THE PAPAKAIO MURDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13780, 19 December 1906, Page 3

THE PAPAKAIO MURDER

TRIAL OP FIKDLAY.

J-hptrial of John Findluv for the murder Hay llennio Rt Fnpakaio on the fad Otobcr last, was commenced at 1 lie Suprem Court yesterday morning before his Honor ir Justice Cooper and « jury of 12. Iho jurj was composed of Horace Marshall (foreman) James Crust, Alfred Lavender, Jus. Quaylc, olm Murray, Hobcrt l'ryde, jun.-, Robert Ilil, Robert Campbell, William Anderson, Petei W. Hess, Robert C. Clark, and Thomas (/fnry. Mr A. (. Heiilon appeared for priscner, who pleaded " Xol guilty." The Ciowi ProF.eculor, Mr J. V. M. Frasor, opened !ho ?aso at very considerable length, and spoke r or r.bout "an hour' and throeqiwrlers. IL intimated that there would be a. large nwnbr of witixisscs called in tlic cjtc. The caso rated largely v.pen what- v;:is known as preemptive evidonei, or what was sometimes ceded circumstantial ovidence. It was clear the.t in all coses of crime, especially serious md preincditatid crime, the object of the niminal was usually to destroy :tll traces of In; guilt. and fncrclcre it could not lie nnticip-.tcd that an eye-witness o[ the committal of the crime was geneialiy forthcoming to testify to the actual perpetration oi the deed; but the whelo environments Eiirroundiiiff tlia ease, and generally llie evidence leading up to ant subsequent to the commission of the crme, had to bo carefully weighed in order to arrive at a definite decision. The deoctscd William Hay Ronnie hud been a, sclioolnacler at Pnpakaio for some 13 years, and luf. local reputation was an excellent one in (very way. He was an excellent leachcr, and exceptionally clever in muny ways conncetel and unconnected with his profession, so 'far as the police (who had spared no jumis in this ease) had l>ccn able io ascertain. The deccused was in the enviable jovition of being a man without f.n enemy. Unmarried, lie lived in

