Fagg, William | Day 9

Received £4 for a committee room and £39 which he distributed to ten people 3L. each, two 4L, and one man 1L.

Witness Type: Briber, Publican, Beerhouse Keeper, Treater

Party: Liberal

Witness Testimony:

  • 10351.

    Ten people 3L. each, two 4L, and one man 1L. ? — Yes.

  • 10352.

    Making 39L. ? —Yes.

  • 10353.

    You have also received 4L. from Mr. Coleman, and you paid that sum of 39L. to the people whose names are here ? — Yes.

  • 10354.

    For their votes ? —Yes, all but 1L. 1L. Coleman paid Quested, and I paid him the remaining 2L. I received 3L. from Coleman to pay Mr. Fears, and I received Mr. Coleman’s 4L. I have added up the balance. I have a claim on Mr. Coleman.

  • 10355.

    (Mr. Turner.) You paid 39L. to these men ? — Yes.

  • 10356.

    Were they all voters ? —Yes, all voters.

  • 10357.

    You paid it for their votes ? —Yes, or else I could not get them to remain on the Liberal side. Mr. Coleman and I worked together, and that I gave them to keep them from being brought over by the Conservatives.

  • 10358.

    (Mr. Holl.) You paid the men named here to help them to vote for the Liberal side ? — Yes, as they had done before. The previous election was a walkover, but I had assisted Mr. Coleman preyious to that in the election before that but I had nothing to do with paying any money.

  • 10359.

    Can you put down the addresses of those different people, or their numbers on the register ? — I do not know the numbers on the register. I know where most of those men live.

  • 10360.

    Write down on this side, opposite their names, where each of them lives ? — I wilL (The witness did so.)

  • 10361.

    (Mr. Turner.) Was that all you paid ? — Yes ; and that is all I have received. There is two persons I do not know the address of, but they are in Sandwich.

  • 10362.

    You have given us the address of all but two ? —Yes.

  • 10363.

    Then you do not know the address of Pearson or Gambell ? — Paradise Row is Gambell’s.

  • 10364.

    You do not know Pearson’s address ? — No, I do not.

  • 10365.

    (Mr. Jeune.) To whom did you give refreshments — only to the people who used Mr. Coleman’s name ? — No ; lots of others. I might say two thirds of the voters in Sandwich came to my house for refreshments.

  • 10366.

    A great many ? — Yes.

  • 10367.

    And you used your own discretion and gave them to anybody, and no doubt what they wanted you gave to them ? — I did not use my own discretion. They came and ordered what they thought proper, and when they got the drink they told me Mr. Coleman would pay for it.

  • 10368.

    Besides those who used Mr. Coleman’s name, did you supply refreshments to anybody else ? — I might a few — just one or two.

  • 10369.

    This money you paid to voters was paid out of your own pocket, was it ? — Yes ; by instructions from Mr. Coleman. I believe Mr. Coleman handed you in a list of some of those names as money that he claimed for.

  • 10370.

    That he had promised ? — Yes ; he did not know I had paid them.

  • 10371.

    They were people who had been promised ? — Yes.

  • 10372.

    (Mr. Turner,) It was your money that paid them ? — I did not pay any money until a week or ten days after the election.

  • 10373.

    (Mr, Jeune.) And then you paid it out of your own pocket ? — Yes, I paid all I promised.

  • 10374.

    And you have not received that amount ? — No. I could have it if I pressed for it. Mr. Coleman told me he would give me a cheque for it out of his own pocket, and I said I would wait till the thing was settled.

  • 10375.

    And you have not claimed it of anybody else ? —No.

  • 10376.

    You and Mr. Coleman worked together ? — Yes.