13

I.—2A

307. AVho asked you to sign?— George Worgan and Mr. Sutton. 308. Did Air. Davie go to your house tho next morning after Mr. Sutton had been there?— Yes, he did. 309. And was ho told what took place ? —Paora and his wife told him what had taken plac?. 310. AVas your father dead at the time you threatened to summon Mr. Sutton ?—Yes, he had been dead some time. 311. Mr. Mohi Tawhai.] AVhen Mr. Sutton and his interpreter went out there with their bottle of spirits, who asked you to drink of that bottle?— George Worgan and his friend asked me to take something out of tho bottle. 312. How many of you were there who saw the arrival of Mr. AVorgan and Mr. Sutton on that night ? —There was Paora and his wife, myself, my sister, and her husband. Since that time Paora died. 313. All of you who were present drank of that bottle ? —I drank more than the rest. 314. AVas it when the bottle had been drunk that George AVorgan asked that Paora should sign the deed of sale ? —No. I have already stated that after I had drank oue glass Mr. AVorgan laid his proposals before us about selling this land; and all the time we were drinking the bottle the matter was being discussed. 315. You have stated that Paora did not sign his name to this deed. Now, if it is seen that Paora's name is attached to the deed, and a cross placed against it, might you not think that he had signed his name some other day? —I do not know of his ever having signed tho deed. He was not in sound mind : that is what his illness was at the time he was sick. In fact, I would have had to sign his name for him. 316. AVas it while he was in that state of unsound mind that he refused to sign his name to the deed?— No. He had always refused to sign his name when he was in a sane condition; even at the time when he was ill he positively refused to sign. That is all. 317. Colonel Trimble.] At the time of this interview in the whare were there several bottles of brandy, or only one ?—There was only one. 318. AVhen you went to the lawyer's office, was there any money offered to you ? —No. I was asked how much 1 would take to sign my name. I said I would take a very large amount. 319. AVas any money put down upon the table in front of you ? —No ; because there was no specific amount decided upon. I did not state any particular amount. 320. Are you quite sure th:it no money was laid on the table, or offered to you. Was any particular sum offered to you? —There was no money given to me; I was only asked what amount I would take for my signature. 321. Captain Russell.] Do you know whether Davie sent in this petition ? —Yes. 322. Did you ask him to send this petition ?—Yes. 323. Do you wish the Committee to understand that the amount of pale brandy given to you on the night the deed was supposed to have been signed was sufficient to make you drunk? — My vision only was slightly impaired. 324. How* long was Mr. Sutton and AVorgan at the house ? —I could not say how many hours they remained there, but they stayed for some time. 325. Did tho liquor you drank make you sleep ? —No. I kept awake. 326. Aro you certain that Paora could not have made his mark without your knowing it. No; he could not. 327. AVould it not have been possible, after you had consented to the sale, that you would not have taken much interest in it ? —No, I was not altogether intoxicated. I was confused in my sight. I was the only one who drank any large quantity at all. My sister did not drink a drop, and the others drank sparingly. 328. Could it not have happened that in the Yw.x light of the Maori whare your father might have signed, you not paying much attention, having already consented? —He could not have signed, because he kept up his anger all through tho night; and even in the morning, when I gave the money to his wife, he was not in a better state of mind. 329. Did you see him—did you watch him all through the night ? —I saw him all the time. It was I who conducted Mr. Sutton and Worgan to the gate when they went away. The cock crew first about that time. It was nearly daybreak. 330. AVas Paora awake, then, the whole night ? —Yes ; because he was ill. He never slept; he was always walking about tho whare. 331. I should like to know if Paora could have signed this deed without you seeing him. A charge of forgery might arise out of this case. I want a clear answer? —No; he could not have signed it. In the first place, he could not write. 332. AVas he not out during the three or four hours that Mr. Sutton and Worgan were there?— There was no other house to go to. We were all in the whare or wharepuni. 333. Was he out of your sight ? —No; George Worgan was sitting alongside of me. The only time he went over to Paora was when he took a glass of liquor to him. Paora refused to take the liquor. Then AVorgan came and sat on the side that I was. 334. That is not an answer to my question. Was not Paora out of your sight during the time they were in the house ? —No. 335. You said that you were "seized by Mr. Sutton and his lawyer, and they shut me in the office." Will you tell the Committee what you mean by that? —AVhat I meant by using the word "seized" was that Mr. Sutton came to ma and caught hold of my arm saying, "Eora, let us go together." I went. I did not know what for. 336. Did ho use violence ? —-No ; he did not use violence. 337. AVhat is the meaning of " shut me iv the office "? —When wo got inside the office there were two doors, and both these doors were shut immediately we got inside. My friends were left outsido. 338. AVas the door locked ? —No, the door was not locked; hut both the doors were closed. 339. They were not locked ?—No.

Bora Bonehe,

18th Nov., 1879.