I.—4a.

14

Superintendent Shearman.

25th Sept., 1878,

345. I did not say he was an ex-policeman ?—But you said it was Policeman X. 346. Tou did not suppose, because I said Policeman X, that I meant an ex-policeman ? —Tes, I did. 347. Do you not know that Xis an unknown quantity ? —I took your meaning to be a man who ' had left the service. 348. Mr. Swanson] Policeman X might be past or present ? —That is according to the view an individual might take of the speech. I thought, when Mr. Barton spoke of Policeman Kin his speech, that he referred to an ex-policeman. 349. Tou do not read Punch? —Tes, I do. lam very well acquainted with Punch ; nevertheless, in this case I thought an ex-policeman was meant. 350. Mr. Barton] Did you ever hear what questions Inspector Atchison asked the police when he paraded the men ? —No. 351. Of course he paraded no policeman who had left the force ?—No ; he told me he could not discover anything. 352. Did he make any written report to you?— Any reports to me are attached to the correspondence. 353. Did he make his report in writing?—l do not know whether he did or not. I have no other reports on the subject than those attached to the correspondence. 354. Whatever report he made, did it go through you. Tou were the officer to whom he would report in regular order ? —Tes ; but 1 do not know whether he may not have reported to others as well. He may have reported direct to the Commissioner or to tho Under Secretary. 355. Tou are the proper person to whom he should have reported. Tou were his superior officer ? —Tes. 356. Can you charge your memory whether lie reported to you covering the reports of inferior officers ?—-No ; he forwarded no reports from inferior officers. I remember meeting him, and asking him if he had discovered anything. He said there was no truth in the complaint whatever. 357. Are we to understand the thing was done verbally, and that no records were kept of the steps taken in regard to these very serious charges ? —There were no charges made at all. 358. I was under the impression that my charges were severe, especially this one, and tolerably distinct? —If a person wishes to charge the police he generally does so by communicating with some one in authority. 359. The Chairman] Was the answer of Inspector Atchison verbal, or in writing ?—I got from him none but verbal replies, if I recollect right, except those which were attached to the correspondence. 360. That was laid before the House ? —That was sent in to the Government. 361. Mr. Swanson] lam a good deal astonished at this sort of thing. I understand you received instructions to make inquiry, to examine witnesses, and that sort of thing? —I received instructions from Colonel Reader to inquire into the matter; and I did so. 362. Tou received instructions from Colonel Reader to inquire into the complaints ? —The papers were forwarded for my attention. 363. What did you do ? —I did make inquiries. I was a stranger in the place ; I knew no one ; and I went to the Inspector of Police and the detective, as the persons I thought best able to inform me who Policeman X was. 364. Then, instead of inquiring yourself, you got these two men to make inquiry ? —That is the proper course. I cannot do everything myself. I have a good many men under me —I cannot be everywhere at once ; and I took the course I thought best to be pursued. 365. Then, so far as this was concerned, you were of no use at all. Do you think you went the right way about the business. Instead of you yourself parading tbe men, or sending for them individually and examining each of them separately, without letting them know what you beard of from the others, you go direct to Atchison. If you had wanted to get at the facts, would not the other way have been the best one ?■ —No; it would have interfered with the discipline of the force. 366. lam not talking about discipline. lam talking about the best way of getting at a crime. I ask whether that would not, at any rate, be as good a way as getting the Inspector to parade the force and ask them all, in the presence of one another, " Do you know anything about this ?" —The parading of the men was the course adopted by Inspector Atchison. 367. The Chairman] The minute of your instructions is not attached to the papers laid before the House ?—No ;it can be found in the office. 368. This is your letter [letter of 13th April, 1878, read] ? —Tes. The minute of which you speak will be found in the record-book in my office, in an abridged form. 369. Will you bring that before the Committee or Judges ? —Tes. 370. Mr. Barton] Having found that Inspector Atchison could get no information of any value at all, did you again see Colonel Reader, and report that to him ?—The correspondence will show what I said to Colonel Reader. 371. I understand you were seeing Colonel Reader every day?— Frequently; not every day. Sometimes I should not see him for a fortnight. 372. Tou remember that the whole of the correspondence was published in the newspapers ? —-Tes. 373. Tou remember seeing it ? —I do. 374. Did it not form the subject of conversation between you and Colonel Reader after that ?— No. 375. Did you ever ask him, as you could get no information from the police, to allow you to see me ?—Aa I said before, I suggested I should see you, and he intimated it was better not to see you. 376. That was originally ? —Tes. 377. But after you found there was no information to be got from the police ? —I communicated with Colonel Reader. 378. Did you ask Colonel Reader again to be allowed to see me, as you could get no information from the police ? —I think it was after I sent in the first correspondence that Colonel Reader intimated it would be better not to communicate with you.