c, small four-roomxl house by himself. Tho liousc was surrounded by trees, in a very lonely situation, ind was over a quarter of a ' milo diutar.t :roui any other inhabited house. It stood back some little distance front tile Main Mad,.and about 100 yds away wns the cliurclmird., The deceased was a foher man. and was neat and tidy in his habits. Ho employed a woman to go to his house at stated intervals lo cook his meals and clean the place up generally. Tho woman lived across the. road on tho flat, lie- lirst employed a Mrs Irvine, and subsci|v,cnlly a young sister, llifs Johnson, to clcan up bis house. ■ Tho evidence would show that about 11 o'clock on the morning of October li, Miss Johnson went to Kennio's houso as usual to carry out her daily duties. "When approaching the houso i-lie obse-ved that his bedroom blinds were down, r.ud not drawn uii as usual, and on reaching the sido door she found it ajar. Sho naturally thought tint ho had gone out, and to ascorlain whether lie had done so she wont to see if his bicycle was in tho. adjoining shed, where h; was in the habit of keeping it. She found that it was not there, and sho then thought he had gono to the school. She entered tho house by (he Fido door, and, passing into the scullery, noticed that ii. was in a state of disordercrumbs lying about, and a piece of cake that bad been left tho nr-lit "before had disappeared. Looking into :hc. bcdi'oom, she saw someone in Ronnie's bed. She could not see his head for the angle of the door, hut she saw a fool exposed at the bottom of the bed. She became alarmed, and ran for assistance, hnving to go a mile and n-half. Sho returned with another woman and Mr Borrio. The three went into tho house together, and we.re horror-struck' to nnd Eeniiie dead, shot thiough tho head. A doctor was sent lor. He found that tho bedclothes wcro absolutely undisturbed, and that there wore three wounds ill the head. The luan had apparently been dead for 10 cr 13 hours. There was no sign of a struggle, and it wns plain that Ronnie had not moved alter receiving the v/ounds.. Tho doctor made a post mortem examination. The medical evidence was that death was practically instantaneous, and that the wounds could not havo been self-inflictcd. From tin examination of 1 lie bedroom it was clear that ii robbery had taken placo during the night. One of the drawers had been forced open, apparently with a chisel, the contents of tho drawers were in disorder. Rennic's desk was broken open, and his clothes scattered on tho floor. Xo money could b? found, though it would be proved tolerably conclusively that Rennio had £2 or i"S in his jiosscfsion at tho lime, and a valuable presentation watch was gone. A razor ( was also missing from its case, and tho bicvcie which was kept in Ihe shed had disaiuieavcd. There were marks on tho kitchen window sil! indicating that an entrance had been effected ■that way. It was abundantly clear that a murder had been committed, and that robbery was tho motive. A reasonable conjecture was this: that whilst the murderer was engaged ill rifling the drawers the deceased moved or awakened and recognised as the burglar the accused—the accuscd had been in the district •lor years, and Iteunio may have known liim personally—and it was suggested that in order to avoid detection the prisoner shot Jieiinie. The accuscd would know thai sooner or later ho would bo suspected ill connection with the robbery, -that if Ronnie recognised lii'.u as the man who was rilling the his chanco oi escaping a long term of imprisonment would bo absolutely hopeless, and what .pllicr solution of tho difficulty would suggest 'Itself to liim but to cllace tho possibility of 'Jliat evidence being forthcoming by killing Jtennie. H would h? only adding one crime to another, and perhaps safely lay that way. Tho bullets found in tho head were those of t Smith and Wcwon revolver. The deceased \vas h'.st seen alive at 7 p.m. on the ind October at the store in I'apakaio. He loit at 7 p.m. 16 rido home on his bicycle. At 11.30 that night a light was noticed in his bedroom, indicating that Kennio had not then retired. '.file |xiiieo ascertained that a man who described himself as a deserter from the steamer' Port Stophens, which had recently left Oamsru, had been in the neighbourhood on the day of the alleged murder, lie was at once suspected, and slops were taken lo clca r up his identity. The police looked for a deserter. It was then ascertained that this man who described himself as a deserter was identical with the accuscd. who, of course, was no deserter. Tho accuscd gave all sorts of excuses for being ill the neighbourhood. He had been living at a place called Tomlinson's, down by the river, and was found with Tomlinson's family when arretted. At Tomlinson's he occupied a small bedroom near the back door, so that lie could eiiner leave or return without disturbing the other residents. It would bo proved that he went to Tansey's hoarding-house, at Oaniaru, and stayed there mi the nijbta ot the 2tth and 25th of September, and left there without paying, although asked to do ao. He returned to Tomlinson'a on tho night of the 3rd October, and when questioned about his movements he told Mrs Tomliuson that he had been to Duntroon, which was not true. It was on tho morning of ihe tlh that Mrs Toiuliuson spoke to him. Ho said that ho arrived at 1 a.m., and was very tired idler walking. Tho family did not know when he got home. They retired at 9 p.m. Findlay's own statement wns thill lie got h'Muc at 1 a.m. on the 3id. All his statements to the family as to his movements wero untrue, except that ho had been to Georgetown and Peebles. 11 would be seen from his statement and actions ■what ulterior object he had when leaving Tansey's. At 11 a.m. -Mr Ilodgkiuson, a farmer at I'ukeuri, riding irom Oaniaru i-r wards Boundary Creek, noticed accused cross the fence on to the road. Accused told him that he was a deserter from the I'otl Stephens at Oamani. He meant to walk on to Ktitotv, and had no money. 11c said his kit would be put off at Christ church. The accused put si very curious question to Ilodgkiuson, " Would you take me for a sailor?" lie asked. Ilodgkiuson said he would, because of the tattoo marks on his hands, lie offered to buy licensed a railway ticket to Kurow, but accused

refused to Lave Huh, and asked if (here was a constable at Ivurow. Hearing that there was, he said he would not go there, bccausc ho was afraid of being sent back to his ship. It would be shown that the accused knew liurow well, and knew that there was a constable there. Why did accused say that he was a flo3crior aud a stranger and penniless? Why tell this cock-and-bull story? The answer was simple. All crimini»*«3 were very ingenious. Some were too ingenious This was a cue? in point. The aroused wanted to establish the identity of another man by start-

