Rea, Edward | Day 22
Received £5 for a committee room, £6 as a canvasser and £81 to distribute amongst 27 voters. He canvassed with George Edward Porter.
The Fountain Inn which has long since been demolished was next to the Royal Hotel on the south side.
Witness Type: Briber, No Indemnity, Publican, Beerhouse Keeper
Party: Conservative
Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 6
Witness Testimony:
- 22088.
Recalled and further examined.
(Mr. Holl.) Can you tell us who this stranger was ? — No, it was somebody Mr. Porter sent. I drew the money from Mr. Olds, and everybody gave a receipt for it.
- 22089.
Did you talk to the stranger ? — No, I had nothing to do with him.
- 22090.
Did you see them ? — Yes. There were printed receipts that the men had to sign their names to, and that is what was delivered up to Mr. Olds, and they all got destroyed.
- 22091.
There were printed receipts, were there; how many would there be ? — I do not know how many at all, but if you have got the strike lists you can see it exactly.
- 22092.
How many printed receipts did you have given to you ? — I might have 40 or 50, and over.
- 22093.
How did the receipt run ? — “Received of Mr. Rea for services rendered.” That is all, and they just signed their name or put their cross to it.
- 22094.
Did you give the receipts to the stranger ? — No, I took the receipts.
- 22095.
You took them from the people ? — Yes, they delivered them to me, and I delivered them to Mr. Olds.
- 22096.
You took the receipts ? — Yes.
- 22097.
These men were told they were to get the money ? — The money was lying upon the table, but they were not told what it was for; they were told that they would have £3, and on the receipt it was “for services rendered.”
- 22098.
And as they went out they handed you the receipt ? — Yes. If you look at the strike list you will see everyone against my number as having received the bribe. Then I may say with regard to the gentleman we were speaking about, Mr. Job, he owns to having received the £3. He wished me to state that be will not be able to attend the Court, as he has gone down channel with a vessel, but he owns that he had £3 from me, which you will see in the strike list.
- 22099.
All the receipts you say went back to Mr. Olds, and they were destroyed ? — Yes, and a list as well, corresponding with the receipts.
- 22383.
Recalled again and further examined.
(Mr. Holl.) I think you and Mr. Olds went and had an interview with Mr. Hughes at Canterbury ? — Yes.
- 22384.
Tell us shortly what took place at that interview ? — It was only a question asked him about this money going across to the continent.
- 22385.
Who spoke ? — Mr. Olds asked Mr. Hughes if he knew anything about this money going across to the Continent. Mr. Olds, Mr. Hughes, and myself were all three together. It was the time the petition was on; a Saturday morning, but I cannot give the date. Mr. Olds asked me if I would go over, and I said, “I do not mind, Sam. I will go over with you and meet Mr. Hughes.” He came from London or New Cross. We met him at Canterbury, and Olds says, “Do you know anything about this money going across to the Continent to Calais?” and Hughes said, “I know nothing at all about it,” and Sam said, “You mean to say it will not be brought forward?” and then his answer was, “No, nothing is known about the money.”
- 22386.
Wait a minute. Do not go so fast. Olds asked him if he knew anything about the money going across to the Continent ? — Yes.
- 22387.
What did Hughes say ? — Hughes said, “I know nothing at all about it.”
- 22388.
What did Olds say then ? — I think Olds said, “We shall be all right.” They had a few minutes together privately. He said, “If we go back we can cut the list down; that will just bring the money right.”
- 22390.
Did Mr. Hughes say anything ? — Hughes had a few words with him privately. They had a little private conversation.
- 22391.
(Mr. Turner.) When Olds said, “We will cut the list,” to whom did he say it ? — He said it to me at the meeting.
- 22392.
(Mr. Holl.) Was that said before Hughes ? — I do not know. Olds said, when we left Mr. Hughes, “Now we are all right and can cut the list down.”
- 22393.
Was that after having some conversation with Mr. Hughes ? — Yes.
- 22394.
It was then he said you could cut the list down ? — Yes, and then I went back from Canterbury. Mr. Hughes said, “There is a registered letter waiting for me at the Royal Hotel,” and he said, “Do you mind going to fetch it for me?” I went there and met him again at Canterbury when he was going back to town. He took one of Mr. Robert’s cards and he wrote on the back to deliver up this registered letter to me and bring it him at Canterbury. The next interview we had with Mr. Hughes was on the day the strike list was sent in. I went up to London with Olds and we went from London down to Woolwich and met Mr. Hughes at an office – me and Olds. There was conversation, for some time passed between him and Hughes in his private office and then I was called in. They talked, and Olds asked him, “Have you got anything relating to the election to show anything?” He says, “Yes,” and he turned an iron box out and said, “I have one paper here relating to it and you can have it; it is the same to me,” and Mr. Olds said, “Is that all you have got?” and he said, “Yes,” and that was the day before the election petition, and that is all I know about it. Nothing else passed between us. What was said between them I do not know.
- 22395.
Was anything said by anybody about destroying documents or vouchers ? — It was by the committee so that nothing could be seen.
- 22396.
Was anything said at that interview with Hughes about destroying papers ? — It was not Hughes; it was at a committee meeting we held ourselves that it was decided to destroy every receipt.
- 22397.
(Mr. Turner.) Who do you mean by “ourselves” ? — Well, Mr. Mackie and other gentlemen, and it was proposed then to destroy everything.
- 22398.
(Mr. Holl.) Was anything said during either of the interviews you had with Hughes as to destroying documents ? — No, only “Thomas is here,” and Mr. Hughes said to Thomas, “We have had a flare up here for two days destroying papers.”
- 22399.
Do not talk so fast. Hughes said to Thomas what ? — That we had had a flare up for two days.
- 22400.
Did he say what was the cause of the flare up ? — Destroying papers relating to the election, and called his clerk to confirm him; and he turned out the box and said, “That is the only one I have got relating to it.”
- 22401.
(Mr. Turner.) When was that ? — On the day before the strike lists were put in.