Claringbold, Alfred | Day 21
1881 Census lists him at 12 Cemetery Road. Paid 5s per night for 12 nights by Mr Axon to watch poles to make sure no-one removed or changed the flags.
Witness Type: Bribee
Witness Testimony:
- 20567.
(Mr. Holl.) What are you ? — A waterman.
- 20568.
Where do you live ? — Canonbury Place.
- 20569.
What did you receive for your vote ? — Nothing at all.
- 20570.
Are you sure ? — I am sure.
- 20571.
Did you have anything offered to you ? — I was employed as night watchman to look after poles and so on.
- 20572.
What did you get for it ? — 5s a night.
- 20573.
How much was altogether ? — £3 for 12 nights.
- 20574.
You got £3 for 12 nights looking after poles ? — Yes, and I earned it.
- 20575.
Is that all that you received ? — Yes.
- 20576.
Who did you get it from ? — Henry Axon.
- 20577.
(Mr. Jeune.) When were you paid that £3 ? — Every day.
- 20578.
Five shillings every day ? — Every morning or evening when I liked to go for it.
- 20579.
(Mr. Holl.) Do you mean to tell us that you really watched all night ? — Watched, of course, to keep the enemy from cutting the guys about.
- 20580.
Do you really say that you watched all night for 12 nights ? — Yes, of course I watched. There was plenty of time to sleep in the day, was there not?
- 20581.
Do you mean to swear you did watch 12 nights ? — Yes, of course.
- 20582.
But it is not “of course” ? — We took it in watches each night.
- 20583.
How long did you watch each night ? — It was not very long.
- 20584.
How long will you undertake to say that you watched each night ? — From dark till daylight.
- 20585.
(Mr. Turner) From when ? — From the 6th to the 18th.
- 20586.
But from what time ? — As soon as dark set in. In fact I was walking about in the daytime as well, some hours in the daytime.
- 20587.
(Mr. Holl.) Just remember what you are saying. Do you mean to swear that you watched for 12 nights successively the poles? — Yes, and I should like to watch 12 nights more.
- 20588.
I did not ask you that. Do not prevaricate because you will be leading one to suppose you are not telling the truth ? — But I am telling the truth.
- 20589.
Do you mean to swear that you did watch 12 nights successively those poles ? — Yes, I do.
- 20590.
(Mr. Jeune.) How long did you watch each night ? — From dark to daylight.
- 20591.
How many hours ? — I daresay it might have been six or seven hours.
- 20592.
Never mind what it might have been. How many hours did you watch each night ? — Six or seven hours according to the time it was between dark and daylight. It depended whether it got dark late or got light early.
- 20593.
Do you mean that you sat up six or seven hours in the middle of the night ? — I would be walking about to and fro from pole to pole.
- 20594.
Did you catch anybody trying to injure the poles ? — They were caught.
- 20595.
Did you catch anybody ? — I did not catch anybody, but some of our party did. We had one cut adrift.
- 20596.
(Mr. Holl.) We have had one witness before us who told us fairly enough that what he did was to look at the poles the last thing at night, and the first thing in the morning. Do you mean to swear that is not what you did yourself, to have a look at them once or twice we will say. You do not mean to say that you were up all night ? — I had to go and watch them, and I was paid for it.