16

H.—33

107. Mr. Bunny.] I leased some land from Hawkings. I know it was on a Sunday in December. I was sued once or twice for rent by Hawkings. Some of his sheep and cattle used to get on my land. I used to complain when I paid my rent. 108. Mr. Bell.] Ido not know that Hawkings was a bad landlord. There was £3 clue from me for milk, and there was three months' rent due. I did not complain of it. Thomas James Tolly examined 109. Mr. Bichmond.] Am a gunsmith, in the employ of Mr. Denton, Wellington. I have been a gunsmith fifteen years. Ido a large amount, especially in shooting-season. I have had more to do with muzzle-loading than breech-loading guns. I often try guns by firing them off. 110. If a gun were brought and you were asked to see if it had been recently fired?—l would put my finger in the muzzle, and it would come out black if it had been recently fired off. If I could not find out that way, I should put down a piece of rag. If it had been fired off a little time and not cleaned there would be rust in the barrel. 111. If you found there was rust, with what degree of accuracy could you tell when it had been fired off? —I do not think you could tell. If it was rusty I could not tell when it had been fired off. It would bo possible, if it was fired off within a day or two, that it might be rusty. If it had been kept in a cold dry place it would not rust so quickly as if kept in a warm dry place, where it would dry quickly. The heat would dry up the sweat; then, as soon as dry, the effect of warmth would be that the saltpetre on the barrel would cause it to rust. Then, the rusting would be delayed longest in a cold, dry place. If the damp air could get to it, say, the cold, damp nightair, you would find it all rusty in the morning. 112. "What would be the effect of putting the finger in and removing the black?—lt would rust sooner when the black was rubbed off. When the black was rubbed off it might rust twelve hours after. In two days it would be bound to show rust. 113. Supposing a double-barrelled gun in a generally dirty condition, could you say when it had been fired off most recently ?—Yes, if brought to me within four or five days after. If a person never cleans his gun, and a wad of felt is used in firing, it cleans the gun much more than paper would if used as a wad. If one barrel was found black and sooty and moist, and the other dry and rough, I think I could certainly say that the two barrels had not been fired off last on the same day. The fact that the gun had been, before firing, kept in a dirty condition would not prevent me from forming an accurate opinion to this effect. I should not arrive at that conclusion from the appearance and feel of the barrel at the muzzle alone, but I should try the two barrels with a rag if one came up damp and the other with red rust. You would find the dampness more apparent lower down, and the rust would begin earlier nearest the muzzle. In my opinion, even after two days, the feeling to the finger would not be of roughness. A red rust would come off on the finger, but you would not detect it by the feel. 114. Supposing both barrels rough and both fired, and then in one a finger inserted so as to take off the black, would that one still have the roughness ?—ln my opinion it would ; but in the other the greasy powder would obscure the old rust. If the gun was kept dirty you would not remove the old rust with one shot. 115. If verdigris were round and upon the nipple, and a cap fired off upon it, would you expect the verdigris to be thereby removed ?—No. If verdigris on the square of the nipple it would not bo removed by firing the gun. If half the gun was placed on a fire to warm the breeches to that they could be extracted, that would bum off the verdigris, and it would have to be pretty warm to get off those breeches. You could not tell whether the gun had been fired off recently from verdigris on the nipple, after it had been on the fire. If cap left on the nipple it turns to verdigris. If cap taken off it turns whitish after it gets dry; a dirty white round the nipple, and shortly after it would go to a rust. [Witness looks at shot in white paper, Exhibit H (out of the large wound) ; also shot in brown paper, Exhibit H.] The shot in both papers is No. 4 shot. I believe I could tell by weighing with No. 4. shot. The shot in the flask is No. 6. There are about CO or more shots. Fourteen of them No. 4, and one larger, and the rest No. 6. [The bulk of No. 4 shot came out of flask last.] Some of No. 4 were stuck to the flask because they had been greased to carry close. If in a wire cartridge it would have same effect. That is an ordinary scheme of sportsmen. 116. Mr. Bunny.] If the cap left on and the hammer down it would verdigris in two or three days. Verdigris would increase till it started to rust. If it stopped a week or two the verdigris disappears and red rust appears. 117. Mr. Bell.] You can buy shot mixed. Dealers keep it separate. You can mix it yourself. If rusty gun fired off, and one muzzle cleaned with finger, you could not tell from muzzle which barrel fired off last. Margaret Cook examined. 118. Mr. Bell.] Wife of Cook, labourer, at Kaiwarra. 119. Mr. Bunny.] I have been in the habit of taking milk from Chemis six years two months. I have been in the habit of paying accounts monthly. I received monthly accounts for the last twelve months. I have not received bills at any particular date that I can call to mind. I have received them from the Ist to the 6th. Ido not know that I ever did after the 6th. 120. Mr Bell.] I received the May bill on the first Monday or Tuesday in June. Lawrence Carroll examined. 121. Mr. Bell.] Am police constable at Wellington. I went out early in evening of 31st May towards Ngauranga to serve a summons. On way back I saw two persons near Barber's fellmongery —a lady and gentleman. This was about seven. I should not know them again. Later on in evening I went to Dimock's. I was instructed to go. Constable Webb went with me. I started between quarter and ten minutes to nine. I got to Dimock's at quarter past nine. I walked. Body of Mr.