QSR1863/1/5/20

Depositions of Joseph Edwards, farmer of Potton. Alfred Mayes, police constable of Potton. William Ford, veterinary surgeon at Biggleswade. In the case of Joseph Theobalds accused of maliciously and feloniously wounding a mare.

25 October 1862

From: 1862 To: 1863

Joseph Edwards: he occupied a farm in Potton. Joseph Theobalds was in his service as a farm labourer on Saturday 18 October. Thoebalds was employed in filling carts with chaff to be brought down to the farm house. At 11am he saw that a mare which was employed in drawing the cart had a wound like a stab in the middle of its belly. He went to where they were filling the chaff carts and found Theobalds and another man and he charged them with having picked the mare with a fork. They both denied it. When he went home he found the mare was swollen and was in a bad way. He sent for Mr Ford, the veterinary surgeon, who came and examined her. The mare was in a state of great suffering and they found it necessary to kill her in the morning. On the Monday morning he sent for PC Mayes and told him to apprehend Theobalds and he charged him with stabbing the mare with a knife. Theobalds said he did it but it was accidental. Theobalds said he had the knife in his hand as he was eating his breakfast and the knife accidentally went in the mare as he caught her. They went the magistrate and Theobalds admitted he had sewn the wound up with a needle and thread. PC Alfred Mayes: he heard that Theobalds had borrowed a needle and thread and he suspected it was to sow up the wound on the mare. He asked Theobalds why had had borrowed it and was told it was to mend his belt. He asked Theobalds if he had anything to do with the mare and Theobalds replied no. Some hours afterwards he went by Mr Edwards direction to apprehend the accused. The prisoner said he did not do it but afterwards said he had done it accidentally. The prisoner said eh was going a little too fast down the hill and went to make a catch for the mare but missed her and his knife ran into her. He had the knife in his hand to eat his breakfast. He denied having sewn up the wound with a needle and thread. William Ford: on 19 October he examined a mare belonging to Joseph Edwards. He found her to be suffering from a punctured wound on the near side of her belly below her ribs. The muscles were divided and the small intestines were protruding between the skin and muscles of the belly and mortification had set in. The mare was in great agony and he ordered her to be destroyed. She would not have lived above an hour. The wound was about a quarter of an inch wide and an inch and a quarter deep. Statement of the accused: he had no spite against Mr Edwards nor against the horse. He was not meddling with it. It had been done accidentally. The horse was before him and he was before the wheel. The horse was going fast and bearing towards him. He was making his way to catch the house and his knife caught her before he could get her head.

item

Theobalds, Joseph,
Edwards, Joseph,
Mayes, Alfred,
Ford, William

POTTON, wounding, horse, farmer, veterinary surgeon, BIGGLESWADE