in;,' a story that there was a runaway sailor on the road. The nest they heard of accuscd was at noon on the same day, on the Piipnkuio road at Oliver's gate. He was scon there by Sleek, a grocer's carter, who was passing, but. did not speak to him. Slock saw accused again at .1 o'clock the same day ni Peebles, near Ber.rdsmorc's shop. To Stock accused repeated the runaway sailor story, and said ho wanted to get to luirow so as to get away from the police. The same day he was seen at Georgetown Hotel at G p.m. Mr Flicker also saw him on the toad about three miles on the I'apakaio side of Georgetown, and had a conversation with him. Once more accused put forward t"ie same story about being n. deserter. He went to Wilson's house and got somo ford—again the deserter story. At 7.:;o the same night Fricker again saw him at Georgetown. A Mr young, a hotclkeepev at Georgetown, would say that at C o'clock accused offered to give his watch fur bed and breakfast. Xoxt day accused tried to gel a job from Mr Smellie, but failed. Later'ho was sent in search of work io Beardsmorc's. lie didn't call at Beardsmorc's, because he was travelling in the guise oi a runaway sailor, and lieardsmorc knew him. At 11 the next morning Pricker again saw r.ccuscd. who was again penniless, or, rather, had only an old penny. Accused said he was going straight to the Waitaki, and would g6T there before night. On the road accused met lieardsmorc, who knew him. Accused got tobacco from Bcardsmcre (but did not pay lor it because he had no money), and told him to tell the Tomlinsons that he would be home the same n.ght. Then he voluntarily told Bcatdsmore that ho had walked down Iho road with a runaway sr.ilor from {lie Port Stevens. Xoxt Mr Hews.on saw accused on the road about a quarter of a mile from Ronnie's house between 11 and 11.30 a.m. cn the day of the murder, lie saw him again at about i.'fO or I! p.m. silting on (lie roadside near Ronnie's gate. Therefore it would be seen thai accused was hanging around lfennie's house for over throe hours, taking in the surroundings. Counsel asked what was accused doing there all that lime? The answer was obvious. Let it bo remembered that this was on the very afternoon of tho day of the murder. Between 2 and 3 p.m. the accused actually went to Ramie's house and saw Miss Johnson, who was working there. Accuscd said ho was canvassing for orders for a bakery, and wanted (lie custom of the house. He was told that the b'bss was the schoolmaster a'. I'apakaio. Accuscd told Miss Johnson tilat he was going to Onnram. He asked how many people lived in tho house, and was told that there were only two. He said it. would not bring much trade. Here again accuscd was striving to create a separate identity. Surely the accused could have had only one object in hanging round and asking these questions—obtaining knowledge with the intention of subsequently utilising it. The prisoner walked up the road about i'oo yaids, where ho met Mr Stock, whom he asked for a ride, and he was given one. On passing the I'apakaio School he asked hov; many touchers there wcro at (he school, and ha was told two—a male and a, female. He was still gelling information about the tcacheis. Further along the road the prisoner saw a lml, and askeit " What hut is that?" Stock said it was a railway hut, and was unoccupied. The prisoner said " I will go there and stay to-night." Why did he want to stop at the hut? That could be connected v;illi tho three hours and a-half spent in the vicinity of Ronnie's house, and also with the inquiries made as lo who the teachers were at tho school. Before leaving the cart ho asked Stock for lis'.f a '.oaf oi bread, saying that lie had had.nothing to eat since breakfast, and that he h?.d V:f. Georgetown without paying for his board. Stock had no broad in his cart, so gave him none. A subsequent examination showed that a tire had recently been lit in the lint. The man who committed tho murder was also iiungry. and bed a fairly hearty meal in the scullery. It w?.s an extraordinary thing that a hungry man should go to a, desolate hut when he had a comfortable