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30. Was Brother Augustine's attention drawn to it ?—Yes. 31. What did he say?—He said, "The room is used for photographic purposes." I asked him what the bars were "for. He said, "To prevent the boys from stealing the contents of the room." 32. Did you go upstairs to see ?—Yes. Mr. Piper told Brother Augustine that it seemed absurd that the boys should go up to such a height to steal. He said there were ladders about the place.. 33. Were you taken to the room?— Yes; Brother Augustine said, " Would you like to see the room? " We said " Yes." We found the room contained a camera and a small table. 34. No boy in it ?—No; but it was evidently built and intended to be used as a cell. 35. You saw some cells afterwards? —After leaving this room we were immediately opposite the room which was locked. 36. Who were there then ?—The four of us were there together. We expressed annoyance and disappointment at finding the door locked. Brother Augustine said he could not help it, as Brother Loetus had the keys away. 37. Did you ask him what was in the room? —Yes. Before you came on the scene I asked Brother Augustine whether they had boys in confinement. 38. Mr. Wardell] Will you give the exact question put?— Yes. I said, "Have you rooms where boys are confined for punishment?" He replied, "We have no rooms used for such purposes, and boys have never been confined in rooms by way of punishment. The only punishment is such as schoolmasters administer." 39. Mr. Barley, .] What did you do then ?—Mr. Piper repeated my question, and Brother Augustine very emphatically said that boys had never been confined in rooms, and that there were no rooms for such purpose. We wanted to get admission into this room if possible. 40. Mr. Wardell] Were you present when the reply was given to Mr. Piper?— Yes. 41. Mr. Harley.] Well, what followed ?—I asked the Brother if he could produce two boys who had absconded about a week before. He said, " I cannot produce them." I said, " Why ?" He replied, " They are somewhere about the grounds, I suppose." I told him then that our visit was in consequence of information received to the effect that boys were confined in cells on the premises. " I added, "We are fairly sure there are boys here at the present time confined in cells, and that the statements we have just heard are not altogether correct. 42. Mr. Bush.] You mean to say the statements you heard from that Brother ?—Yes. 43. Mr. Harley.] You told him so ?—Yes. 44. What did he say to that?—He said, "Well, I must confess, there are two boys in that room," pointing to the door. 45. Well, what then ?—Mr Harley asked whether the boys were confined separately or together. The Brother replied, "Together," and that they never confined boys separately. I said, " Now that you have admitted that much, will you show us into the room now ?" He replied, " I really cannot. The keys are in town with Brother Loetus." Mr. Heyward called under the door to the boys to see if he could get any speech with them. He got no reply. We again expressed annoyance at finding the doors locked. I told Brother Augustine that we would return on the following morning, at 9 o'clock, and that we wished him to inform Brother Loetus that we desired him to be present with the keys at that hour. We went downstairs, and proceeded to drive home. After going three or four hundred yards from the building we met Brother Loetus, returning from Nelson. We returned to the building with Brother Loetus. When he alighted from his trap I advanced to meet him, and shook hands with him. I told him the object of our visit; that we had seen certain rooms, and found other rooms locked, and that we had been told he had the keys. He said, " You cannot see those rooms; they contain the Brothers' private effects." Mr Piper then interrupted and said, " The Chairman might just as well have told you what has happened. We don't want any more lies told," or, "We have heard enough lies already." Mr. Piper added, "We want to see the inside of that room." Brother Loetus walked straight away, took us upstairs to the room that was locked, and opened the door. 46. What did you find when the door was unlocked? —We found it to be a store-room, about 18 ft. long. It contained shelving, with boots and other things on the shelves. 47. Was there any door leading out of this room?— Yes. There was a door at the end leading into another room under the tower and overlooking the grounds. In this second room there was a cell. 48. In which corner was the cell? —In the north-west corner. 49. What were the dimensions of this cell, and how was it made ?—lt was about 7 ft. x 4 ft. There was a window in the room. . . 50. Mr. Bush.] Do I understand the window referred to was in the room containing the cell, and not in the cell itself?— Yes. ,"„„,, „ 51. Mr. Wardell] Was there any window to light the cell? —Yes ; a small opening. 52 About what size ? —About 15 in. to 18 in., with iron bars. 53. Mr. Harley.] Was the cell locked ?—Yes; I can almost swear it was an iron door with an iron lock. I took it for granted it was an iron door, it was so heavy. 54. How was it locked ?—With an iron bar and a padlock outside. 55. Was this cell opened ?—Yes, by Brother Loetus. 56. What was inside ? —A boy named James Maher. 57. Was there any furniture in the cell ?—There was nothing but a tin bowl. 58*. No chair ?—No chair. The boy was in his stocking-feet, with no boots, and his boots were not in the cell. , . ~ ~, 59 Was he otherwise fully clothed ?—Yes; he had his ordinary clothes on. 60. Mr. Wardell] Was there no seat or table ?—No ; nothing but a tin bowl, which I suppose was for the purpose of relieving nature.