Ralph, Thomas | Day 22

Received £20 from Mr Olds to distribute, £5 from Dr Hulke for attending meetings and a sovereign from Mr Simmons given to the wife of Mr Cribbens who was ailing and had died by the time of the trial. Dr Hulke was reluctant to admit giving money to Ralph who had voted for the Liberals in prior elections.

Witness Type: Briber, Councillor / Alderman

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 21588.

    I will not ask you as to such sums as 5s, or 2s 6d, but are you sure that the £20 and the £1 to Mrs. Cribben, are all the sums that you have given to voters for their votes ? — Yes.

  • 21589.

    The £20 was given to these men for their votes ? — No, not £20. It is £18, you will find.

  • 21590.

    What became of the other £2 ? — There was 15s, as I tell you, for these three boatmen, and there were several other little things that I cannot bring to mind.

  • 21591.

    Cannot you remember what you did with the other £1 5s ? — I do not like to bring the dead into question, because I am very particular.

  • 21592.

    It cannot do them any harm if you tell us the truth ? — There was one poor man named Snoswell who was very bad with his back, and I gave him 5s on two occasions before the election, but there was nothing said about his vote.

  • 21593.

    Beyond this £20, and the £1 that you give to Mrs. Cribben, did you receive any money from anyone for the purpose of being paid away again to voters ? — No, not a farthing.

  • 21594.

    Are you quite sure of that ? — Yes, quite sure.

  • 21595.

    £18 was given to these men for their vote ? — Yes.

  • 21596.

    From whom did you receive the £20 ? — From Mr. Olds.

  • 21597.

    Do you remember when you received this ? — I think it was upon the Friday following the election.

  • 21598.

    Did you pay this after the election was over ? — Yes.

  • 21599.

    Are you sure of that ? — Yes.

  • 21600.

    When did you pay the money to these men ? — I think upon the Friday morning, or during the day.

  • 21601.

    Surely you paid these men the money before they voted ? — No.

  • 21602.

    Are you quite sure of that ? — Yes, I am quite sure of it.

  • 21603.

    We have heard before that all the money was disbursed on the Monday, the day before the election ? — No, I never had a farthing till after the election.

  • 21604.

    Had you promised these men before ? — Yes.

  • 21605.

    And you paid them on the Friday ? — Yes, I had promised them before, but I am satisfied that I did not have a farthing to pay them with till the Friday morning following the election.

  • 21606.

    Now with regard to the £5 that you received from Dr. Hulke; was that all the money you received ? — Yes, that is every farthing.

  • 21607.

    That you kept yourself ? — Yes, that I kept myself.

  • 21608.

    What do you say that was for ? — That was for being called out, and attending meetings, and for my own personal expenses which at election times one is apt to spend.

  • 21609.

    You had done no canvassing you say ? — No, I had done no canvassing, only going about to the different meetings.

  • 21610.

    What do you mean by those expenses which at election times one is apt to incur ? — By going about out of my ordinary course.

  • 21611.

    You mean, do you not, treating people occasionally when you met them ? — No, I never treated. I can say to you without any blush at all that I never treated anybody to a thing during the election.

  • 21612.

    Then what kind of expenses would they be. There would be none, would there ? — They gave me that to attend the meetings, at all events.

  • 21613.

    (Mr. Turner.) But it was given to you after you had attended the meetings ? — It was upon the afternoon of the election day, something like 3 o’clock, and I said to Dr. Hulke, “Doctor, I have been a little out of pocket by being out of the ordinary line, and I think really that my services ought to be recognised in some shape or form for the trouble I have taken in going about and talking to the people.”

  • 21614.

    (Mr. Holl.) It was the expenditure of nothing but a little trouble which you did voluntarily beforehand, and then just at the critical time of the day of voting you ask for some remuneration, and this £5 is given to you ? — Yes, £5 was given to me.

  • 21615.

    That was before you voted ? — No. The poll was not open that day half an hour before I recorded my vote; at all events, I had recorded my vote before half past eight.

  • 21616.

    (Mr. Turner.) All the money you were out of pocket did not come to anything like £5 ? — No, and I have got £2 or £3 by me now which I am going to spend this Christmas for some of them. It would only have cost me, perhaps, £2 or £3 going about, and having different things, as one would have at such times.