ride in Io Oaniaru, where he could have got something to eat. Later on in the month a razor was found at a spot where the prisoner had been standing over a rabbit, hole with a ferret. Tins was very important. It would bo proved beyond question that the razor was tile razor taken from llcnnio's house on the night of the murder. Another extraordinary thing happened. A man named Chalmers was very excited, and was talking about tho murder. Accuscd, who was in the same room with Chalmers and others, playing an accordion, kept on playing, and tool; no part whatever ill tho discussion. Then the prisoner, who previously had no money, turned up at Tomlinson's with almost the same amount of money as was stolen from Ronnie's. When interviewed by Detective Fitzgerald, ,of Timaru, and (old that his description answered that of iv man who said that he was a runaway sailor from the Port Stephens, the prisoner said: "It could not havo been me, us I never was on tho Port Stephens, and havo not been to sea for over two years." If lie was an innocent man why did lie not frankly deny the whole thing? lie said he got on tho train r.t Georgetown and went to Duntroon. That was r. lie. Ho said he had tea at Oaiuaru, but he never go*. past the hut. Ho denied having a ride in Stock's cart, and also havin" called at Kcnnie's housj. lie told the detective a parcel of lies from beginning to end. Was that tho action of an innocent man? Learned counsel had no evi- , der.ee to show that accused had a pistol, but ho could prove that for many years the prisoner was ill the habit of carrying a pistol, and ho would prove that he had an opportunity oi getting a pistol. Xeither tho gold watch nor the bank cheques had been recovered, and learned counsel suggested that they had been secreted. What about tile deceased's bicycle? Accuscd would recognise that he could not take it to the Tomlinson's, for it would be evidence of his guilt, blithe could plant ii. At the back of Tomliiison's there was a rough and devious track connecting with ilie main road. On the night after the murder an old man namfd Edward Milieu and his son were lifting their traps on that road, wlirn a man came over the terrace wheeling a bicycle. It was a moonlight night, and the father and son noticed that the bioyclc was r. shining one, with sleel rims and turned-down handles, no lamp, and it appeared to be new. That description corresponded exactly with ihe description of Kennie s bicycle. The Milieus spoke to the traveller, remarking that it was a queer place to have a bicycle, and the stranger replied tluv* he thought he was on another road, lie asked for a inntch, and lit a cigarette, and by (ho light of tho match and llic moonlight they saw the man's face. Milieu the elder was somewhat addicted to drink, but liis son was respectable and observant. They would give the jury the reasons why they believed tho accused was the man they saw. It was but fair to reir.sirk that these men had an opportunity of identifying him and did not do so. That, bowever, might bo partially explained. They Vi'ould say that at the time tliev were confused, and hardly looked at the man when the examination was made, and generally did not make such u close fsammation as lliey should havo done. If tho traveller with the bicyclo was the accused, the mystery of the bicycle was cleared up. 'the person who committed tho r.utr.lor would have to get rid of Rcuuie's bicy io at any risk, and if this was the bicycle tiist was being wheeled un that irack Inlight he (Mr Frasev) siipneslert that it was natural to suppose accused would seek to destroy the bicycle, and the swift tlowir.g \V»itflki Kiver would afford him ii solution. The wheels could he taken off and thrown in, and would soon bo swept away, and tho frmno would be covered with shingle in a lew minutes and would disappear. Kegarding tho money. Ronnie had cashed a cheque fo r fio, and had paid out of the proceeds oi tho cheque ill Ills and sundry other small amonms, and would probably have remaining in his possession on the night of the murder one or two pounds. Counsel should think it would bj about £2.

