Axon, James | Day 5

Looked after poles. Money received was in 3 payments of £9 and one of £27. Edward Kynaston testified to giving him £18 but he claimed that would have been part of the £54 received.

Witness Type: Briber

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 4617.

    I suppose you only had to WATCH the POLES on your own side ? — Yes, that is all.

  • 4618.

    When you first began to WATCH there were none up upon the other side ; they were all your POLES ? — Yes, all Conservative POLES then, for about five or six nights.

  • 4619.

    Can you tell me about how many there were when you first began to WATCH ? — About 18 POLES.

  • 4620.

    There were 18 of you, and 18 POLES, so that there was a man to a pole ? — I could not say to one or two.

  • 4621.

    Can you tell me how many there were put up before the Liberals put up any ; before they came upon the field indeed ? You say, for five or six nights there were none of the other side put up ? — There were one or two Liberal POLES up then.

  • 4622.

    How many were there of yours about ? Of course I do not want it exactly ? — I should think the first five or six days there were 15 or 16 in the districts we had to look after ; but people had put up POLES in their own yards, but that was nothing to do with us.

  • 4623.

    Were you engaged for Walmer alone, or Deal and Walmer ? — Walmer. We had nothing to do with Deal at all.

  • 4624.

    There were 18 of you to WATCH the POLES of Walmer alone ? — Yes.

  • 4625.

    Did you WATCH them at night at all ? — Yes.

  • 4626.

    How many of you stayed up ? — We used to be in two divisions. Some took the fore part, and some the morning part ; WATCH and WATCH.

  • 4627.

    In divisions of nine ? — Yes.

  • 4628.

    Nine of you took the day, and nine the night ? — No, we were not about in the day WATCHING; mere was no fear of the POLES being cut in the day, but it was in the night we were WATCHING.

  • 4629.

    Each division took half the night ? — Yes.

  • 4630.

    Was there any attempt made to injure the POLES ? — There were some crawling about in the night, but when they saw anybody upon the move they were off.

  • 4631.

    There were not many people about at night at all, were there ? — I do not know, there were a good many about at different times. When the other party got about I daresay they had a WATCHING party also.

  • 4632.

    Do you remember the election of 1874 ? — I was here.

  • 4633.

    Did you have any employment at that time ? — No, nor yet voted.

  • 4634.

    Had you a vote ? — Yes.

  • 4635.

    You got no employment, so you did not vote ? — It was not for that reason at all.

  • 4636.

    Was it not ; how came you not to vote in 1874 ? — Because I was away.

  • 4637.

    This time you were here, and voted ? — Yes. We thought we would have a few beans as well as the rest.