Bent, Thomas | Day 5

Posted bills for both sides equally although stated he was a Liberal voter. Received £20 from Mr Hughes and £14 from Mr Edwards. Not listed as a bribee.

Witness Type: Other

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

  • 4234.

    (Mr. Jeune) You are a bill poster at Deal ? – Yes

  • 4235.

    Is it the case that you were the only person who posted BILLS in Deal ? Have you a monopoly ? – Yes, up to this last month or two I had.

  • 4236.

    You are the only person who carries on that business in Deal. Have you got a large number of stations and places upon which to put BILLS ? — Yes.

  • 4237.

    Hoardings, and things of that kind ? — Yes.

  • 4238.

    Nobody else has hoardings in Deal except you ? — No, not large hoardings ; no one has a right to put them on but myself. I lent one.

  • 4239.

    There is no one carrying on the same business that has hoardings as well as you ? — No ; I had a man with me 12 months, and he has commenced two months ago.

  • 4240.

    At the time of this election there was no one carrying on the same business who had hoardings as well as you ? — No, I have been the bill poster for 15 years in Deal.

  • 4241.

    Do you carry on your business at Walmer and Deal ? — Yes. I have stations in Walmer and Upper Deal.

  • 4242.

    Did you have a conversation with Mr. Olds ? — No, not any.

  • 4243.

    Can you tell me about how many stations you have got in Deal and Walmer ? — I should think 26 or 27.

  • 4244.

    I suppose you have pretty nearly all the stations that can be got ? — Yes.

  • 4245.

    I suppose many of them are very good stations for BILLS ? — They are. I have got as good stations as any town in Kent, considering the size of the town.

  • 4246.

    Did you have any conversation with Mr. Edwin Hughes about it ? — Yes.

  • 4247.

    You are a Liberal in politics, are not you ? — Yes.

  • 4248.

    What was the effect of your conversation with Mr. Hughes ; did he want to take your station ? — I made an arrangement with Mr. Hughes that he was to have part of my stations until the end of May for so much money, and I was to post the BILLS at so much per 100.

  • 4249.

    How many of your stations was he to have ? — A part of all of them, and I was to post the BILLS, and not one bill, either one side or the other, was to be covered up by any man.

  • 4250.

    Did he want to take all your stations ? — No, he did not want to take them all.

  • 4251.

    He did not ask you for all ? — No.

  • 4252.

    And you did not refuse to let him have all ? — No, I did the work for both sides.

  • 4253.

    There was never an application by Mr. Hughes to have all your stations ? — No, not any.

  • 4254.

    He came and asked, and you said he might have part, and you were to do the posting ? — Yes.

  • 4255.

    Part of each station ? — Yes, part of each station, whatever there might be.

  • 4256.

    So that there would be absolutely equality be- tween the one side and the other ? — Yes, exactly.

  • 4257.

    Mr. Edwin Hughes seems to have said this before the judges, ” There was only one bill sticker in Deal, and he is a Liberal ; I wanted to hire from him his protected stations, but he would not let me have them” ? — It is no such thing.

  • 4258.

    That does not represent the case ? — No.

  • 4259.

    In fact, all that he wanted to have, you were willing to let him have ? — Yes, and to do the work as I had done it before ; in fact, the first BILLS that came out were sent to me, and no question was asked whatever, and I posted them.

  • 4260.

    What arrangement was made eventually with Mr. Hughes ? — I made an arrangement with Mr. Hughes that I was to have 7L. 10s, for the stations to the end of May, that is, part of the stations, and to post the BILLS at 10s. per 100, or I offered to do the whole of it for 20L, but he said, “ No, your bill will come to more than that, I know, by the work we shall have ; my bill did not come to 20L, but he said, “We will make it 20L.,” and he gave me an order to get my men and to come and clear the walls the day after the election.

  • 4261.

    What have you had altogether ? — 20L. exactly.

  • 4262.

    Did you have any conversation with Mr. Olds ? — No, not any.

  • 4263.

    So that it is not the case/that you wanted 60L. for your services ? — No, and that is why I have come to explain it this morning.