17

H.—9a.

Thomas Aaronson sworn and examined. I know Franz Max. I remember meeting Mr. Macfarlane with him in Eevell Street. Max asked me to go with him to see Mr. Macfarlane. I asked Mr. Macfarlane to wait a minute and let me speak with him. I then asked Max what he wanted to ask Mr. Macfarlane ;he told me to ask him about the money for the house. Mr. Macfarlane said, "If I get the money from Lipinski I will give it to you." Max said, "I do not want any money from Lipinski." Macfarlane then said, "Did you not tell Lipinski to take the house ?" Max flew into a passion, and said, "Itis a lie." I told him to be calm, or I could say nothing. I said to Max, " You said you did not authorize Lipinski to take the house; Mr. Macfarlane says you did. I can say nothing." Max, in fact, ignored Lipinski altogether in the matter. Ido not remember Max saying that Mr. Macfarlane had entered it in the book, and that he must have the money. I think a sum of somewhere about £27 was mentioned. Max made a statement to me before I saw Mr. Macfarlane, but not in' Mr. Macfarlane's presence. Annie Max sworn and examined. My name is Annie Max. I lived with my father at Jackson's Bay. I went to Mr. Macfarlane's with Mrs. Zilawsky. Ido not remember when. Mr. Macfarlane would not give us anything. The woman went for a bag of flour, and when she took the flour Mr. Macfarlane and the storeman hit her. Mr. Macfarlane, Mr. Turnley, Mr. Collyer, and Mr. Cronin were present. Mr. Macfarlane kicked her and hit her and knocked her down, and the others, as well, kicked her when she was down. Then she got up, and they took her and threw her out of tho door, and the storeman asked me if she was "much hurt," and I said " Yes." They threw her out, and she was lying in bed for a fortnight, and she had marks all over her. She said to Mr. Cronin, " I will get a bag of flour, and you must put it down in the book, for Mr. Macfarlane owes me some money." Mr. Cronin did not tell her not to take the flour. She did not hit any one. There was no one then except me and her present. I knew Mr. Zilawsky ;he could speak some words for himself (of English). Mr. Macfarlane was in the store when I went in. He struck the woman on the back and kicked her on the legs. I did not see the woman catch hold of Mr. Macfarlane's beard. I did not see her catch hold of the boxes. I was in the back room part of the time, and there was a noise in the back room, which I heard. Mr. Macfarlane recalled. Some time after Mr. Zilawsky returned from Hokitika, from being in hospital, Mrs. Zilawsky came down to the store for some purpose. I was in my office at the time w rriting, when I heard some noise at the store, aud the storeman opened the door and rushed in, at the same time closing the store door with a bang. He told me Mrs. Zilawsky insisted on getting goods out of the store without paying for them, and she said if she did not get them she would take them. Suiting the action to the words she went to the back part of the store, and took up a bag of flour, and put it on her shoulder. I spoke to her and told her she had better put the flour down and go away quietly. She did not answer, but turned round and made a rush for the door of the second store, evidently thinking the door was open. I went into the back store and asked her to put down the bag of flour, but she would not, and I tried to take it from her. She then threw down the flour, and tried to seize my beard, using some very strong language. The storeman and Mr. Turnley were immediately behind, and they took hold of her and tried to get her out, aud she laid hold of the boxes and screamed, and would not go out. We managed to get her to the front-store door, and put her outside with as little violence as possible. The woman was using both her teeth aud nails, and we used no more violence than we could help. I neither kicked her nor struck her. I think Mr. Collyer was there. I know the woman was out at night within a week after this occurred. About her bruises or other matters of the kiud I cannot speak. Amos Nicholson sworn and examined. I have been a resident in Jackson's Bay. I left last Tuesday week in the " Waipara." I was working manager of the saw-mill. I hare been so since last July till within the last fortnight. Men obtained work there by Mr. Macfarlane's orders. Doherty and his party were prevented from work— Doherty and Cronin, Clarke, Eay, Burmeister, aud Dwan as w rell, I think. The reason given was that they had signed a petition having reference to the settlement. Mr. Macfarlane gave me tho instructions. Ido not remember any others. The others were working in the mill. These were the only men not employed, and the reason given was that I have stated. They would have been kept on but for that. As it was they got fourteen days' notice. The mill belongs to a company consisting of Mr. Haworth, Mr. Marks, and several others. Mr. Macfarlane w ras legal manager, and I was working manager. I got my instructions from Mr. Macfarlane, and when we leased it Mr. Macfarlane signed the lease for the company. At the time this order was given we had not leased the mill. I was then working on wages. Mr. Macfarlane sent for me to his office. We are now working on a second lease. The company pays so much per 100 feet for timber cut. I cannot tell the date when I went to the office, but Mr. Macfarlane sent for me to come to his office when there was a meeting of the company for the leasing of the mill. When I went down Mr. Macfarlane called me into the inner office, and told me that ho had received instructions to let tho mill, and that if we came to terms there were some parties working getting logs who would not have to be there. Mr. Macfarlane told me that ho had let a contract previous to this to Doherty's party, which would require a fourteen days' notice to terminate, and he told me to give them notice of that, which I did. 1 commenced my contract at once. We agreed the same evening. I gave the parties referred to notice the following Monday or Tuesday. That was the notice these parties were to get. After this notice expired I did not employ the same loggers. After these men were discharged I could employ whom I liked. Mr. Macfarlane told me to give the notice because these men had signed the petition referred to. In Mr. Macfarlane's contract with these men ho had to supply them with a horse. He told them he would not give them a horse. He said that men who would sign a petition like that were mean enough for anything, and that he believed if they got the horse they would maim it. I afterwrar.is got the horse, but I had to pay a man out of my own pocket to go with the horse and take charge of it all tho time. I spoke to Mr. Macfarlane, aud he said I ought to charge the company with 5—H. 9a.