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Arthur Hunnable (fl. 1907–1921), often known as Captain Hunnable, was a British poet and minor fraudster, best known for his frequent but unsuccessful attempts to become a candidate for election to Parliament. Living in Ilford, Hunnable worked as a bicycle and tool maker and motor engineer until March 1907.〔"(Untitled article )", ''London Gazette'', 22 March 1907〕 He first came to public attention at the Jarrow by-election that summer, before which he spoke widely in the town, announcing that he intended to stand as a candidate.〔"Jarrow election: a racing amusement", ''Manchester Guardian'', 27 June 1907〕 He was nominated, but failed to deliver a £200 deposit, as required, and despite his protests, was not permitted to stand.〔"Jarrow nominations: Mr Hunnable ceases to be a candidate", ''Manchester Guardian'', 29 June 1907〕 Despite this, he continued to give popular speeches, and the Mayor of Jarrow declared that "he keeps the young and the rough element amused".〔"The Jarrow polling", ''Manchester Guardian'', 5 July 1907〕 Following the election, Hunnable appeared at the Empire Music Hall in Holborn in a skit reliving parts of his campaign.〔"Nothing to discourage the government", ''Manchester Guardian'', 7 July 1907〕 After a week, he quit, to speak in the run-up to the Colne Valley by-election,〔"Good liberal prospects for to-morrow's poll", ''Manchester Guardian'', 17 July 1907〕 then moved on to the North West Staffordshire by-election. However, he did not attempt to stand, announcing that he had decided to stand at Jarrow in the next general election.〔"North-West Staffordshire: the nomination day", ''Manchester Guardian'', 25 July 1907〕 He proved less popular in Staffordshire, and was fined for causing an obstruction in Hanley Market Square, and describing any hecklers as "dirty little tykes".〔"Mr. Hunnable fined", ''Manchester Guardian'', 31 August 1907〕 Unable to pay the £3 demanded, he was imprisoned for a month,〔"Sympathy for Mr. Hunnable", ''Manchester Guardian'', 7 September 1907〕 but was released after three days, a public subscription having raised the sum.〔Untitled article, p.6, ''Manchester Guardian'', 9 September 1907〕 Hunnable next tried to stand at the Liverpool Kirkdale by-election, but announced immediately before nominations closed that all twelve of his nomination papers had been incorrectly completed, so he could not continue with his candidacy.〔"Mr Hunnable's by-election papers bad", ''Manchester Guardian'', 25 September 1907〕 He also spoke at the Peckham by-election, 1908,〔"The Peckham fight", ''Manchester Guardian'', 23 March 1908〕 and at the North West Manchester by-election, he spoke in favour of the Conservative Party candidate William Joynson-Hicks.〔"Mr. Joynson-Hicks", ''Manchester Guardian'', 20 April 1908〕 During the election, a carriage in which he was riding, decked out in the Conservative colours, ran into a crowd of Liberal Party supporters, and the vehicle was overturned before he made his escape.〔"Mr. Churchill", ''Manchester Guardian'', 24 April 1908〕 Hunnable was known for his flamboyant style, sometimes bowing from his carriage to imaginary cheers,〔 and lively meetings - he claimed by the end of 1909 to have given a "good hiding" to thirty-seven hecklers.〔 He frequently employed poetry, which was widely considered of a low standard.〔"The Armada of the Air", ''The Observer'', 20 September 1908〕 He claimed to have schemes which would make the fortunes of those who voted for him, introduce a £2 minimum wage, reform the British Empire. At Attercliffe in 1909, he claimed that he would be forming a government within five years. He wore a frock coat, kid boots with pointed toes and a wide-awake hat.〔"More scenes with Mr. Wilson", ''Manchester Guardian'', 30 April 1909〕 In May 1908, Hunnable was fined £3, a guinea and costs for unlawfully leaving a donkey and cart in Romford Market and then assaulting a market employee.〔"Mr. Hunnable's donkey cart", ''Manchester Guardian'', 1 May 1908〕〔"Mr. Hunnable's donkey cart", ''Manchester Guardian'', 15 May 1908〕 This did not stop him from appearing at the Wolverhampton East by-election,〔"East Wolverhampton: last stages of a strenuous fight", ''Manchester Guardian'', 4 May 1908〕 and speaking in Manchester on the topic of the "Social Reform Progress League" which he had supposedly founded.〔"Mr. Hunnable mobbed", ''Manchester Guardian'', 1 June 1908〕 He announced that he would run in the Pudsey by-election,〔"Pudsey by-election", ''Manchester Guardian'', 8 June 1908〕 but again failed to stand. In August, he was gaoled for five weeks for failing to pay the fines imposed in May.〔Untitled article, p.4, ''Manchester Guardian'', 8 June 1908〕 Hunnable re-emerged at the Sheffield Attercliffe by-election, 1909, at which he met with independent Conservative candidate Arnold Muir Wilson, but decided against supporting him〔 until he divined a horoscope stating that Muir Wilson would win.〔"What Mr Muir Wilson wishes", ''Manchester Guardian'', 1 May 1909〕 At the end of the summer, he spoke on the beach at Blackpool, but was fined 10 shillings for knocking out a heckler.〔"Mr. Hunnable again", ''Manchester Guardian'', 30 September 1909〕 The press gradually lost interest in his activities, but by 1913, when he was fined for failing to send his daughter to school, he was the editor of his own newspaper,〔"Mr. Hunnable fined", ''Manchester Guardian'', 23 January 1913〕 the ''People's Parliament''. He moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where he claimed to have invented an unsinkable ship and a new form of airship.〔"Hunnable goes to prison for fraud", ''Manchester Guardian'', 2 February 1921〕 He attempted to stand as an independent labour candidate in Jarrow at the 1918 UK general election.〔Untitled article, p.6, ''Manchester Guardian'', 29 November 1918〕 In 1921, he was again gaoled, this time for fraud, having purchased a bicycle with a worthless cheque.〔 ==References== 〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Arthur Hunnable」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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