I.—4a

18

Mr. Jones.

25th Sept., 1878.

411. Were you making a disturbance?— No. 412. AVere those who were with you making a disturbance ?—No. 413. The policeman put you in handcuffs ? —Tes. 414. Were you tied to a ring in the floor of the cell ? —-No. 415. Did the officer in charge of the Police Station tell you from time to time that you would be released if you would tell the name of the publican who gave you the drink ? —-Tes ; he said bail would be accepted if I told him where I got the drink. 416. Did he tell you he would take the handcuffs off? —I could not say. I was greatly excited at the time. 417. Who was the policeman?—l could not say for certain. I was greatly excited, and I hardly knew what I said or did. It was the first time I had got into such a scrape, and I was half mad. 418. Hon. Mr. Gisborne] Was it the policeman who arrested you ?—No. 419. Did you offer bail ?—Tes ; my friends came down and tried to get me out. 420. AVas it refused ?—Tes, without I told them where I got the drink from. 421. Did you complain of that to any one ?—No ; I complained to no one except my employer. 422. That was Mr. Kells ?—Tes. He was the only one who knew about it, as I thought, except those who were with me. We hushed it up as much as we could. 423. Mr. Rolleston] Were you brought up in Court?—Tes. 424. The Chairman] What happened in Court ?—The usual fine of five shillings, I think it was. 425. Mr. Barton] Tou were fined ? —Tes. 426. The Chairman] AVhat were you charged with — resisting the police? — No; only with drunkenness. 427. Was anything said about your being handcuffed ? —No. 428. AVere you kept in handcuffs in the cell? —Tes ; for some time. They handcuffed me behind my back, and left me there for a long time. Being in that position, the time perhaps felt longer than it really was. 429. Tou were conscious of everything that happened during the whole time ? —Tes ; all the time. 430. Mr. Swanson] I think you said you were sober? —I was not drunk when I was arrested. 431. Hon. Mr. Gisborne] But you got very excited?—Tes. 432. The Chairman] Tou cannot give us any clue to the policeman who arrested you ?—No; I was a stranger in AVellington at the time. 433. Do you know who the officer in charge of the lock-up was when you were taken there ?—No. 434. Hon. Mr. Gisborne] Was it an officer or a private who asked you to give up the name of the publican ? —There were several persons there, and all refused bail unless I gave up the name. Some of my friends went down to the Lambton Quay Station to try and get bail; but the same thing was told them there. 435. AVho were the friends?— They are in Melbourne now. I forget their names. We were all lodging iv the same house. 436. Mr. Rolleston] How long ago is this ? —Two years. 437. The Chairman] Were you at the lock-up iv Manners Street, or at that at the Courthouse ? —At Manners Street. 438. Do you not know exactly when this took place P—l think it was in November, 1876. 439. Mr. Swanson] It happened soon after you came to the colony ?—Tes. 440. How long after ?—About three months. 441. And when did you come here? —In July, 1876,1 think. 442. Have you no means of getting at the date ? —Tes; I can get at it, I think, from papers at home. 443. Mr. Tole] The only thing that you complain of is that you were not bailed out?—Tes; that is the only thing so far ; but I complain of being at the lock-up at all. 444. The Chairman] Tou say you really w7ere not drunk at all; that you were handcuffed; and that bail was refused ? —Yes. We started out at 10 o'clock, and went down to see Kells's shops. There were some alterations to be made, and the two with me were carpenters. One was pretty drunk, and we were seeing him home when the policeman came to me and said, "I want you." 445. In Court did you bring any evidence to prove you were sober? —No ; I was glad to get out of the Court. I should have given £5 bail not to have appeared. Directly I got in I was asked some question. I said " Tes ;" and was fined ss. Tou see, if 1 had told where I got the drink from it would only have made the thing worse, because there would have been more publicity. 446. Did the policeman who arrested you say you could be bailed if you would tell where you got tho drink from ? —lt would be hard for me to say, because it occurred when I was a good deal excited. There was a trap-door in the cell, and the policeman spoke to me through that. They used to look in at the door and say this to me: that they would give me bail if I told the name of the publican who served me with drink. 447. Were your hauds or wrists chafed by the handcuffs ? —They were chafed. 448. AVere you fit for work the next day ?—My wrists were very painful for some time afterwards, but I was able to go to work. I thought the marks would never go off. 449. Mr. Tole] AVas that simply from the handcuffs being on, or from your trying to wrench them off? —No doubt I did not like to have them on. I was lying down. 450. Tou were on the ground ? —Tes; but, as for being tied to a ring, there was nothing of that. 451. Mr. Bunny] Tou could not get up till the handcuffs were taken off?— No. 452. Mr. Tole] Tou were taken iv charge without any cause at all?—I consider so. I was not drunk, and we were not kicking up any noise. 453. AVere the others taken up with you ?—No ; they afterwards came down to the station several times to try aud get me out. The man who was sober had taken the other one home, and then came down and tried to get me out. Afterwards they both came down several times between 7 and 9in the morning.