Called to give evidence at the Petition Trial about the committee room hired for £5 by Mr. Olds for the Conservatives which was only used twice, by one or two people. His annual rent was £18.

The premises was next door to the Maxton Arms which was also hired by the Conservatives. Described as being in the country, bills were posted in some rooms that had little chance of being seen. The questions only related to the Committee room hire and didn’t go into other money he received – such as the money he received for another Committee room from the Liberals!

At the subsequent Corrupt Practices trial he began his testimony with the information that he received £26 from Mr Outwin (L), £20 of  which he spent on canvassing 5 voters. £5 was for a Committee Room which was never used and £1 for disbursements. In his evidence he said that the Liberals did not give him any bills to post in his premises but he would have done if they’d been provided.

Of the 5 men he bribed, all except Canney took bribes from John James Ralph on the Conservative side as well.