Spears, William Frost | Day 5

Volunteer to Mr Hughes, erected poles. Received £250 for erecting and removing poles and three payments of £9 some of which was paid to James Axon.

Witness Type: Briber

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

  • 4411.

    Two hundred people that you employed at different times in putting up these POLES ? — Yes.

  • 4412.

    And different people ? —Yes, different people.

  • 4413.

    You say the 40L. you had for taking down you shared amongst how many people ? — 180, that is Deal and Walmer Road, and they shared 4s. 5d. apiece, and they gave me 5s. for myself what was over. They reckoned it up, and they made out that 5s. was over, and they said, ” Bill, you may take that.”

  • 4414.

    When you say they shared it, how did you distribute it ? — There were so many people, and I gave them so much money, and they shared it among themselves.

  • 4415.

    They would not take down all the POLES at once ? — They were all day about it.

  • 4416.

    You say 180 men were employed; I suppose you first employed a certain number at one pole and others at another ? — Yes.

  • 4417.

    How did you know who you employed ; did you keep any memorandum, or did you pay them pole by pole as they were taken down ? — No, I paid one man, and he shared the money.

  • 4418.

    Did you pay them after it was all done ? —Yes, two days afterwards.

  • 4419.

    You did not pay them pole by pole ? — No.

  • 4420.

    You paid them after the whole thing was finished ? —Yes, the second day after election was all over we had the POLES taken down.

  • 4421.

    Was it after all the POLES had been taken down that you divided the money amongst the men who assisted in taking them down ? — Yes.

  • 4422.

    How did you know who had assisted or not ? — They knew themselves, you may depend upon that.

  • 4423.

    Supposing a party claimed to be paid who had not helped ? — The other parties would see about that.

  • 4424.

    There was a sort of foreman or ganger to see about that, do you mean ? — Yes.

  • 4425.

    After the POLES had been taken down people came to you, numbering 180, claiming to have assisted, and you distributed the money amongst them ? — Yes, they told me there were 180, and I gave 40L. to be divided amongst them. They told me it came to 4s. 5d each, but I never reckoned it up.

  • 4426.

    Except what you were told by the different leaders of the parties, you really knew nothing as to how many people were engaged ? — No, but they would take care that nobody else was paid but those who had assisted ; they would see that they should have no money.

  • 4427.

    You had 20L. for yourself ? —Yes.

  • 4428.

    What are you ? — I am a Deal boatman.

  • 4429.

    A boat owner ? — Partly.

  • 4430.

    I think you have a good deal of influence amongst the boatmen ? — No.

  • 4431.

    Do they look up to you as a leader ? — No, I have no influence whatever.

  • 4432.

    Do you not act to some extent as a leading man amongst them ? — No, I have nothing to do with them.

  • 4433.

    (Mr. Jeune.) You are modest; how do you think you came to be selected as a person who should arrange about all the POLES ? — I really do not know. I suppose because I am a little bit straight and honest, and pay anybody whatever I owe.

  • 4434.

    (Mr. Holl.) Altogether, what you received for putting up POLES, what was paid to other people, and what was paid for taking down, and what was got for yourself, it comes to for POLES, without the cordage. about 250L. ? — Probably it might

  • 4435.

    And including the cordage it comes to 279L. 19s. 9 1/2d ? — Probably it might. I have no receipts, but if I had known this bother had been coming I would have had receipts.

  • 4436.

    I see there is a sum of money put down, ” Spears for Axon, for canvassers, 18L,” is that you or your brother ? — I had nothing to do with it. My brother gave me 6L at starting.

  • 4437.

    Did any other money pass through your hands besides this money, which you say you distributed every shilling of amongst the men. You told us you had 6L given to you in the first instance, then a number of other sums, the precise amount of which you cannot tell, then & further sum for distributing amongst the men, and 40L for taking down the POLES, which you distributed, and 20L for yourself ? — Yes.

  • 4438.

    Besides those sums, did you receive any other moneys in connection with this election ? — Yes.

  • 4439.

    How much ? — I received three 9L

  • 4440.

    When was that, before the election or after ? — Before the election.