Erridge, James John | Day 8

30L from Mr Olds for votes plus 6L for canvassing. 4L 10s for putting up 3 poles from Mr Hughes

Witness Type: Briber

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 8576.

    (Mr. Holl.) What are you ? — A pilot.

  • 8577.

    Where do you live ? — 27, Nelson Street.

  • 8578.

    Did you receive any money ? — Yes.

  • 8579.

    Who from ? — Mr. Olds.

  • 8580.

    How much ? — 30L. for votes.

  • 8581.

    To distribute for votes ? — Yes ; and 6L for canvassing, and 4L. 10s. I received for putting up three FLAGPOLES, from Mr. Hughes.

  • 8582.

    The 4L. 10s. you received from Mr. Hughes for putting up three FLAGPOLES ? — Yes.

  • 8583.

    (Mr. Jeune.) Was that Mr. Edwin Hughes ? — Yes.

  • 8584.

    (Mr. Holl.) With regard to the 30L. you had to distribute for votes, have you got a list of the people you paid it to ? — Yes.

  • 8585.

    Of course it was to vote for the Conservative ? —Yes; there is the list (handing a paper to the Commissioners)

  • 8586.

    It was 3L. each you paid ? — Yes,

  • 8587.

    Did you put up the three POLES ? — Yes.

  • 8588.

    Were they very large POLES ? — Yes, they were large POLES.

  • 8589.

    It was 30s. a pole ? — Yes.

  • 8590.

    That is a good deal of money for putting up a pole, is it not ? — I do not know ; there were ten men to each pole.

  • 8591.

    Four could have put it up, could they not ? — I do not know ; I suppose the POLES are about 70 feet high.

  • 8592.

    When you have got the hole dug, you have only got to hold it up for five minutes ? — The wind might have blown it down.

  • 8593.

    It was a way of employing men, really, was it not ? — Yes.

  • 8594.

    (Mr. Jeune.) You got nothing for yourself except the 6L. for canvassing ? — No.

  • 8595.

    What canvassing did you do ; had you any book ? — No, I kept no book, nothing more than you see there that paper.

  • 8596.

    Who did you ask besides these 10 men ; anybody ? — Yes, lots, but I cannot recollect the names of the people I asked.

  • 8597.

    Did you go round regularly ? — I think I went right through Nelson Street.

  • 8598.

    How long were you canvassing ; for more than a day ? — I was there altogether five or six days.

  • 8599.

    You were not occupied in canvassing the whole day ? — Not all day.

  • 8600.

    Then how long ; about an hour a day ? — More than that, four or five hours ; sometimes all day.

  • 8601.

    You must have canvassed a large number of people in that time ? — Yes. A great many people take you a long time to see whether they would go one side or the other, and some will not give any answer at all.

  • 8602.

    Did you make any return to anybody as to what the result of your canvassing had been ? — All the envelopes as I received I sent on to Mr. Hughes.

  • 8603.

    You received envelopes and you returned them ? —Yes.

  • 8604.

    (Mr. Holl.) How many envelopes do you think you received altogether ? — I cannot say ; I dare say it might be a hundred, or I dare say more.

  • 8605.

    It would not take more than a couple of days to canvass those would it ? — Some days you could not find anyone, there was no-one at home.