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:

  • 20021.

    When did you go down ? — I was there the polling day.

  • 20022.

    What were you doing down there ? — I was looking after the carriages. I had the carriages under my charge.

  • 20023.

    Did you canvass any voters ? — At Deal?

  • 20024.

    Yes ? — No.

  • 20025.

    You brought them up to the poll, I suppose, having the carriages under your charge ? — No, I had nothing to do with them; I merely took an account of the number of carriages.

  • 20026.

    You checked them off and saw how many there were ? — Yes. But if you were to ask me how many there were I could not tell you now.

  • 20027.

    There were a goodish few, were there not ? — I think about 17 or 18.

  • 20028.

    And I supposed you talked to Mr. Olds about the carriages he was supplying, and all that ? — No, I merely acted as a check against him.

  • 20029.

    Did you see Mr. Olds about ? — Yes, I saw him about during the time of the election.

  • 20030.

    Did you speak to him? I suppose you said, “Good morning” ? — Yes, very likely I said, “Good morning,” or “good evening.”

  • 20031.

    And he said, “Good morning” to you ? — Probably.

  • 20032.

    Is that the only time you have been at Deal ? — Yes, that is the first time I have been to Deal, and I do not think I shall trouble Deal again; I did not like it.

  • 20033.

    Have you been at Deal since the polling day ? — No.

  • 20034.

    Or Walmer ? — No.

  • 20035.

    Or Sandwich ? — No. I came up on the morning after the election, and I have not been since.

  • 20036.

    (Mr. Holl.) Have you any recollection whether you saw or spoke to Olds upon the polling day or not ? — I really cannot recollect. I may have done so.

  • 20037.

    (Mr. Jeune.) If you recollect at what bank you got the cheque cashed, we should be obliged if you would tell us ? — I shall be very glad to tell you.

  • 20038.

    I think you ought to remember ? — I really cannot.

  • 20039.

    (Mr. Holl.) You brought back a cheque for £1400, and the person to whom you took the cheque instructed you to pay £1000 of it to the credit of Olds, at this bank in Calais ? — Yes, the money was remitted from Glyns’ to the Calais bank.

  • 20040.

    Was the cheque upon Glyns’ for £1400 ? — Yes.

  • 20041.

    (Mr. E. Hughes.) The cheque was a cheque upon Mr. Hoare’s bank, the London Joint Stock, and that would be paid in and divided at Glyns’, and not cashed at all. That is to say, out of this £1400 they would put £1000 to the credit of Olds at the bank in Calais, and £400 to the credit of Mr. Hughes.