Horne, William B. | Day 19

Received cheque from Mr James Rolls Hoare, business partner of Mr Crompton Roberts for £1400. He paid £400 into the Glyn Mill’s bank and £1000 into a bank in Calais. Likely to have been the dark man referred to in various testimonies – Samuel Olds, George Friend etc. Lived in Woolwich at the time of the election. Olds subsequently went to Calais to get the money and returned with £700 and a cheque for £281 which he gave to Horne at Dover. Olds retained £15 and the remaining £4 was currency exchange.

Witness Type: Briber

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 19871.

    It was in an envelope fastened down in the ordinary way ? — Yes.

  • 19872.

    Try and remember whether it was written in pencil or in ink upon the envelope ? — As far as I can recollect it was written in ink.

  • 19873.

    In whose handwriting ? — Really I cannot say whether it was Mr. Hughes’ handwriting or Mr. Crompton Roberts’. I did not pay particular attention at the time.

  • 19874.

    Cannot you remember whether it was Mr. Hughes’ handwriting, or not ? — No; I cannot say which it was.

  • 19875.

    You do not know ? — No.

  • 19876.

    Did you see the paper that was inside it ? — No.

  • 19877.

    You went to Mr. Hoare with this envelope ? — Yes.

  • 19878.

    Did you ask to see Mr. Hoare ? — Yes, and I saw him.

  • 19879.

    And handed the envelope to him ? — Yes.

  • 19880.

    You did not see what was inside it ? — No.

  • 19881.

    In return he gave you, what ? — He gave me another note, sealed, and inside it was this cheque for £1400.

  • 19882.

    I should like you to try and recollect whether this envelope was directed by Mr. Hughes ? — I cannot recollect. I never thought there would be any question about it, or anything of the kind.

  • 19883.

    You got a note from Mr. Hoare enclosing a cheque ? — Yes.

  • 19884.

    And you took that to the bank ? — Yes. Glyn, Mill’s bank in Lombard Street.

  • 19885.

    And you got £1400 ? — Yes. £1000 I paid into the bank at Calais, and £400 I paid in to Mr. Hughes’ credit.

  • 19886.

    How did you get the £1400 from the bank ? Did you direct them to make the £1000 payable to Olds at this bank at Calais ? — Yes.

  • 19887.

    And £400 you paid into Mr. Hughes’ account ? — Yes.

  • 19888.

    Where were you when you got the letter from Mr. Hughes telling you to meet Olds at Dover ? — I was in London.

  • 19889.

    Had you been down before that at all to Deal ? — No.

  • 19890.

    You had never seen Olds up to that time ? — No, never, and I did not know who he was at all.

  • 19891.

    You got this note telling you to meet him at Dover ? — Yes.

  • 19892.

    Where did you meet him ? — At the Lord Warden Hotel.

  • 19893.

    Was that where you were directed to meet him ? — Yes.

  • 19894.

    How did you know him ? — I did not know him at all. The appointment was for the Lord Warden Hotel, and he came up and asked me if I had come from London. I said I had, and he said, “From Mr. Hughes,” and I said, “Yes.”

  • 19895.

    He said, “Do you know Mr. Hughes,” or something of that kind, and you said yes, and then he gave you the notes and the cheque ? — Yes.

  • 19896.

    And you went up to London that night ? — Yes, the same evening.

  • 19897.

    You cashed the cheque at what bank ? — I cannot say now, it was the bank upon which the cheque was drawn for £281.

  • 19898.

    You changed the notes into gold ? — Yes, at the Bank of England.

  • 19899.

    At what time of day did you do that ? — I think it was between 11 and 12 upon the Saturday morning.

  • 19900.

    Cannot you recollect whether you took the money down to Deal that same evening, or whether you took it anywhere in London? Surely you must remember where you took it to. You either took it down to Deal that evening, or kept it somewhere in London ? — I was just thinking whether I changed the notes that day, or upon the Monday. I really cannot recollect.