SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. sJ7' 24T your evidence that word was sent to the man ?- I think there was word sent to Mr. p. Meagher. n , U? 0n What etldT? do y° u believe ^ ?— Because that man did not 7 March ,838. come that day, as was his habit, to the bridewell; and I conclude that he a hint not to come, and to keep out of the way. 8 5075. Chairman.] At what date was this escape from the bridewell It wa* some time after the election of 1835. ' 5076. How long- after ?— I suppose within a month after the election • it was then that I got the proof about this man; I was a good while before I could < rPt at the man that was in the polling- booth that saw him take the oath. & 5077. That man had given evidence against combination in the city of Cork ? li c li9. d * 5078. Was there much feeling likely to be excited against witnesses who o- ave evidence agamst combination in the city of Cork?— That was the reason he made the bridewell his place of residence, for fear of being attacked. 5079. That was the reason he lived there three months?— Yes. 5080. They were afraid of living at their usual place of residence r— Yes. , 5081. And then the Government, gave money to the proper persons, to enable him to leave Cork in safety ?— Yes, after the prosecution of the parties; but the house that Croker lived in before he went to bridewell was not the house out of which he voted. 5082. He was not sent to bridewell for any fault, but because he had made himself useful, by giving evidence against unlawful combinations?— Certainly. 5083. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.'] That combination went to a very dreadful head in Cork ?— It did indeed. 5084. There were a great many citizens in Cork who were almost mortally injured by the parties engaged in that combination ?— Yes; but I heard that that Croker was the principal combinator, and led the other parties into it, and then gave evidence against them. 5085. Oil of vitriol was thrown into the faces and eyes of many persons? -— Yes. 5086. Did it ever occur to you that this man might have gone to Waterford, in order to avoid being waylaid and injured by those combinators?— I am sure that was not his object, because he was openly in the Bank of Ireland, speaking to Mr. Allen, the day before he went away; at that time a good deal of that feel- ing had died away. 5087. Might he not have been waylaid upon the road, and yet be in safety in the city of Cork ?— Yes, very true; but he would be equally safe by being put 011 board a London ship direct. 5088. Might it not possibly be his object in going to Waterford to deceive the combinators as to his route?— It might, certainly. I found that another sheriff', Sheriff White, had a bill- sticker kept in prison, and kept him there not only during the city election, but also when the county election was going 011, till I received a petition upon the subject, and then I went to the magistrate to know why the sheriff kept that man in prison; and the bridewell- keeper said he had received the sheriff's orders to keep him during the election. The magistrate said, " But the election is over." He said, " Yes, but I would have kept him there during the county election." The magistrate liberated the man ; and the head and front of his offending was posting bills stating the poll, and for no other reason was that man incarcerated. Chairman.] Do you mean to state, that for no other reason than posting bills merely stating the state of the poll, this man was kept in prison tor several days ?— He was, by Sheriff White's orders. _ , r - u < 000. And he never attempted to gain any redress for that proceeding r- He applied to me, and I made a subscription and paid him his wagesforthetime and he got no other redress, and from that hour to this he is an injured individual thought it worth their while to obtain for him' any redress ?— They did think it wortlf their while ^ KiS various ways were so great, they could not undertake it, and they left Inm, had been an annual revision of the 15- that - ft Y H H