He saw the wad cutter, but could not swear to have examined it carefully. Mrs Chemis told witness that! the police had taken away the gun and shot pouch. That was his reason for examining the powder flask carefully. He was surprised the police had not takenaway the other things belonging to the gun. Witness was positive that he returned the powder flask to the right-hand drawer on May 26. The wad cutter wa3 there then, Witcess saw the drawer before and after the visit of the police to Chemis's house on June 5. Mrs Chemis left some money in a tin. There were some notes, but how many witness could not say. He thought there were more than one. He never saw a lease in the right-hand drawer; it might have been covered by the other articles, and so might other documents. Questioned about being at tea at Chemis's house on June 2, he said he did not see Chemis, and had tea by himself. It was here shown to witness that in his affidavit to the Governor he said that on Sunday, June 2, he had "tea with Louis Chemis and my sister." Asked to explain the discrepancy, witness said he might have been mistaken in his affidavit. What he said to-day was true. When witness discharged the gun he was within a quarter of a mile of Chemis's house. He was positive he did not leave the right-hand barrel of the gun loaded. Re-examined: The affidavit to the Governor was drawn up by Mr Jellicoe and read over to him. Chemis seat a message to Court that he wanted to make a further statement. He was then placed in the box, and commenced to relate what took place in the gaol one night between himself and Mr Jellicoe. Mr Bell 1 objected, and the objection was upheld. Timothy Dowd, laborer, was next'called, aud corroborated the evidence 'of his'cousin, John Dowd, in respect to going shooting on the Sunday before Hawkins was murdered. His cousin obtained the gun from Chemis. They saw nothing to shoot, and just before returning to Chemis's house fired off the right barrel, whieh was the only one loaded. Sir Harry Atkinson, recalled, said u a member of the Executive Council he read the statement signed by Chemis. This was not made public before it was laid on the table of the House. Before that Mrs Chemia had been examined and cross-examined. He considered it very unlikely that Mrs Chemia or any one on: t her behalf'had been made aware of the contents of that statement before presented to Parliament.