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:

  • 19901.

    Cannot you remember coming back from Dover with these notes and cheque, whether you changed them the next day, or whether you kept them ? — I think I changed them the next day for gold.

  • 19902.

    Surely you would remember whether you changed them, or kept them over the Saturday and Sunday ? — If you have the cheque there would be an endorsement upon it.

  • 19903.

    (Mr. Jeune.) Who was the cheque drawn by, and to whom ? — I do not remember at all.

  • 19904.

    (Mr. Holl.) Surely you must remember whether you kept those notes and the cheque all Saturday and Sunday, or whether you changed them upon the Saturday or the Monday. Where did you go to stay in London ? — I went down to my house at Woolwich.

  • 19905.

    Try and think. You did change the notes upon the Saturday ? — I think it must have been upon the Saturday that I changed them.

  • 19906.

    Had you any reason for keeping them till the Monday, do you remember ? — No.

  • 19907.

    What were your directions to do with the money, when you met Mr. Olds and received it ? — To change it into gold.

  • 19908.

    And do what ? — To take it back to him at his house.

  • 19909.

    Had you any instructions not to bring it down till Monday ? — No, I had no instructions about that. It was left entirely to me to take it down either upon the Saturday or the Monday, and whether it was Saturday or Monday, I really cannot say at the present time.

  • 19910.

    Can you remember whether you changed the notes and the cheque on the Saturday or the Monday? Did you change them the day after you came up from Dover, or did you wait a day or two, and kept them ? — No, I think it was the day after l received the notes from Olds that I changed them, but I am undecided about the day I went down,

  • 19911.

    You are certain that you went to Dover upon the Friday, and came up upon the evening of that day ? — Yes, upon the Friday.

  • 19912.

    And are you sure that you changed the notes into gold the next day ? — Yes.

  • 19913.

    Surely you can remember whether you took down the notes to Deal that evening, or whether you kept them in London, and if so, where. Did you take the gold down to Woolwich ? — No, I did not take it to Woolwich.

  • 19914.

    Have you any house in London ? — No, I have no house in London.

  • 19915.

    Where would you take it to in London, if you did not take it down to Deal ? — I think I must have taken it down upon the Saturday.

  • 19916.

    Did you stay in London before you went down to to Deal, and if so, where ? — I went and dined, I think, before I went down.

  • 19917.

    Did you stay Saturday night in London ? — I came up again, I think, upon the Saturday evening to London.

  • 19918.

    From Deal ? — Yes.

  • 19919.

    Try and think again whether you are sure, or not, that you went down to Deal upon the Saturday. You say you changed the notes upon the Saturday morning. Did you go down to Deal the same day that you changed the notes into gold, or not ? — I do not know whether I went upon that day or not, but I think I must have gone down to Deal upon the Saturday.

  • 19920.

    Cannot you remember whether you took the gold down that evening to Deal, or whether you kept it in London, or whether you took it to Woolwich ? — As far as my memory serves me, I think I must have taken it down upon the Saturday to Deal.

  • 19921.

    Can you remember taking the gold anywhere else to keep it ? — No. I have not the slightest recollection of anything beyond taking it down.

  • 19922.

    One would think having the responsibility of £1000 in gold, you would remember whether you took it straight down to Deal, or whether you kept it somewhere m London, or whether you took it to Woolwich for a day or two ? — I know I took the notes to Woolwich myself upon the Friday evening, for security.

  • 19923.

    And you brought them up the next morning, and changed them into gold ? — Yes.

  • 19924.

    Did you take the gold to Woolwich ? — No. I think I must have taken it down to Deal upon the Saturday.

  • 19925.

    Did you keep the gold for a day or two anywhere in London ? — No, not to my recollection.

  • 19926.

    You think you must have taken it down to Deal upon the same day that you changed it ? — Yes, I think so.

  • 19927.

    Can you remember keeping it anywhere else for a day or two ? — No, I do not remember it. I think I must have gone to Deal the same day, but I am rather fogged upon that question.

  • 19928.

    Have you any recollection of taking the gold anywhere else ? — No, I have not.

  • 19929.

    If you did not go to Deal the same day, where could you have taken the gold to ? — I think I must have taken it down upon the Saturday, now it comes to my recollection, because I would not take that sum of money down to Woolwich.

  • 19930.

    At Deal you delivered the money over to Olds ? — Yes.