Olds, Samuel | Day 3
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 2 | Day 14
Witness Testimony:
- 2354.
Did not you inquire of any of them, or did not any of them say who had told them to say so ? — No.
- 2355.
Do you mean to say all of them came and said exactly the same words, “We were told to see you,” and did not say by whom ? — That was the general thing. We have so many voters here.
- 2356.
Do you mean to say that none of them said to you, “Mr. Hughes has told us to come to you” ? — I cannot recollect that any of them did ; they might have said so ; I could not be positive.
- 2357.
Did they not leave any impression on your mind as to who had told them to come and see you ? — No.
- 2358.
Do you know now who told them ? — I don’t know. It very soon got spread abroad.
- 2359.
Do you mean to say you never asked any of them, or any of them ever told you who it was told them to come and see you ? — I might have asked, but I cannot recollect now.
- 2360.
What was the answer ? — I don’t recollect asking any of them or their passing any remark.
- 2361.
Do think for a moment. Do you mean to tell us that 20 men came to you, and all said the same thing ? — They said “We have heard you have some money, and we have come for it.”
- 2362.
You paid them every one, and you have no notion of who it was told them to come to you ? — I could not tell who sent them. They will be able to tell you who sent them, and where they got the information. They might possibly get it from one another ; it would not be from one in particular. One might come and receive money, and he might go back and tell the others where to come for it, and one might send another.
- 2363.
Had you received any instructions with regard to this money other than those you mentioned from this stranger ? — No other instructions.
- 2364.
Or from anyone ? — No.
- 2365.
Are you quite certain about that ? — Yes.
- 2366.
Do you mean that Mr. Hughes had never mentioned to you that money might be coming down, or that you might expect some money, which you would be required to distribute ? — Not that I am aware of ; not this money; other moneys Mr. Hughes mentioned himself.
- 2367.
I am speaking of this money. Do you mean that you had no intimation from him that money would come down to you which you would be required or deputed to dispose of ? — No, I had not.
- 2368.
What other moneys had he mentioned to you before ? — Well, I paid for the houses and various other things. For the houses I paid as I stated yesterday.
- 2369.
Had you any other money whatever besides this money that the stranger brought you and that which you received to. pay for the houses and the sums you mentioned yesterday to pay the canvassers ? — Not that I am aware of.
- 2370.
I must get you to think again about this matter. You cannot have got 1,000L. brought to you in this kind of way without having had some intimation from somebody that money would come to you in this way, or money would come to you from somebody, and that you were to distribute it. They would not send down 1,000L. to you and never say a word to you beforehand ? — I had no idea about the money coming to me until I found the man in the house, not from anyone else. I expected there would be money down.
- 2371.
Why did you expect there would be money down ? — I naturally expected someone would bring some money down, but not to me.
- 2372.
Why ? — There generally has been money in elections, but I had no idea of getting it myself.
- 2373.
You do not mean to say they sent you this 1,000L. in this kind of mysterious manner, without your having the slightest knowledge or idea it was coming ? — I had no idea it was coming till it came.
- 2374.
Not the precise amount, but you knew money was coming to you to distribute ? — I did not.
- 2375.
Do you mean you never had any intimation that you would be the person who would be asked to take the responsibility or the duty of distributing this money among the persons where it could be most usefully used ? — I did not know who would be appointed. I was not aware who would be appointed for the occasion.
- 2376.
Had you no intimation about it at all ? — No.
- 2377.
Then do I understand you to say it was really the fact; you had no idea that this man was coming to you from anyone ? — Our agent knew nothing about it. I asked him, and he know nothing about it.
- 2378.
I am not asking you about afterwards, but beforehand. Had not you an intimation or an idea that it was probable that this money would come to someone, and probably to you or some one else, to distribute ? — I had no idea.
- 2379.
Had you any idea it would come to somebody to distribute ? — No, nor from what source it would come.
- 2380.
Had you any idea it would come from some source ? — No. I had an idea there would be money coming down, but I had no idea in what form or who it would come to.
- 2381.
Why had you an idea that money would come down ? — There very often is money brought down for elections.
- 2382.
Was that your only reason ? — Yes.
- 2383.
Had you no other reason than that ? — No other reason.