Burke Manuscript

Burke Manuscript: Page 136

Transcript

When Jack Coker, was landlord of the Commercial (Warners) he put up, or some one for him, a Music Hall, at the rear, which was afterwards used for years as a sample room. There used to be concerts and other shows in the Hall. It also got into use for political meetings. Mr W. Williams, loomed up largely. The “Dirt & Darkness Club”, an association for the reform of the Muncipality, held its seances in it, W. Williams, his henchman, Teddy Preston, who died a Supreme Court Judge in Honolulu, and another oddity one Oswald, a Johnny all sorts man, were the leaders. “Was there – what for? Why Mister Williams,

Wish his Kristian [sic] name is Win –

Before the enlighted free electors

His yarn was neatly there to spin” – Policeman “X” the Poet.

Mr W. Williams was then quite democratic, and talked of the absurdities of coronets and crowns. He afterwards became quite pleased to talk of my brother, Watkin Williams, Her Majesty’s Sol. General, who afterwards was made a Judge, by that great judge of human nature, Mr Gladstone. He was a great Nonconformist and devoted himself largely in Parliament to Dissenting affairs. Sad to say, Judge Williams was found dead in a brothel, his companion a girl of eighteen.

Mr W. Williams was often in hot water. Such as for example when he said of Mr (now Hon.) Ed. Richardson, “There’s the b----y navvy who came here to do all our contract works”, and of Mr W. Pratt, “That he thought himself d-----d clever because he was a City Councillor”, and “That he knew a thing or two about Mr Pratt”, &c.

His 1^st office X this window Oxford Terrace Now a bond