EL—33

20

to lay the information before that. I believe O'Dowd's house was searched. I believe at that time only two search-warrants were out. I and the detectives never had the papers, and comparing. 134. Mr. Bell.] No information has been withheld from the defence. Since the papers have been in Tasker's possession I have seen the paper, but not examined it. The police searched O'Dowd's house. The matter as to O'Dowd was carefully investigated.

FIFTH DAY. Lionel Benjamin examined. 135. Mr. Bell.] Am chief detective of station at Wellington. I went to the "morgue shortly after ten a.m. I was waiting there till nearly twelve o'clock. I had to go away, and I then returned and found the morgue closed. I knocked at the gate. Carroll came to the gate. I said I wanted to go in. Carroll said he would ask the doctor. He said, "The doctor says you are to wait for his report." I waited ten minutes, then Carroll came and said, " Doctor says it is a murder." I said go back and ask him what instrument has been used. Carroll returned and said, " A sharp instrument like a knife." I then left, and came to the station, and informed the Inspector of Police. I went to Kaiwara first. In the afternoon, about two o'clock, I went to town of Kaiwara; to the road leading off to prisoner's house. I went in sight of house ; not to house. I was coming back to get a search-warrant to search Chemis's house, and I met Inspector Thompson and Campbell. They went on another way ; towards Hawkings's road. I next saw Inspector Thompson at Hawkings's house. I went up Hawkings's road. I saw blood on the road. I made no inspection. We all went to Chemis's house. Bowles showed the way. When we got there he was chopping wood —between four and five [on map]. He was at work on the Hutt Eoad when we .went out at two o'clock. I told him I had a search-warrant for his house. I read the warrant. I then went with him to his house. Inspector Thompson and Campbell went also-. Campbell and I searched prisoner in the kitchen, and we took him outside to have a better light. We found no signs of blood. We returned to the house. Inspector Thompson stopped in the kitchen with Mrs. Chemis. I went into accused's bedroom with Campbell and accused, and I saw a double-barrelled gun hanging on the. wall. I was taking it down, and accused said, " I fired that gun off about three days ago at some quail." I took the gun out to Inspector Thomson in the kitchen, and put my finger in one of the barrels. It was black and wet when I took it out. I left the gun in the kitchen, and returned to accused's bedroom. He and Campbell were there. I tried the top drawer of a chest of drawers. The right-hand drawer was locked. I did not try the other. I said, "This drawer is locked." Accused produced a key, and unlocked and opened it. He also opened the left drawer. I cannot say he opened it. Campbell was searching the drawers that had been locked ; I the other drawer. Before doing so I went behind Campbell and placed a pocket-handkerchief on the bed. I found two or three pieces of paper in the drawer I searched; small pieces of newspaper about the size of palm of hand. Two or three pieces. I placed these in the pocket-handkerchief on the bed. Campbell found a number of pieces of paper and a number of documents in the drawer he searched. He put them on the top of the drawers. I took them up and placed them in the handkerchief on the bed. He also found a shot-pouch containing a few grains of shot; a revolver [produced] loaded in three barrels; four bullets ; this small knife, in a case; and the stiletto, in the sheath. I took the stiletto off the drawers, and drew it out of the sheath. Prisoner said it had not been out of its sheath for six months. The bullets and knife have been in my custody till produced by me. I produce revolver, still loaded in three barrels ; the shot-flask that was handed into Court yesterday. These are the bullets ; four bullets, cast in a mould. I put everything into the pocket-handkerchief. I took it by the four corners, and took it into the parlour. Detective Campbell and the accused were there. We found on the shelf, in the corner, two or three pieces of paper. I put these also in the handkerchief. I took the four corners of the handkerchief together. I took it out to the Inspector in the kitchen, and put it in front of the Inspector on the table there. The pieces on the shelf, I believe, were torn pieces. I cannot attempt to describe the pieces, of paper found in the drawer except that they were pieces of newspaper, apparently torn, about sin. or 6in. square, but irregular in shape. All the pieces of paper we found in the drawers and on the shelf were put into the handkerchief—no other paper. I saw the Inspector putting some pieces of newspaper into an envelope and put it into the breast-pocket of his coat. I saw the Inspector take papers out of prisoner's coat— this was after I saw him put the pieces of paper in the envelope. The coat was hanging on the wall. We then searched the children's room at the back. We picked up more paper there ; then in the kitchen, and picked up more paper. I have heard since that a whole newspaper was amongst it. We got a good-sized bundle of paper 3in. in diameter. What we found in the kitchen and the children's room Campbell took to police-station, and he gave it me at policestation, and I locked it up at station. I delivered the whole to Mr. Tasker on the 6th June. None went to Mr. Skey. I had. not untied the bundle. I found no gunpowder, no powder-flask, no caps. The children —one girl one boy—three of them ; the eldest about nine—a girl, the boy about five or six. I did not take away the gun. I did not arrest the prisoner. I took away the stiletto, pocketknife, shot-pouch. On Sunday, the 2nd, about ten a.m., I went out and got gun. I told him I had come for gun, and he handed it to me. He said, "I do not like the police coming about so much, because it looks bad, this having happened." I said, " I suppose it is in consequence of something he had himself said." On the sth June I arrested prisoner. This just before ten a.m. He was working on road. I called himjm one side. I said I had a warrant for him. He said nothing. I took him to Cook's shop, and read the warrant to him there. He said, " All right." After a short pause he said, "It is all damned lies. I won't be there long. I wish I had better clothes to go in." That is all he said. He was brought to station. I searched the house again on tho sth, and I found more paper there. That paper all locked up in office, and given to Mr. Tasker on the