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:

  • 2444.

    And then he found he had to spend money ? — He had to spend money in many ways, such as flag POLES, and putting them up. He objected to them being put up, and colours as well

  • 2445.

    At first ? — Yes.

  • 2446.

    And then he found that he could not get along without it ? — Yes, he found he could not get along without it.

  • 2447.

    And in some way, as time went on, you found money would have to be spent, did you not ? — Yes, that money would have to be spent.

  • 2448.

    And you thought, I suppose, just before the election, that unless money was spent on it you would not have much of a chance ? — I think we should if we had known who we had got to contend with, but other- wise we should not.

  • 2449.

    And you talked to Mr. Hughes about this, and told him money would have to be spent ? — I told him it would be no use to contest it without money, not with any chance of success.

  • 2450.

    Did not Mr. Hughes tell you, when he found that out, that money would be forthcoming in due time ? — He might have done. I cannot speak for certainty.

  • 2451.

    Did not he say, “It will be all right before the day comes,” or something of that sort, or “ Never you mind, there will be money enough before the election comes off;” did not he say something of that sort to you ? — I cannot recollect.

  • 2452.

    He might have ? — He might have done. I cannot recollect.

  • 2453.

    “When you saw this dark man come in with a bag I suppose you guessed what he had come for ? — He told me. He asked me if I was Mr. Olds, and I said, “Yes.”

  • 2454.

    And so you did not open the bag at once and count the money as you would have done if you had never heard a word about it before, I suppose ? — I wanted to get rid of it as quick as I could.

  • 2455.

    You knew there was money in that bag ? — Yes, he told me, and I am under the impression still that he might have said it was l,000L. I am still under that impression. Not counting it, it might have been more, or it might have been less, but I am under the impression he stated it was 1,000L.

  • 2456.

    You rather expected, did you not, that somehow or other money would come down just before the election ? — I expected it would.

  • 2457.

    It is not the first time it has happened in Sandwich, is it, that on the day before the election money has come down ? — I don’t know. I had nothing to do with it before.

  • 2458.

    But by common report you have heard it is a thing that does sometimes happen ? — I have heard it has been so for years ; that they are obliged to have money down.

  • 2459.

    So you rather thought that, on the Monday before the election, money would come from some- where ? — Yes.

  • 2460.

    And when you found that you were the recipient you were not very much surprised ? — I was rather surprised it came to me. I expected some money would come down from some source or other.

  • 2461.

    I suppose that in conversation with Mr. Hughes about wanting money, and your finding that money would have to be spent, he rather led you to suppose that money would come down, or you supposed that from what Mr. Hughes had said to you ? — First of all he did not intend to spend money, then he found he must. He led me to suppose there would be money, but he objected to spending money on many occasions.

  • 2462.

    Unless it was absolutely necessary ? — Yes.

  • 2463.

    When he found it was quite necessary, of course it had to be done ? — Yes.

  • 2464.

    (Mr. Turner,) Who did you expect that money would come to ? — I had no idea.

  • 2465.

    (Mr. Holl.) You have told us that a number of people about the streets used to tell you that they expected money, or asked you whether money was coming down, which led you to believe that they expected it ? — Many of them asked whether there was any money.

  • 2466.

    You told that to Mr. Hughes ? — I told Mr. Hughes that people were repeatedly asking for it

  • 2467.

    You told him that people were. asking you whether money would come down, and were expecting it ; you told him that, did you ? — I might have done.

  • 2468.

    I think you told me before that you did ? — I think I did.

  • 2469.

    What did he say ? — I cannot recollect what remark he made.

  • 2470.

    Did he say, “Never mind, that will be all right ” ? — He might have done so.

  • 2471.

    But did he. Have you any recollection ? — I cannot recollect the remark he made.

  • 2472.

    I do not want the precise words. When you told him that people were constantly asking you whether money was coming, or were expecting it, what did he say to you ; did he say anything to you, and if so, what did he say about it ? — I cannot recollect the remark he made now.

  • 2473.

    Did he say anything that left that impression upon your mind ? — He merely substantiated what I said, that he thought he could not get on without it.