CO129-319 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [10-11] — Page 622

公

615

Your Excellency.

Statements attached. P. C. Rutledge is sick in Hospital

so he could not be present.

M. Reau and Madame Reau could not wait to hear the evidence of Inspector Baker, the two Chinese and P. C. Lloyd, but I have read their statements over to M. Reau and confronted him with

the two Chinese witnesses.

did

To take Inspector Gauld's case first:- The Consul dess not wish to press that case but in justice to the Inspector in view of the statements made in the Consul's letter of the 16th.instant,

I went into it.

and

It is evident that the Consul was extremely excited, the impression which his examination and that of Madame Reau leave upon my mind is that their real grievance against the Inspector is that he did not take their part against the Chinese. Inspector Gauld is an experienced officer of 14 years" service and bears a very high character. I have known him for more than 9 years in the Police. He is a cool hard headed, somewhat phlegmatic Scotchman, and I cannot believe that he would lose his temper even under the severest provocation when dealing with a case in the Charge-room. I do not think that the evidence supports the Consul's complaint against him, and I am convinced the Consul received every consideration in the Charge-room. As to the case of P. C. Rutledge, it is to be noticed that the witnesses Mr. Leykum and Mr. Helms called by the Consul do not support his statement that the constable used violence towards him. All the evidence points the other

way,

and the Consul in his statement made this morning drops the charge that the constable "seized him by the collar". He modifies this to "pushing on the back of the neck". I think the constable may be acquitted of the charge of using

unnecessary violence.