QSR1857/2/5/3-5

Depositions of Samuel Haydon, farmer of Luton, George Sibley, shepherd of Luton, Thomas Saunders, shepherds boy of Luton, William Timberlake, farmer of Luton and George Smith, police sergeant of Luton. In the case of Frederick Albrecht, Augustus Wiegand and Augustus Rosen accused of killing a sheep with intent to steal part of the carcase.

30 March 1857

From: 1857 To: 1857

Samuel Haydon: a farmer living at New Mile End in Luton. On 28 March his shepherd informed him that a sheep had been slaughtered in a field near his house and part of the carcase had been stolen. On the same day he saw 2 shoulder bones with the meat cut off in the possession of police sergeant Smith. He compared the bones with the carcase. He also examined some pieces of meat in the possession of Sergeant Smith. It was not cut as a butcher would cut it. He compared the meat with the carcase and it corresponded exactly. He had not doubt the meat and bones belonged to the carcase of the sheep in the field. On 27 March he saw 3 men near his house. One, who called himself Rosen, called at the house and asked for a small bite. George Sibley: he was in Mr Haydon’s employ and his brother was Haydon’s shepherd. He assisted his brother in looking after the sheep. On 28 March he found the skin and carcase of a sheep at the top of the field. It was in a dell hole and quite covered over. The head had not been cut off from the skin and he knew it to be the head of one of his master’s sheep. It was the gentlest one of the lot. He counted the sheep and found a ewe missing. The sheep must have been killed after he left work on Friday night. He knew the skin by the red dot on the hip. He told his master. Thomas Saunders: he was employed by Mr William Timberlake of Luton. Last Saturday morning he had seen the 3 prisoners in his master’s field. The field was the side of the road leading from the London Road to the Brache. They saw him and went away. He went to the place he had seen them and saw there had been a fire. He went up the field and found 2 shoulder bones of mutton near where the fire had been. They were quite fresh as if the meat had been cut off. He found a flank of mutton a little way from it. He took them to his master and he sent for the police. He found the bones in a hedge with some grass over them. There was no footpath through the field. William Timberlake: on 28 March, Saunders brought 2 shoulder bones of mutton and a flank of mutton to him. There were quite fresh and he afterwards gave them to Sergeant Smith. The same morning he had seen the prisoner, Rosen, at his house. He appeared to be begging but he did not know what he said. There were 2 others with him and they went up the meadow whilst Rosen came to the house. His house was the brick kiln on London Road. Sergeant George Smith: on 28 March he took the 3 prisoners into custody. On searching Wiegand he found a quantity of cooked mutton which had been part boiled and part roasted over a wood fire, and quantity of fat. The fat was in a kettle and had hardly set and appeared recently melted. He also found a knife. On the same day he received 2 shoulder bones from Timberlake and a piece of flank mutton. He went to Mr Haydon’s field and took possession of the carcase and skin. He compared the bones and found them to correspond. Statement of the accused: Augustus Wiegand (said through an interpreter) – they never killed a sheep. The meat they had with them had been brought from London. They cooked it 2 miles from London and came on with it. When they came there in the morning they made a fire to cook with. They were going to look for work. Frederick Albrecht (said through an interpreter) – he had nothing to say other than they bought the meat in London and cooked it 2 miles from London. They walked the whole day and night. The young man said he had seen them sitting by the fire. They had not. They went over the fields to look for a little water to cook with. The meat and bones which were found in the hedge had nothing to do with them. Augustus Rosen (said through an interpreter) – they bought the meat in London and cooked it 2 miles from London. The young man said he saw them near the fire but they were only looking for water. The knife produced was the only one they had and they could not kill a sheep with such a knife.

item

Haydon, Samuel,
Sibley, George,
Saunders, Thomas,
Timberlake, William,
Smith, George

LUTON, farmer, shepherd, stealing animals, sheep