Spears, William Frost | Day 5

Volunteer to Mr Hughes, erected poles. Received £250 for erecting and removing poles and three payments of £9 some of which was paid to James Axon.

Witness Type: Briber

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 4291.

    (Mr. Holl.) We see that you had a large amount for erecting POLES ? — Yes.

  • 4292.

    Have you any list of the sums that you received ? —No.

  • 4293.

    No account or memorandum at all ? — No, I left it all to Mr. Hughes.

  • 4294.

    Is that Mr. Edwin Hughes ? — Yes, the agent.

  • 4295.

    Tell me how it was you came to erect these POLES ; from whom did you get instructions to do it ? — I was a volunteer to Mr. Hughes.

  • 4296.

    You went to Mr. Hughes ? — Yes.

  • 4297.

    Tell us what passed ? — People came up when I was there, and asked to put POLES up the same as before, for the purpose of hanging FLAGS when wanted, and I volunteered my services to Mr. Hughes to go and superintend the doing of it.

  • 4298.

    What did he tell you ? — He told me to go round and see where they were wanted, which I did, and he asked me what I thought a fair price. I told him I did know, but the parties up there said 30s. a pole, and 8 or 10 men to each pole, which I paid.

  • 4299.

    Eight or ten men to each pole ? — Yes, it might be less, and sometimes might be more.

  • 4300.

    How many did you erect altogether ? — I could not tell you.

  • 4301.

    Did you tell Mr. Hughes what you have told us ? — Yes.

  • 4302.

    What did he say ? — He says, “That is right enough.”

  • 4303.

    Did he tell you to erect them ? — Yes, and I done according, and got the people according.

  • 4304.

    How many did you erect altogether, do you think ? — Well, I could not tell, indeed.

  • 4305.

    About 50, 60, or 100 would it be, or how many ? — It is no use my saying, because I do not know ; Mr. Hughes knows ; he paid the money.

  • 4306.

    That does not tell us the number of POLES ; did you give Mr. Hughes particulars of the number you erected ? — Yes, and I had the money and paid them.

  • 4307.

    Did you give Mr. Hughes particulars when he paid you the money ? — Yes, he wanted every item as to who it was going to be paid to.

  • 4308.

    Did you give him particulars of all the POLES that you had erected, and of the men you had employed ? — I did not give him the names of anybody ; there were so many POLES, and so much money, and I had a cheque for the money, and I went to the bank and got the cash, and gave it to the men. If I had known there was to be anything like this I would have kept an account of the POLES, but I did not give the thing a thought. Mr. Hughes has got the number, and has got the money that was paid, and I gave every man every shilling that was earned.

  • 4309.

    Cannot you tell me how many POLES you did erect ? — I cannot indeed.

  • 4310.

    Give it to me as nearly as you can ? — I could not, it is no use my telling a falsehood.

  • 4311.

    You can tell us whether it was 50, 60, or 100 ? — No ; I can tell you Mr. Hughes paid for the POLES, and he can tell you better than I can.

  • 4312.

    We want to know what you can tell us, because we shall ask Mr. Hughes by-and-bye. I see there are a number of other men connected with POLES. Ralph, 1L, 16s. ; Licence 1L. I8s. ; Worrels 1L. 1s. 10d. ; Baxter 1L, 10s. ; did you receive that money, or was it paid to them direct ? — All the money I received from Mr. Hughes I gave to the boatmen.

  • 4313.

    Besides the moneys that you have put down as having received in your own name, there are other sums put down as being paid to Ralph, Licence, Worrels, and Baxter, did you pay those men ? — No.

  • 4314.

    That money, did it not pass through your hands ? — No.

  • 4315.

    That went to them direct ? — Yes, it did not pass through my hands.

  • 4316.

    In round numbers, I find paid to yourself 135L or 140L. — would that be about right ? — I never took no account.

  • 4317.

    As near as you can remember would it be about the sum ? — I should think it would be quite that. I first of all got a cheque for 9L., and I went to the bank and got the money, and the people shared it, 8 or 10 men to each pole.

  • 4318.

    You think 135L. or 140L. would about represent what you had yourself to distribute for the erection of POLES ? — I daresay it was quite that, but I have nothing to go by, you see, at all. I know there was a great quantity of POLES, and that is all I can tell you.

  • 4319.

    Besides that you had 41L. for taking down POLES, and 20L. for yourself ? — I had 40L. and 20L. for myself.

  • 4320.

    What was the 20L. for yourself ? — For running about a fortnight, and superintending everything.