Testimonies

Crompton-Roberts, Charles Henry | Day 17

Witness Type: Candidate / MP

Party: Conservative

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 16 | Day 20

Witness Testimony:

• 18448.

  (Mr Holl) I see here – and I am only taking the larger items – “Egbert Hayward, for apartments, as per receipt, £12 12s.” What was that ? — I was expecting several friends down. I wrote to a good many to come and help me, and I asked them to get me some nice apartments for a gentleman and his wife that I expected were coming down, and they took these apartments. They asked me how long they should take them for, and, if my memory serves me right, I said, “Take them for a fortnight or three weeks,” and that is one of the sets of apartments that were taken for me.

• 18449.

  It was £6 6s a week ? — I do not know. My sons came from Eton, and occupied those apartments, and two other friends besides.

• 18450.

  Then I see “Mrs Cocks,” or “Mrs Crofts,” for charity, as directed ? — That is the person I alluded to before, who lived below the street.

• 18451.

  Do you know how that was disbursed ? — It was in cash. I mentioned that to you. I did not know whether it was £2, £3, or £5.

• 18452.

  Then I see here, “Sums at various times, handed to Dr Hulke, Mr Bristow, Alderman Ralph,” and others, for small charities, and distributed as recommended by them, £18.” Do you know how and in what way that was distributed ? — I had not read the account through before last Thursday.

• 18453.

  And distributed, as recommended by them, £18. Was it Mr Simmons duty to distribute this money ? — That is his account of it. I do think I ever read the account through before.

• 18454.

  Do you know how much money was received by each or any of these gentlemen mentioned here, or how the money was disbursed ? — No, I do not know at all.

• 18455.

  Have you never enquired of Mr Simmons ? — No.

• 18456.

  I understand that this £60, amongst other items, you got from your housekeeper ? — She held the money in custody for me.

• 18457.

  In the way you have mentioned to us you left the money in her charge ? — Yes.

• 18458.

  (Mr Jeune) Why did you not give Mr Simmons a cheque ? — Because I happened to have got that money in cash.

• 18459.

  £60 is a largish sum to give. Did he ask you for a cheque, or did you suggest to him to have a cheque, or did he ask for the money in cash ? — He did not ask me one way or the other; I had the money in the house, and gave it to him.

• 18460.

  When do you say you first saw this actual paper ? — My impression is within a week after the election was over. I should think about that time.

• 18461.

  You saw here upon it, “Disbursements and expenses at 70 public-houses while engaged with S Olds, in securing the same for the election, £17.” Did it not strike you to inquire how that £17 had been spent ? — My intention was, and I thought I had sent that to Mr Hughes. My impression is that I wrote to Mr Hughes with that account, and I thought Mr Hughes would investigate all that.

• 18462.

  This was money that you had given to Mr Simmons, and had so taken it out of Mr Hughes’ hands ? —I meant to have it back again from Mr Hughes.

• 18463.

  Is it your impression that you sent it to Mr Hughes, and directed him to investigate it ? — No. I thought I had done so, and when Mr Spofforth, on one or two occasions reminded me that I was owing his clerk a sum of money, I said, “I believe Mr Hughes has got the account, and if he has not got it, I must have a hunt for it.”

• 18464.

  Did it not strike you that this item “Disbursements and expenses at 70 public-houses, while engaged with S Olds in securing the same for the election, £17” must have been for illegal expenditure ? — I am afraid to say that I never read that account through.

• 18465.

  I must ask you the same question about this other item: “Sums at various times handed to Dr Hulke, Mr Bristow, Alderman Ralph, and others, for small charities, and distributed as recommended by them, £18.” Did you make any enquiry of Mr Simmons as to what these small charities were ? — No. No enquiry at all.

• 18466.

  Did it not strike you that “small charities, £18″ the day before the polling, was a thing at least very suggestive ? — Although Mr Simmons may have put down the date of the 17th May against that item, I do not suppose for a moment, speaking as a commercial man, that all the sums were disbursed upon that date. Mr Simmons was down there for over a fortnight, and if he were asked on my behalf to subscribe to this, that, or the other, and he thought he ought to do it, he may have lumped them down in one sum.

• 18467.

  Did you not make any enquiries as to what these “small charities” at the election time were ? — No.

• 18468.

  Did you as a matter of fact send this account to Mr Hughes at all ? — I should say positively not, because I found it the other night, although I was under the impression that I had done so.

• 18469.

  (Mr Holl) These two items of £60 and £5 account for £65 out of £104, leaving £39 of that account unaccounted for. And I see, besides that, that there are items, taking them altogether, amounting to £88 cash received by you; that is to say, £88 in addition to the £39, which is the balance of the £104, making altogether in round numbers £127 still received by you in cash ? — I have been through each item as figured there, and I have taken off every bill that is represented there, and I find amongst those not down a receipt for £5 5s from Deal, Walmer, and Kingsdown Boatmen’s Benevolent Fund (handing a paper).

• 18470.

  Was that a subscription paid by you to that fund ? — Yes.

• 18471.

  The receipt is dated May 17th, I see. Do I understand you to say that this was paid out of the extra sums handed to you ? — Yes.

• 18472.

  Do you know when this subscription was paid ? — I paid it myself, I know, but I do not think they sent me the receipt till three or four days afterwards. There are also these receipts (handing a bundle of papers) not entered in that account, and, besides, all the money that Mrs Crompton Roberts had all the time she was there came out of the same money.

• 18473.

  (Mr Jeune) Mrs Crompton Roberts would not probably pay this bill for milk herself ? — No, I do not suppose she would, but what I mean is this: they could not have been paid without money, and inasmuch as they do not appear there, the money must have come from somewhere. I bring these as extra bills which do not figure in that account.

• 18474.

  (Mr Holl) I make these altogether, including the subscription to the Deal, Walmer, and Kingsdown Boatmen’s Benevolent Fund, amount to something like £14 ? — Yes, and I have done all I can to fish up the others.

• 18475.

  I see there is one bill here, “Henry Cogger, Family and Commercial Hotel, Sandwich: luncheons, £1 15s; five bottles of champagne, £2 10s.” And then there is £1 10s in addition with no item opposite to it ? — That is a bill that my sons paid for me.

• 18476.

  Do you know who these luncheons were supplied to ? — I went over with my own personal friends in a drag, and addressed a meeting, and afterwards the ladies and all of us had a luncheon there together.

• 18477.

  I understand that you paid this subscription to the Boatmen’s Benevolent Fund yourself ? — Yes, I think it was two or three days earlier than the date of the receipt.