Ldward Walter Dinnie, the first witness called for the Crown, produced photographs of Rennio's house and also plans.

Nicholas llnick said ho knew deceased. He saw liim last on October 1 about hnlf-past 5 or IV quarter to C o'clock. H» passed the house at about 11.30 the same night, and there was ft pretty bright lisht burning. Deceased ivas very popular in the district.

Duncan Cameron, storekeeper at Papakaio, saul he hud known Itennie for a good luanv years. Witness's house was the nearest house to fiennij's. Last saw Henni? alive on llio evening of October 2. at about 7 o'clock.

After the luncheon adjournment, ihe witness Cameron, {-ontinuing his evidence, said he knew the deceased's bedroom. There was an open space between the blind and the top of the window. Mr Uemiie was highly respected ill the district. On October 3, in'company with Olliver, witness and Olliver entered t.io house by the side door, which was own. and went into deceased's bedroom, where they found deceased lying in the bed on his left sido with his left foot protruding from the clothes. Ihe bed clothes were pericctlv smooth right, up to deceased's chin, 'fiu'v 'had not l>een disturbed. Deceased had a wound in the left temple. Tlio blinds were down. The chest of drawers was open and disarranged, and a desk which was within the chest oi urawors lav open. Deceased's clothes were on a typewriter by the front window; otherclothes were on the floor. -Witness f e !t deceased* head and feet and found thorn cold. Ho pulled up the blinds unci had a look round. Deemed s eyes wore shut, and he hud a neaceJul ♦ook. On December G witness a rheque ior £10 for deceased, who wr.s in the habit of geltjns hi* ncTcacraios from his (witne.sa's) More. On the Tuesday evening Heimie bought a packot of headache powders, for which he paid is ixK Alter the discovery wihiM® telephoned for the police, and Sergeant (Jriifith and Constable Madden appeared on tha sccuo about 3 o'clock, Dr AVition joined

them. A further examination of the room showed that there were chisel marks on the chest cf drawers, indicating -that the drawers had been prised open. William Samuel Ward, second-band dealer of Oaniaru. said deceased came to Iriin on September 2G to sell a bicycle, for which lie wanted £3, hut eventually parted with-it 'or £'•2 10s. lie was, he said, hard up. He was negotiating with Mr Mackintosh for the puvchase of premises at Waiiuki. Later, lie Fsid he would buy the bkvdc hack again ill a reasonable price. Witness kept the machine for a fortnight, but Kennie did not rrlurn to cluim it.

Jnnc Milne Johnson said ?he had been engaged cleaning Mr Hennie's house for the last tlirc? years. She was 1G years of age, and lived with her mother end sister a mile ar.d a-half from Remiie's house. For her work she received 12s a week. On Tuesday, October 2, she was in Hennie's house during the cftcrnoon. Prisoner cams to the side door of the house aboui He was, he said, going to start a bakery, and was canvassing for orders. Witness told him the boss was at tho school, of which he was the master. Prisoner then asked how many lived at the house, and witness replied, "Just the two," meaning Mr Hennie and herself. He said it would licit fetch much trade. Accused further informed her that lie was then walking, but would have a. cart the following week. He had a drink of water and went on lo say that he was going to Oam.'iiu. which he expected lo reach about dark, lie then went away. At a quarter to 4 witness left for home. She saw no more of prisoner. When fdie left the house she left Kcnnie's dinner—mince and potatoes, and a milk pudding. There was an uncut cake and a partially consumed cake in the scullcr.v. Tho windows were generally left unsnibUcd. Wiiness returned lo the liouso r.t about 11 o'clock on Wednesday morning, when she found the side door open. This was unusual, as was also tho fact that tho blinds of Mr Ronnie's room wero drawn. She looked into the bedroom and saw a. foot sticking out of the bedclothcs. Being frightened, - and thinking there was something wrong, she ran home and told her sister, Mrs Irvine, who accompanVd her back again. They were joined at the gate by Mr Ronald Botrie, and went into tho bouse. In the scullery theio wijio a number of crumbs of cake iying on tho floor. The piece of cake from which she had been cutting had disappeared, ar.d the whole calte lir.d been cut. Mr Rcnnic was a man of very tidy habits. It was Jlr Ronnie's custom to bicycle to and from the schcol, and he used to keep tho lrcyclo in the shed. She last saw the bicycle oil the S'.'.lm-day previous to the murder. Witness last received her vrage.H cn Keptc-inhcr 0.

