Olds, Samuel | Day 3

In total Olds received £2,500, purely for bribing Publicans and voters.
He secured and paid for committee rooms in 88 public houses – 71 in Deal & Walmer, according to testimony by Daniel George Frederick Simmons, plus 17 in Sandwich. Each was paid £5 a-piece. Well over the odds when their annual rent was on average £12.

In November 1881 he was found guilty and sentenced to six months hard labour. Released in May 1882.

Witness Type: Briber, Councillor / Alderman, No Indemnity

Party: Conservative

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 2 | Day 14

Witness Testimony:

  • 2234.

    (Mr. Turner.) But you said it might be 1,200L or 1,300L ? — There might be 20L?. or 30L. more than he told me.

  • 2235.

    (Mr. Holl.) But you said there might be 1,200L. or 1,300L ? — I never counted it I could not say the amount.

  • 2236.

    Are you prepared to say positively there was not as much as 1,300L. in that bag ? — Certainly, there could not be, the bag would not hold it.

  • 2237.

    Forgive me; a bag that would hold 1,200L. might probably hold 1,300L. ; it would depend upon the size of the bag ? — I think the first statement is right, that it is 1,000L. ; I think that is right

  • 2238.

    Have you got the bag now ? — I do not know ; I am not positive whether I have or not

  • 2239.

    Was it a canvas bag ? — Yes. I do not think I have it

  • 2240.

    Where did you leave the bag when you went away ; you say you went out, where did you leave it ? — I left it in charge of my wife to take care of.

  • 2241.

    How was it fastened up ? — It was tied round with a bit of string.

  • 2242.

    Had you opened it before you went out ? — No, I was called away ; of course I had business independently of this.

  • 2243.

    You tell us now it was the next morning before you disbursed any portion of the money ? — That they came over.

  • 2244.

    You say the next morning the first people who had any money were Giles and Hughes, 450L. ? — They were the first.

  • 2245.

    They did not get the money till the following morning, so that you had the whole of that afternoon till 4 o’dock, and the whole of the night till the next morning ? — There was a meeting that night

  • 2246.

    That did not last the night ; you could count this money in half an hour. It seems to me an extraordinary thing that a man in your position, having received a bag full of money, should not count the money so as to be able to say, “ There was so much in the bag, and I distributed it in such and such a manner.” But according to your account you ask us to believe that you took the bag thinking there was 1,000L., and did not take the precaution to see whether there was 1,000L., or 800L., or 1,100L., or what amount ? — I hardly had time to do it.

  • 2247.

    Excuse me, you had from 4 o’clock one day till the next morning ? — Yes ; but then I did not touch it till the following morning, and as soon as I opened it there was the parties in at once.

  • 2248.

    That is not the thing. You had from 4 o’clock in the afternoon until you went to bed, and all night, and they did not come in the next morning certainly before 8 or 9 in the morning ? — About 8 o’dock.

  • 2249.

    You had all the morning up to that time ; you might have counted it 20 times over if you had liked ? — I had my business as well to attend to.

  • 2250.

    When a man is trusted in that way with 1,000L. it is his duty to take some kind of precaution, even for his own sake, and see what is left to him, and that he disposes of it in the way it is intended, although I will not say properly ? — It was done so.

  • 2251.

    Do you mean to tell me you did not take the precaution to ascertain what amount there was, so that if they said there was 1,200L., and you could only show you had disposed of 1,000L., you could say there was only 1,000L. in it ? — I could prove it by the people who had the money.

  • 2252.

    That would not prove there had not been more, for you might have taken out 200L in the night and retained it yourself ? — Yes.

  • 2253.

    You would not have any safeguard unless you counted it to see what amount there was ? — The statement I made first I believe is the correct one, 1,000L. I might have taken his word for it, saying there was 1,000L.

  • 2254.

    To whom have you given an account of how you disposed of that money ? — Nobody.

  • 2255.

    Are you sure of that ? — Yes, no one has asked me.

  • 2256.

    Have you never had any conversation with anybody about this 1,000L. ? — No.

  • 2257.

    Do you really mean that ? — Yes.

  • 2258.

    Do you mean you have never had any conversation with any of the agents of Mr. Roberts with regard to this 1,000L. — now do think ? — I named it to Mr. Hughes one day, and he said he knew nothing about it ; “ I know nothing whatever about it,” he said.

  • 2259.

    That is Mr. Edwin Hughes ? — Yes.

  • 2260.

    How soon did you tell him of it ? When did you tell him about this 1,000L. ? — I told him I had got some money, 1,000L.

  • 2261.

    When did you tell him — the day you got it ? — Yes.

  • 2262.

    There is no doubt about that ? — No.

  • 2263.

    You told him you had got 1,000L., or some sum, whatever it was ? — Yes.