“I am at present out of business. I was the holder of the Australian Wine Shop license in the Eastern Arcade for about nine months past. The license expired on the 31st December, 1921. I reside at ‘Glenross,’ Ballarat Road, Footscray. On Friday, the 30th December, I came into the shop about 2 p.m. It was a very quiet day. Between 2 and 3 p.m. I was standing in front of my shop, and looking about I saw a girl about 14 or 15 years of age in the Arcade. She was walking towards Bourke Street, and stopped and looked in a fancy dress costume window. I later saw her walking back, and she appeared to have nothing to do. She wore a dark blue dress, pleated, the pleats were large, light blouse, white straw hat with a colour on it (looked like a college hat), wore dark stockings and boots—she may have had shoes on. I went back into the cafe. I cannot say where she went. I was about the cafe all the afternoon. “About 4 o’clock, a friend of mine, Miss Gladys Linderman, came to the saloon front. I spoke to her for about an hour. She came into the private room, and we had a talk in the room off the bar, the one in which the cellar is which is unused. She and I went into the Arcade at 4.45; remained talking for about 10 minutes. I then saw her out into Little Collins Street. I made an appointment to meet her again at 9 p.m. at the place I left her. I went back into the cafe, and remained until 6 p.m., when I left for home, got home about 7 p.m., had tea, left home at 8 p.m., came into the city, waited at the corner of the Arcade in Little Collins Street. Miss Linderman came to me at 9 p.m., and we went straight into the cafe. We remained in there till 10.45, then left, locked the place up, went to King Street. She went to her home, 276 King Street. After leaving her I went to Spencer Street Station, took a train, arrived home at 11.50 p.m., and remained there all night.