QSR1858/3/5/3

Depositions of John Cooke, butcher of Tebworth and Charles Cooke, his son. John Thorogood, police constable at Toddington and Joseph Crawley, dealer of Toddington. In the case of George Skinner accused of stealing a pig net.

21 May 1858

From: 1858 To: 1858

John Cooke: on 10 May he sent his son to Woburn, with a pig net, to bring home some pigs he had bought there. Soon after his son had gone he was informed George Skinner had taken a pig net away from his son in the street at Toddington. He went in pursuit of the prisoner and asked him to deliver up his net. The prisoner said he would not and it was his net. He then told him he would have him taken up and informed Sergeant Thorogood of what had occurred. The net was worth a shilling and he knew his net by it being broken and tied with ‘tar cord’. It was also bloody. Charles Cooke: son of the last witness and he was 14 years old. On 10 May his father sent him to Woburn with a pig net to bring home some pigs. As he got opposite to Toddington Church, George Skinner came up to him and snatched the net from his hand saying it was his net and he should have it. The net was broken and tied with ’tar cord’ and smothered with blood. He borrowed another net and went on to Woburn. They were 3 people standing by when it was taken from him but he gave no alarm. Sergeant Thorogood: on 10 May he received information that the net had been taken from the prosecutor’s son. That evening he saw the prisoner and asked him about the net. The prisoner said that he had seen Cooke’s boy with a net on his back in town. It had been his masters net so he took it. The prisoner said he had taken it to his master’s shop. Joseph Crawley: he believed the net produced to be his but he would not swear to it. He had lent the net several times to Mr Janes and had not seen it since he lent it to him. Janes was the prisoner’s master. It had been 6 or 7 weeks since he had seen the net and he knew nothing of the tar cord attached to it. Cooke’s net was broken and tied up with tar cord and had a good deal of blooding. He had given the net from his shop to Cooke to fetch some pigs. The net produced was not that Cooke took from his shop. The one produced was worth 10 of the other. Statement of the accused: he did not wish to say anything.

item

Skinner, George,
Cooke, John,
Cooke, Charles,
Thorogood, John,
Crawley, Joseph

Tebworth, TODDINGTON, stealing, dealers, butchers