Ralph, Thomas | Day 22

Received £20 from Mr Olds to distribute, £5 from Dr Hulke for attending meetings and a sovereign from Mr Simmons given to the wife of Mr Cribbens who was ailing and had died by the time of the trial. Dr Hulke was reluctant to admit giving money to Ralph who had voted for the Liberals in prior elections.

Witness Type: Briber, Councillor / Alderman

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 21558.

    (Mr. Holl.) What are you ? — l am a clerk in charge of the pilot station here.

  • 21559.

    I think you are an alderman of the borough of Deal ? — Yes; I have been so for many years.

  • 21560.

    Did you take an active part in the election of May 1880 ? — Not much.

  • 21561.

    What did you do ? — I attended meetings, and went about amongst the people.

  • 21562.

    Do you mean canvassing ? — No, not canvassing.

  • 21563.

    I believe formerly you had been active upon the Liberal side ? — Yes. I was a supporter of Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen from the first of his coming here; in fact, I was one of those that got him to come.

  • 21564.

    When was it that your views changed in reference to that ? — Just after my illness; that is about two years ago, or nearly so.

  • 21565.

    At this last election, I understand from what you say, you did nothing except attending meetings and going about amongst the people, but you say not canvassing ? — No, I have not been to any door to canvass, not upon this occasion, but I have upon former occasions.

  • 21566.

    Did you expend any money in connexion with the election ? — Yes.

  • 21567.

    How much ? — I think something like £20.

  • 21568.

    Have you made a list of the names of those to whom you have given money ? — Yes (handing a paper). That is the list, and also there was a donation that I received from a person named Simmons, for a sick person . That is the only money I received.

  • 21569.

    I see you have put down Mrs. Brudenell. I suppose that was for her husband ? — Never saw her husband to ask for a vote.

  • 21570.

    But you gave her £3 for him ? — Yes.

  • 21571.

    Did you see that he voted ? — No, and I saw afterwards by the report of the proceedings here that he had received £3 from another person.

  • 21572.

    He received from each side. With regard to this £1 that you received from Mr. Simmons for Mr. Cribben; did you give it to his wife ? — Yes.

  • 21573.

    Her husband was alive then ? — Yes, her husband was alive. He was in consumption then, and in a sad state.

  • 21574.

    Did he vote ? — Yes, I believe he voted, but I had nothing to do about his vote whatever.

  • 21575.

    At the time you gave this money to Mrs. Cribben, was anything said about his voting ? — No, not at all.

  • 21576.

    I see that it was paid to you upon the day before the election ? — Yes, I have put the date upon that piece of paper. I pleaded for the woman, knowing the sad state that they were in, and Mr. Simmons gave me a sovereign to go and take to the woman, which I did directly.

  • 21577.

    Still, you see the time at which you paid it to her is very suspiciously close to the election, he being a voter ? — Yes, so it is.

  • 21578.

    Are those the only sums which you paid ? — There was a something which I cannot tax my memory with in regard to three young boatmen, not voters. I had a job to get rid of them, they wanted something for assisting in getting flags up, which they said they had not been paid for. There were three of them, and, to get rid of them, I gave them 5s each.

  • 21579.

    You say they were not voters ? — No, they were not voters.

  • 21580.

    You would not have given them 5s each at any other time, would you ? — No, but I was glad enough to get rid of them. In fact I would have given them a sovereign each to get rid of them.

  • 21581.

    You would not have done it at any other time than election time ? — I very often give away money, and more than my pocket can afford.

  • 21582.

    You would not have given it unless it had been election time ? — No.

  • 21583.

    You might have sent for the police at any other time ? — No doubt, but I was glad to get rid of them.

  • 21584.

    Besides that £15 and £1 given to Mrs Cribben, did you disburse any other moneys at all ? — There was £5 that I had of Dr. Hulke.

  • 21586.

    I am asking you as to what you spent. Did you pay any money away to anybody for anything connected with the election beyond the sums mentioned in this paper ? — No, I believe not.

  • 21586.

    Are you sure of that ? — I am almost sure

  • 21587.

    You say “almost.” You have had a good deal of time to think it all over; cannot you say positively ? — I have been thinking of it, and I could not for the life of me tell you the names of the three men I gave the 5s to.