QSR1871/4/5/9

Depositions and examination - John Gadsden, charged with obtaining 3s from Edward Elliott at Dunstable on 19 April 1871 by selling him the carcass of a dog falsely pretending that it was the carcass of a goat

9 August 1871

From: 1871 To: 1871

Henry Tofield, police constable – on 16 April he saw a black dog in Mr Sibthorpe’s yard worrying a pig. He informed Gadsden, who he believes was employed by Mr Sibthorpe and saw him shut the dog up. On the following Tuesday he saw Gadsden in Mr Sibthorpe’s slaughterhouse. Gadsden said “Old Sailor will not hurt any more pigs”. He said “How is it?” Gadsden said he had killed him and that a skin and a carcass that were hanging up were those of Old Sailor (the dog). Gadsden said he had dressed it lamb fashion. Gadsden showed him the pluck and they counted the leaves. [Cross-examined] The carcass was hanging in the pen. Gadsden did not make any secret of what he told him. The carcass had no head or feet. He would not have taken it for a lamb. Gadsden pointed out the difference between the pluck and the others. The carcass was separate from the other carcasses. Edward Elliott of Cheddington (Bucks), butcher – he saw Gadsden on Wednesday 19 April in Mr Sibthorpe’s slaughterhouse. Gadsden had met him in the market and asked him to buy a goat. He had gone to look at it. It was hanging amongst the other carcasses in the slaughterhouse. It was four yards from a carcass of beef and two yards from a carcass of mutton, with no partition between. He bought it for 3s. It was dressed the same as a carcass of mutton. The shanks were not pinned up – they do not always pin them up in mutton. Gadsden said he had put the skin away to be dressed. He took the carcass away the same day. He sold a hind quarter to William Bates who keeps a small butcher’s shop for 2s, telling him it was a goat. He sold a leg to his brother-in-law for 1s as goat. From what he heard at Tring on Friday 21st his suspicions were aroused and he fetched back what he had sold to his brother-in-law William Falkner. The next day he went to see Bates, who went with him to Dunstable. He saw Gadsden outside the shop and asked if he was aware what he sold him. Gadsden eventually admitted it was a dog and said he had only done it for a lark, and that “it might turn out a linnet”. He wrote a letter to Superintendent George the same day. His father buried the remainder of the carcass. Bates had sold part of his. [Cross-examined] He is 30 years old and began butchering when he was a boy. His neighbourhood is a great duck country. He has bought livers for ducks. He has known Gadsden a long time. Gadsden’s master told him in the market that he had a mutton carcass if he wanted to buy it. He does not remember whether he told Mr Sibthorpe he had come to look at a goat. He has bought beef and sometimes sheep from Mr Sibthorpe but nothing very bad. He does not remember anyone else being present in the slaughterhouse besides himself and Gadsden. He does not remember whether he bid Gadsden anything for the sheep. He did not notice the shanks. He thinks it weighed 24 lbs. He does not remember saying “what do you call that?” Gadsden did not say to him “any child could know what it is”. He did not say “I’ll give you 3 shillings and chance it”. He did not tell him not to tell anybody what he gave him for it. He never bought a goat before in his life. The dog was in good condition. He does not know that a goat fattens inside and a dog outside. Gadsden saw him take away the pluck. Gadsden told him there was a dropped sheep he might buy. His brother’s apprentice cut it up and he cut the leg off himself. He did not bid money for the sheep before he saw the dog. [Re-examined] Gadsden asked him to go and see a goat before he met Sibthorpe. The carcass was not worth 3 shillings for any purpose. William Bates of Edlesborough, grocer and publican – he buys and sells meat. On 19 April he bought a hindquarter from Elliott as goat for 2s . He found it was not goat when he heard a young man talking in the taproom on Friday evening. On Saturday he went with Elliott and saw Gadsden. Elliott said “are you aware what you sold me Jack”. Gadsden said “yes a goat”. Elliott says “what a liar you must be”. Gadsden said “Well I only done it for a lark. [Cross-examined] He had never bought goat before. He sold some at 4½d a pound. He bought it by the lump without weighing it. Elliott took what he had left and gave him back the 2s. He gave back the money for what he had sold. John Gadsden – “I am not guilty” For the defence -------------------- George Sibthorpe – He is the brother of Mr Sibthorpe, butcher, and lives in West Street, Dunstable . His brother had a retriever dog. He saw Gadsden with Elliott and went into Mr Sibthorpe’s close after them. There was a dropped sheep there for which Gadsden asked 15s. Elliott bit 10s for it but Gadsden would not sell. A good sheep would have been worth £2. Gadsden said “Look here I have got something that will suit you here” and pointed to a carcass in the middle pen about 3 yards from where the sheep hung. There is a door between them which was open. The door separates the pens from the slaughterhouse. Gadsden asked for 5s. Elliott said “I shall give 3 shillings and chance it”. Elliott asked if it was a goat. Gadsden said “there it is you may judge for yourself. A child might know what it was”. He saw the money change hands. He believes Gadsden stood treat. He heard Elliott say “don’t you tell anyone what I gave for it”. He knew it was Old Sailor. There is a great difference between a dog and a goat. It was not dressed lamb fashion. It had head and legs taken off. The fat was very different from what fat would be if it was a goat. It was not dressed like a goat. He knows Elliott would buy that sort of meat for ducks. It would have been worth 15s if it had been a goat. He could not dress a dog the way he would a goat. [Cross-examined] He did know it was a dog. Edward Elliott [recalled] – he met George Sibthorpe 10 or 15 yards from the slaughterhouse. He cannot swear positively that Sibthorpe was not in the slaughterhouse during his conversation with Gadsden. Frederick Pitkin – he is 18 years old and has been a butcher all his life. He has slaughtered dogs, goats and sheep and there is such a difference between the carcass of a dog and the carcass of a goat that no butcher could mistake them. George Inwards [in Court at the suggestion of the bench with the consent of the defence] – it would be impossible for a man accustomed to cutting up meat to mistake a carcass of a dog and a goat. He is 32 years old and has been a butcher all his life and has had the principal business in the town for several years. He has never seen a dog killed.

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Gadsden, John,
Elliott, Edward,
Tofield, Henry,
Bates, William,
Sibthorpe, George,
Pitkin, Frederick,
Inwards, George,
Falkner, William

DUNSTABLE, Cheddington, Edlesborough, Dunstable West Street, false pretences, butcher, meat, dogs, goats, police constable, slaughterhouses, publican, grocer