Olds, Samuel | Day 2

In total Olds received £2,500, purely for bribing Publicans and voters.
He secured and paid for committee rooms in 88 public houses – 71 in Deal & Walmer, according to testimony by Daniel George Frederick Simmons, plus 17 in Sandwich. Each was paid £5 a-piece. Well over the odds when their annual rent was on average £12.

In November 1881 he was found guilty and sentenced to six months hard labour. Released in May 1882.

Witness Type: Briber, Councillor / Alderman, No Indemnity

Party: Conservative

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 3 | Day 14

Witness Testimony:

  • 1895.

    Was it one 10L or two 10L ? — One 10L. and 12L.

  • 1896.

    That is only 22L., and the amount was 32L. ; you told me that you gave each 10L., then you said that you paid the whole to Mr. Hughes, and he paid the others, and then you said that you had a receipt for 12L. and two 10L. ; how much did you give to Hughes ? — He had 32L.

  • 1897.

    In what payments was it made, one, two, or three ? — I think in three payments.

  • 1898.

    One of 12L., and the other two 10L. each ? — Yes.

  • 1899.

    Are you sure of that, or are you speaking at random ? — I cannot be positive, but I believe it was paid in three instalments.

  • 1900.

    In three sums of 12L., 10L., and 10L ? — Yes.

  • 1901.

    Did you get a receipt from him for that amount of 32L. ? — Yes.

  • 1902.

    How did you get it, in three receipts ? — Yes, three receipts.

  • 1903.

    Did you get three receipts or one receipt ? — Three.

  • 1904.

    Three separate receipts ? — I should think so.

  • 1905.

    I do not want you to think about it ? — I cannot be positive.

  • 1906.

    Really you can hardly be serious in telling us that. You cannot recollect whether you paid Hughes in three sums or one, and whether you got one receipt or three ? — They were paid at three different times, so there would not be one receipt.

  • 1907.

    Did you get any receipt from Mr. Hughes of Sandwich ; are you positive about it ? — I should have to give an account to Mr. Hughes, our agent here, that they had received the money. I should have to bring some kind of receipt to him to prove it.

  • 1908.

    You are a man of business, and it is not what you would have to do, but what is the fact ; did you or not get a receipt from Hughes ? — I should think so, certainly.

  • 1909.

    You should think, you say ; cannot you tell us something more satisfactory than that ; of course, any man may think he would get a receipt, but did you get one ? — I believe I did, but I cannot say positively.

  • 1910.

    Do you really seriously say that you would go and pay Mr. Hughes a sum of 32L. on account of this election, and cannot remember whether you took from him any receipt or memorandum of that payment ; you must be able, if you think, to tell us one way or the other whether you did take a receipt or you did not ; whichever way it was, tell me what the fact is ? — I have no cause for keeping it back if I could recollect it, but I certainly do not want to say anything that is not the fact. I should say I am certain almost to have had a receipt.

  • 1911.

    (Mr. Turner.) Mr. Hughes, the agent, would have it if you did do so ? — Yes, Mr. Hughes would have it with his papers.

  • 1912.

    (Mr. Holl.) Can you say anything more satisfactory than that you think you did ; cannot you remember whether you did or did not ? — I cannot be positive, but I think so.

  • 1913.

    Of course you cannot tell, then, whether you gave Mr. Edwin Hughes the receipt ? — If I got a receipt I should return it to our agent, and he is certain almost to have a receipt.

  • 1914.

    As far as we know, he has not ; or at any rate he has not returned it amongst his vouchers. Cannot you, seriously speaking, give any more (I must use the word) satisfactory account than this, whether or not you did get a receipt from Mr. Hughes ? — I think I must say, yes, there was a receipt.

  • 1915.

    Really, your manner of giving your evidence obliges me to ask you whether you will really swear that you did get a receipt. You must remember this is no trifling matter, and I must ask you to think seriously, because I cannot help thinking that up to the present your answers have been most unsatisfactory ? — I know I paid the money.

  • 1916.

    I say again you must know, and I cannot help saying it, whether you took a receipt for 32L, or not ? — I might have taken a receipt for 10L. and a receipt, perhaps, for another 10L., and a receipt for 12L.

  • 1917.

    Of course, you might have taken a receipt for those three sums or no receipt at all, or a receipt for a portion ; what I am asking you to tell us is what you did do ? — I cannot be positive.

  • 1918.

    That is all you can say ? — Yes.

  • 1919.

    You cannot tell us whether you took any receipt at all ? — I cannot say I did, but I should think most likely it would be in three receipts.

  • 1920.

    I do not want what you think, but what you really did do ? — I cannot speak to be satisfactory about it.

  • 1921.

    You cannot say whether you gave Mr. Edwin Hughes a receipt or not for that sum ? — No, I cannot If I paid the money I should be sure to let Mr. Hughes know by some means that I had paid the money.

  • 1922. [Mr. Turner.) You sent receipts for all the other payments of 6L. to the canvassers ? — Yes. (Mr. Holl.) We must not take that; if Mr. Hughes ever had them he has not returned them with his expenses.

  • 1923.

    (Mr. Turner.) You say you did so ? — Yes ; one 10L., I recollect, was sent by a person by rail to Mr. Hughes.

  • 1924.

    (Mr. Holl.) Who was that ? — A passenger going over, and I wrote to Mr. Hughes to meet the train.