The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-01-23 00:00:00

PERSONATING VOTERS.

At Carlisle Petty Sessions, Thomas Wybergh Pattin-
son, barber, has been charged with having at the re-
cent Parliamentary election for that city knowingly
personated and falsely asumed to vote in the name of
Mr. Thomas Pattin,,cn, brewer, thereby rendering
rendering himself liable to he punished by impriain-
inent for a period not exceeding two years, with hard
Mr. M'Alpin (solicitor for the Liberal party) said
this was one of a large numb-r of cases in which the
delinquent must have voted with the full knowledge
that he was not the person, in whose name he had
voted, and that be had not the qualification that per-
son possessed. The facts of the case were these. The
defendant Thomas Wybergn Pattinson was a barber
. and lived in Caldewgate. He voted at the late election
1 under the ',umber 2.549 on the register, name "Thomas
Pattinson," qualification "a brewery," situate at Mil-
bourne-street. Now, the only Thomas Pattinson pus-
searing that qualification was Mr. Thomas Pattinson,
who had a duplicate qualincation in another ward,
and did not vote in Caldewate at all. When the
prisoner tendered his site at the euction it was
immediately disputed; criestions wers put to him, and
his attention was particularly drawn to the fact that
the qualification was a brewery. Therefore, he sub-
mitted, the man acted knowingly. Poll-clerks and
others were called, who deposed to the facts WI stated.
Mr. tV annop (Conservative agent) denied that the
prisoner had knowingly and wilfully personated Mr.
Pattinson, the brewer. He worked in Brewe • raw . ,
and resided in James street. Finding that there was
a Thomas Pattinson on the register, described as living
in Milbourne-street, and there being no Thomas Pat-
tinson in that street, his friends persuaded him he
must be the person meant. He waited till close upon
four before tendering his vote, so that he might waive
his claim if anyone turned up with a better right to
the vote. If the register were examined, there would
be found an endless number of persons personating.
A witness having been examined on behalf of the de-
fence, to show that when the prisoner was asked
questions at the booth he only replied, "I'm Thomas

Pattinson, that's enough for you," the Mayor an-
nounced that the magistrates considered the evidence
sufficient to warrant them in sending the prisoner for
trial at the assizes. The prisoner was committed for
trial accordingly, but was admitted to bail.

Another case was also investigated at Carlisle on I
Monday. John Anderson, a plasterer, was charged
with having personated and knowingly assumed to vote
in the name of Robert Anderson, who was then on
the register. Mr. M'Alpin conducted the prosecution,
and Mr. Wannop defended the prisoner. No. 1,557
on the register was the voter personated. The name
was there given as Robert Anderson; place of
abode, Pattinson'sdane ; qualification, a house, situated'
at Pattisonalane. The person really entitled to vote,
however, was Robert Andrews, not Anderson, who had
lived in Pattinson's-lane for three years, but whose
name appeared on the rate-book as Hobert Anderson.
On the polling day he went to vote in the afternoon,
but he found that in the forenoon, between eight and
nine o'clock, the prisoner hail voted under his quali-
fication. The prisoner lived in Burns-street, and had
no vote, having only entered his house in January,
1868, and having only been rates! in May. To show
that the prisoner had done wrong knowingly, a
witness named Dominic M'Bonagh was produced by
the prosecution. He said be went ti the poll with
the prisoner, and as they were entering the booth
said to him, "Well, Jack, you are doing wrong.
You should not give a vote if you have not got one."
Mr. Wannop, on behalf of the prisoner, did not iieny
his having voted as Robert Anderson, but contended
that he had done so believing, after due inquiry, that
he was the Ilan referred to. A great many mistake'
had been made in the register owing to the hurried
manner in which it had been prepared, and the
poisoner, who lived in Burns-street, part of which was
sometimes called Pattinson's-lane, considered that he
was the Anderson meant. He had felt further as-
sured by receiving from the Liberal agents a voting
ticket. .

The Bench considered there was a priml facie case
made tent, and commited the prisoner for trial at the
Assizes, admitting hint, however, to bail.