Testimonies

Spears, William Frost | Day 5

Witness Type: Briber

Party: Conservative

Witness Testimony:

• 4501.

  Before you gave that 9L. to Axon had you given any sum of money to anybody else in a similar way ? — No.

• 4502.

  That was the first 9L. you distributed ? — Yes.

• 4503.

  Did it not strike you as a little odd that you should be asked to give Axon 9L., and that no explanation should be asked by Axon as to what it was for ? — No ; Mr. Hughes gave it to me to give to Axon, and I gave it to him.

• 4504.

  Did you tell Axon that it came from Mr. Hughes ? — That I do not know.

• 4505.

  Did you not say to Mr. Axon, “ Mr. Hughes has sent you this 9L. “ ? —Perhaps I might; I do not know I did or not ; you may be thinking I am shrinking from telling the truth, but I am not. I would not shrink from anything, but I will not say anything I am not sure about.

• 4506.

  You are perfectly right in that, but still it strikes me, and I daresay it strikes my friends also, as a little odd, to say the least ? — A “little on “ do you say; I very often was a little on.

• 4507.

  A joke is a joke, but this is a serious matter, and you have got to tell us all that you know. You got this 9L. and met Axon in the street, and handed it to him ; try and recollect what took place ; did not Axon ask you what it was for, or what he was to do with it ? — No ; he was the best judge of that. I was not the judge of the money after I gave it to him.

• 4508.

  Try and recollect if you can ? — It is no use my telling you anything I do not know, because by-and-bye you will be calling me up and saying that I was lying here, and I want to be very careful.

• 4509.

  Try and recollect ? — No, I cannot.

• 4510.

  Try and recollect ? — No, I cannot ; I would tell you like a shot if I knew ; what difference is it to me ?

• 4511.

  Now we will try the second cheque ; how long was it after that that Mr. Hughes gave you the second 9L. ? — It might have been three or four days perhaps.

• 4512.

  What did he say to you when he gave you that second 9L. ? — He did not give me 9L., but a cheque.

• 4513.

  That is the same thing ? — He gave me this cheque for 9L, and said, “ Give it to Axon,” and I done the same thing.

• 4514.

  Did you meet Axon in the street ? — Yes.

• 4515.

  Did you say, ” Here is another 9L. ? — I did not say, ” Another 9L.,” I said, ” Here is 9L.”

• 4516.

  And Axon did not ask you anything at the time ? —No.

• 4517.

  How long afterwards was the third ? — About the same time.

• 4518.

  Two or three days ? — Yes.

• 4519.

  That was close upon the election ? — Yes, I daresay it was.

• 4520.

  In the same way did you meet Axon again in the street ? — Yes, in the same way.

• 4521.

  And did you say, “ There is 9L.” ? — Yes.

• 4522.

  And Axon said nothing ? — He took the money and put it in his pocket.

• 4523.

  He did not ask you what it was for, or where it had come from, or what he was to do with it ? — I did not ask him at all.

• 4524.

  Did he ask you ? — No.

• 4525.

  Are you sure of that ? — Not to my recollection.

• 4526.

  Three times you met the same man in the street ? — Three times.

• 4527.

  You gave him 9L., and you really wish us to believe that you cannot recollect whether he asked you what it was for, or whether anything was said ? — Why should I ask him what he was going to do with it ?

• 4528.

  That is not it at all ; you may have your reason for not telling us which I am unable to guess ? — If I knew I would tell you, and if you see Mr. Hughes he will be able to tell you what it was for, no doubt.

• 4529.

  Is Mr. James Axon here ? — Yes.

• 4530.

  You say they were all cheques that Mr. Hughes gave you ? — Yes.