15

H.—33

Five minutes elapsed from the time Bowles left after bringing the horse and trap to the house. I saw Dimock standing by the side of Hawkings's body. Next day, in the morning, there was a detective there. Campbell was there about four in the afternoon. Going to the house. 97. Mr. Bunny.] I went to Dimock's that night. I got home about ten. I went into the house. The doctor had been up. I went to bed about twelve. Bowles came into my room that night. He came three-quarters of an hour after I came to bed. He stayed in my room till five, I think. He was sitting down. Heney Beadfobd examined. 98. Mr. Bichmond-.] Am Government Armourer, Wellington. Detective Benjamin brought me a double-barrelled muzzle-loading gun. I placed a finger in the muzzle of each barrel. On drawing the finger from one there was a slight deposit, but from the other no deposit; it felt rough. I cannot say which barrel had a deposit. In the lower Court it was the right barrel that had the deposit. I drew the plug of the barrels to enable me to see right through. I tried to get them'ftut in the ordinary way. I could not, so I put them on to the fire. It did not follow that the nipples were in the fire. One of the nipples was exposed to the same heat as the breeches. They are both rough now. After recently-fired powder there is a greasy feel. When the gun was handed to mo in the lower Court it was right-hand barrel that was smooth and had deposit. There is a difference in the nipples : one is red rusty —the right-hand one—and the left has some verdigris on it. I should not call it so. When I examined the gun the left nipple was much more covered with verdigris than when it was examined in the lower Court. I did not attach much importance to it : it only shows that an old copper cap had been left on. Ido not think any importance can be attached to that, as regards the question of firing off the gun. I hardly think the left-hand barrel had been fired off on the 31st May. The barrel that was smooth I got no soot out in the lower Court. I did not expect to get any more soot after putting my finger in it. The gun was brought to me on the 4th—Tuesday. 99. Mr. Bunny.] Have been twenty-six years armourer to the Government. Verdigris was as if a discharged copper cap had been left on. I thought one barrel had been fired off much later than the other. I formed the opinion that the two barrels had not been fired off last on the same day. I arrived at that conclusion from finding deposit in one barrel anl roughness in the other. I now find a rough substance in both barrels. I cannot form any opinion as to how long the gun would take to get the roughness spoken of; it will depend on various circumstances. I have had experience as armourer in sporting guns. I know breech-loading guns and cartridges. It is easily loaded by paper cartridges. You can make a good cartridge with paper wads : I have made them myself that way. I have here some with Evening Post wads. I loaded them the moment I read Mr. Bell's address. I went off at once when I heard him say it must have been fired from a muzzle-loading gun. 100. Mr. Bell.] When I took off both barrels I looked through them. I could not have said that both barrels had been recently discharged. I was asked, " Can you tell when they were last fired off?" I said " No." Ido not think I told Benjamin that they had been both recently discharged. What I told Benjamin was that I could not tell when they had been fired off; but they would see that they had been fired off lately. The gun was very dirty ;it had not been cleaned. I mean by lately within a week or a month. That they had both been fired off lately could be seen by both barrels. The one that had deposit did not feel rough. I could not say how long before the one that had oily deposit had been fired off. 101. Supposing one barrel loaded with ball and the other with shot, would that make any difference as to the residuum on the finger ?—I hardly think so. 102. Supposing one loaded with shot and the other with ball, but a covering of paper to ball to make it fit, would that make any difference ?—I do not know that it would. 103. Mr. Bunny.] Powder would go out last; it is that that leaves black deposit. 104. Mr. Bell.] The right nipple seems to have been fired last, because there is a deposit of rust.

FOUETH DAY. James Alexander Salmon examined. — [No questions.] Geokge Bowles examined. 105. Mr. Bell.] Am brother of Mrs. Hawkings. At present labouring-man, working at Carterton. In May last 1 was at Bunny's farm, near Gladstone, nine miles from Carterton. I was not out of the Wairarapa in May or June. I did not come to the funeral. I had conveyed some lands to trustees to my wife and children in 1884 ; James Taylor, the trustee. I became bankrupt in July, 1885. I and Hawkings were not good friends for some time. Charles Bowles is my cousin. The disagreement did not arise out of sheep. If Charles Bowles said so, he said what was untrue; it was owing to money-matters between us. I did not send down 200 sheep from my place. Two hundred sheep were taken from my place. Hawkings himself took them. I had no dispute with Hawkings relating to those sheep. I never wanted any of them back, nor ever had any quarrel with Hawkings. It was referring to land through money in 1886. 4*"' Thomas Haelen examined. 106. Mr. Bell.] I know Tifoker ; he has been off and on in my employ thirteen years. I saw Chemis at my house one day, when I got home —last Christmas, at Newtown. He was in the yard. He came to borrow a paper. He had spoken about it before. He asked if I would lend him the lease. He said he had got a law-job with Hawkiugs, and it might be useful. I told her she might lend it to him. She did so.