By Mr Ifanlon: The of.Vo was kept in an oblong bo:: with a tin lid. It was u. box adapted lor the purpose and was kept on a shelf in tlio scullery. There was no label on it. Other boxes rind tins were kept in the sculkny. 'Witness had left some slices of cr.kc on the dining room table for Mr Ronnie's tor., and some of this was untouched at the time oi the discovory. Witness baked both cakes herself. ' Mr Kennic had a camera, and ho took photographs, Ilennie to-jk a photograph of witness and three other girls at tho bp.ck of his house one Sunday afternoon. The other girls were residents in the. district. Mr Ilennie gave each of them copies of the photographs. She bad washed photographic plates for Mr Bonnie, bni she. could not say whether they had been used. Xone of the girls of whom she had spoken had been at the house on any other occasion than the ,Sunday when their photographs wero taken. On no other occasion had witness seen women or girls about the house.

Margaret Irvine, widow, residing at Papahiio, sister of the las! witness, deposed to finding Itemno dead in bod. By "Mr Hr.nlon: 'Witness had assisted in spring cleanings at the house. She knew that- fiennio had a. camera; she had seen a p!:otogrr.ph of a. young lsdv taken by him. Sho could not say whether any womwi visited at Mr Kennie's place. She was not a, visitor there herself, and she knew of no others.

Sergeant Griffith, stationed at Oamarn, described a visit made by him to deceased's premises in company with Constables Madden and O'Brien. Dr Whitton and Mr O.'.meron, tlio storekeeper, were with them when they went into deceased's bedroom. Ronnie was lying dead in bed on his left side, with a, wound over the eye and two wounds at the back of the head, Bloixl had flown from the wounds tin to the bedclothes and iloor. The bedclothes were not disturbed. Deceased's eyes wero closed, and 110 signs of a struggle appeared. Clothing was scsttered on the floor —ai white shirt and two suits of clothes— whilst :i vest, with a gold chain and small watch attached to i', was hanging at tlio foot of the bed. A bunch of keys lay on the floor, and there was a chisel between the bod and tho window. The right-hand upper small drawer of the chest of drawers had been forced open by a chisel. The chisel he had. picked up filled into the marks, showing that it had been used. The chcst oi drawers had every appearance of having been ransacked and searched. Among other articles 110 found a gold locket and a gold.en sovereign case. Witness searched for but could find no money. A cheque-book had been broken up. In respect cf a dozen forms there was nothing to show in the counterfoils what they had been used for. Witness found an old chisel outside tho kitchen window, upon which theio

were corresponding chisel mar!;?. On October 10 accused was charged at Oamaru with the murder. Witness produced two bullet?, which he had obtained front ]);• Whitioi:. They were in the condition in which he received them. In the chest of drawers witness found three razors in t:i-:ir cases. There was an empty ra::or ease in the kitchen.

By Mr Hanlon: There were photographs in ths dark room and in the bedroom. .Vone of the photographs were of women.

James Wi.it ton, medical practitioner, Oamaru. stated (hat the body, when he examined it- on October I!, v;as cool, but not quite cold. Kigor mortis war. present. There were tiires wounds on the br.dy--oi:s in the right temple, two others in the buck of the head. A stain of dry blood was present from the wour.d ii: the temple running over the roof o: tho nose to Die left side of the face, finally roaehiug the bedclothes from the left side cf the chin. The counterpane was stained with blood by the wound. The pillow was moist with b'ood esudirg from the wc-tinds at the back of the head. A stream of blood had flown irom these wounds through the mattress and on to the floor below, where there was a considerable pool of blood. There was brain mutter on (he pillow. The man had been dead from 12 to 15 hours. It was about It p.m. when witness made his examination. He should say Kennie had not stirred after being shot. Witness described a post mortem examination which he made the same day, and discovery of the bullet fragments. He could not say whether there were one or two bullets. The cause of death was tt gunshot wound, death being almost instantaneous. Ho could not say whether more than one shot was fired, 'i'he wound at the front of tho head represented, the point of entrance of the bullet, whilst- the wounds at the back wcro the exit wounds, from which fragments of the phot had escaped. From tho position of the body and wounds, it seemed probable that tho shot was fired from the foot of the bed. From ■ the position of the body—the amis being folded over the chest under the bedclothes—suicide was nut of the question. Deceased might have just raised his head and have been shot down; he could not possibly have been in a sitting posture at the time.

