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:

  • 2414.

    Are you sure of that ? — Yes.

  • 2415.

    Had you any conversation with either of them about money at all ? — Not about money matters at all.

  • 2416.

    And you never heard since, in any way, who this individual was, or where this money came from ? — No.

  • 2417.

    Now, besides this money, 1,000L, or whatever sum it was, and the money you received to pay for the houses, and the money you received to pay for the canvassers, the 246L. and 42L. that you spoke of yesterday, and the 32L. for Sandwich, have you received any moneys whatever in connexion with this election ? — I cannot recollect any ; I had some moneys from Mr. Hughes ; . he sent me sometimes to pay accounts or things like that for him, and I paid them and returned them to him receipted.

  • 2418.

    Have you received any considerable sum ? — Not that I am aware of.

  • 2419.

    Not that you are aware of, you say, but have you received any sum of money, such as 20L. or 25L., besides those sums I have mentioned ? — I might have done. I really cannot tell from memory.

  • 2420.

    Did you distribute any other money whatever among voters ? — I had nothing to do with the distributing the money otherwise than as I said.

  • 2421.

    You distributed this among 20 people ? — Yes, but not otherwise.

  • 2422.

    Had you anything to do with distributing any money till this money came which you have spoken of ? You know what I mean by “distributing,” not paying bon& fide accounts. Had you anything to do with paying any money, directly or indirectly, for mere colourable employment or mere colourable work, to any voter beyond this sum you mentioned ? — I have no recollection of paying any. I had nothing to do with the other employment — the employment of messengers or anything like that.

  • 2423.

    Did you pay any money to any voter for his vote ? — Not that I am aware of.

  • 2424.

    Surely if you paid money to any voter for his vote you would know it ? — I had nothing to do with the voters, merely the canvassers.

  • 2425.

    You do not seem to understand what I mean. Did you yourself personally pay, or had you indirectly anything to do with paying, any persons for their votes ? — I think not.

  • 2426.

    You think not ? — I have no recollection of any. I had nothing to do with the voters.

  • 2427.

    If you had given any man any sum of money to vote for Mr. Roberts surely you would remember it ? — I have not ; I had nothing to do with the voters.

  • 2428.

    Do you say that you do not remember, or that you have not ? — I don’t remember.

  • 2429.

    Do you say you have not given any ? — I don’t believe I did give any to anyone. I had nothing to do with the voters.

  • 2430.

    It seems odd you should say, “I don’t remember having done it,” and “ I am not aware of it.” Surely if you paid any man for his vote you would recollect it ?

  • 2431.

    Then surely you can say positively one way or the other, “ I did ” or ” I did not.” If you did, there is really no harm in your saying so, because you have told us you have distributed a good deal, and a few 10L., or 20L., does not matter much ? — I really cannot recollect ; I would tell you if I knew.

  • 2432.

    Your bona fide belief is that you did not distribute or pay away any other money but what you have told us of ? — Quite so.

  • 2433.

    (Mr. Jeune.) Did you do any canvassing ? — No.

  • 2434.

    Not yourself ? — No.

  • 2435.

    I see you are put down in the list of canvassers as receiving 6L. 3s. ? — Yes.

  • 2436.

    Did you do any canvassing ? — No. I merely assisted the others in canvassing. I assisted Mr. Hughes in going about and in going round to different places, showing him round, and cutting out the districts.

  • 2437.

    Did not you talk to people yourself ? — No. I may have asked one or two if they would vote for Mr. Roberts, but I did not go into it. I took the envelopes out and returned the promises.

  • 2438.

    Did not any of the people you saw ask you for anything ? — I told them I had nothing to do with that. I had nothing myself at the time, so I could not promise them. I had little to do with canvassing ; the principal part was those houses, to see that the BILLS were kept in the window.

  • 2439.

    You saw Mr. Hughes about as soon as he came down here ? — I did.

  • 2440.

    And then you were about with him pretty constantly, I suppose ; you saw him every day ? — Yes, showing him the different places.

  • 2441.

    So you were in his company and in his sight, I suppose, pretty well every day, between the time he first came down and the time of the election ? — Sometimes I did not see him, perhaps for a whole day or a couple of days, and then, perhaps, I had five minutes with him and I would not see him again, he would be busy in the COMMITTEE ROOM, and at night he would be attending those meetings.

  • 2442.

    Now did not Mr. Hughes give you to understand that it was possible money might come to you to be distributed ? — At first he gave me to understand he was not going to spend any money at all.

  • 2443.

    But afterwards ? — Afterwards he found he could not get on without it.