I.—IB

III

2. For the Government officials taking our breadwinner away and leaving us without support. 3. My husband has never been the least bit insane, and has never even had a semblance of a fit, as stated by the police and Dr. Craig. 4. That my husband is one of the kindest of husbands and fathers, and also one of the cleanest-principled men living. 5. We have a witness in one of Waihi's most influential men, and also in others, that my husband was one of the coolest and sanest men in Waihi at the time he was certified otherwise. 6. That Dr. Craig 'phoned a letter he received from Dr. Beattie to others showing there was no insanity in Mr. Johnston and asked him to get Mr. Johnston out, which he refused. 7. That Dr. Craig was one of the most excited and unbalanced men in Waihi during the riot, which the people of Waihi know. 8. That the shock and degradation of such cruelty lias ruined my health for life, and it is only by the grace of God that I have pulled through. Honourable gentlemen, I do humbly pray and beseech you to compensate the children and myself for the cruelty put upon us last Christmas-time, and for the Government officials circulating such falsehoods about. Honourable gentlemen, I am your humble servant, Elizabeth Johnston.

REPORT. Nos. 200 and 201.—Petitions of Thomas H. and Elizabeth Johnston, of Waihi. Petitioners pray for compensation for themselves and their children on account of alleged wrongful committal and detention of T. H. Johnston in a mental hospital. I am directed to report the Committee has no recommendation to make on these petitions. A copy of the evidence is attached hereto. 21st October, 1913. J. H. Bradney, Chairman.

MENTAL HOSPITAL REPORT. In re Thomas Henry Johnston. (Excerpt from Mental Hospital File No. 12/1410.) The above-named was received at the Auckland Mental Hospital at 7.15 a.m. on the 15th December, 1912, upon an order dated 14th December, 1912, granted by H. W. Moore and H. W. Toy, J.P.s, acting at Waihi in place of a Stipendiary Magistrate, pursuant to section 130 of the Mental Defectives Act, 1911. The said order was granted on the application of Ward George Wohlmann, Sergeant of Police at Waihi, in pursuance of section 16 of the above-mentioned Act. Inter alia, this section places the duty on a constable, who has reasonable cause to believe that any person is mentally defective and suicidal or dangerous and not under proper oversight, care, or control, to forthwith make or cause to be made an application for a reception-order in respect of that person. In the application Sergeant Wohlmann stated he believed that Thomas Henry Johnston was mentally defective upon the following grounds: ''Emotional; excitable and gives readily to tears; melancholy; talks of being hypnotized by his stepfather; admits attempting wife's life with a revolver about last Easter; proposed giving up his employment to-day and wandering away." Among the further particulars supplied by the applicant is the statement that Johnston was epileptic; that lie was epileptic as a schoolboy; that he was probably suicidal; and that he was dangerous in that he had attempted his wife's life. It is also stated that Johnston's father was feeble-willed and neurasthenic. The medical certificates are by Drs. Galligan and Craig. Dr. Galligan certifies that he is of opinion that Johnston is a mentally defective person within the meaning of the Act, and requires detention as such, and that this opinion is based on the following facts observed by himself on the 14th December: "Very erratic; very despondent and melancholic; thinks it better for wife and family to be dead than live in poverty; people despise them because they are poor." Communicated to Dr. Galligan by Mrs. Johnston :" He fired a pistol-shot, but onlyinjured her, to save her and her family from financial trouble. He could die happy afterwards." He further states that Dr. Craig and himself saw the scars of the above wound. Dr. Galligan considers Johnston feeble-minded, epileptic, suicidal, and dangerous, and believes the cause of his trouble was excessive worry over strike affairs and the wound he received in the right leg. He looks upon Johnston as very neurotic. Dr. George Craig subscribes to the same opinion with respect to Johnston being mentally defective and requiring detention, basing his opinion on the following personal observations : " Emotional and excitable; states that he has been hypnotized by his stepfather, and that since then he has been a different man. He is subject to the petit mal of epilepsy, and informs me that about a year ago, under great financial stress, he made up his mind to kill his wife and children. He did shoot his wife as she lay asleep, but made no second attempt. Questioned as to the correctness of his action, states that he can see no wrong in what he did, that it was

ii—l. Ib.