Charles Henry, gunsmith, Dunedin, an exin firearms, said he had examined the portions of bttliels produced, and believed them to bo fragments of (wo bullets tired from a revolver.

By Mr Itanlnn: Had the bullets been fired from a rifle he should have expected ihem to have gone righl through the head. Isabella Dunlop, assistant mistress at Papakaio School, said she last saw dcccased alive on the t'Voning of October 2. They went up tho road together, and she saw Jiim enter the gateway his house. The following morning she noticed, as she passed the house, that the blinds were down, and there wero fresh bicyclc marks leading away front the house in Ihe direction of Papakaio. By Mr Hanlon: She could not. say whether i the school was open on all school days during ; September, or whether deceased was in Pap'Jkaio each Saturday and Sunday of that month. Conrad farmer, described a meeting with accused on October 2. At the Boundary Creek Hotel he saw aecuscd coino out of a pafidock. The man was ahead of him when ho first saw him, but witness, being mounted, soon overlook him, and the man walked alongside the horse for about .1 mile. Accused described him?elf as a runaway sailer. He said he had no money. lie asked the names of people "living in the neighbourhood and also questioned him regarding Papakaio. Accused said ho Had been badly treated on board the boat, and he had clcarcd out from it, and if ho went back he would lose all tho 'Money he had earned. Witness offered to buy him a ticket to Kurow. but he said he did not think ho would go, after learning that there v.'us a constable there, for fear of being sent back to his ship. Ho further stated that hi* people lived at Christchurch. He refused money (a few shillings) that was offered him. Hugh Mackenzie described a meeting with accuscd on IUo Papakaio rood on October 1. He waa then by Ollivcr's gate. The man came up to him, and asked some questions about tho neighbourhood. He stated that he had just left a ship lying in the harbour. He had been a ship s cook. Ho w?s looking for a job, and would like one at his own trade, but would lake anything on. He wanted' to n ei up country out of the way of the noliee. ° Arthur Francis ,StccK\ grocor'a carter. Oamaru, said on Jlontiavs he drove out to Georgetown, returning on Tuesday. On Monday, October 1, he twice saw accused. On tho sccond occasion he asked fo r a ride. lie told him it was not worth his while to get on tho cart then, as he was stopping at almost every house in the 'township, but he would give hint a Ml if he saw him later. Accused told him he was a sailor, und that hrs had deserted from tho Port Stephens. Subsequently he gave accused a, lift for some distance, and later he saw him at Georgetown. Witness faw hiiu in tho roadway the following morning and again in the afternoon, when he was between Papakaio Church and llc-nnie's house. He was tnen sitting on the side of the road. "Witness gave mm a ride. He asked frcw many teachers there wore at 'the school, and was told that there were two—u male and u female. There was also some conversation about the boat from which accused said he had deserted, leaving £13 10s back pay. Accused arid he was making for Christchurch. having failed to get work at any of the houses on the road. a pause outside Mr Olliver'a house, where witr ness stopped io serve a customer accused asked him several questions about the neighflowing houses and the number of William Henry Frick-cr, fanner, near Georgetown, said he first saw accused about half-past 8 o clock on the afternoon of October 1. Accused -asked witness whether lie had seen any " slops "—meaning policomen. He had run away from hie Port Stephens, which wrs at Oaniaru, and had had a sleep on the raceWitness told accuscd that he thought, ho COu.d Ret him a job on a shovelling contract. Witness went oil to describe subsequent conversations '.villi accused on the same date. The man stated that he was about to walk to Christchurch. Alexander' Young, hotelkeeper, at Georgetown, spoke of a conversation with eccused on the evening of OrLoer 1. He offered his in return for a b:d and breakfast. This offer being refused, he said h? was a runaway sailor from Oamr.ru,, and had no monev. Witness agreed to give tho man his bed and breakfast, and he promised to do a little work in reuun. Accused had a bedroom at tho hotel, and on the following morning witness directed him to a place where he believed he would find work. He* returned and explained that his services had not been wanted, but that he had hoard of a job at Peebles. Shoylly before 5.30 (he court adjourned until 10 o c.ock tins morning.