QSR1899/3/5/4

The Examination of Charles Bates of Toddington; Charles Billington of Sundon; George Dixon Police Constable of Bedford; James Goodman Dover a Farmer of Old Park Toddington; Thomas Muckleston a Labourer of Harlington Beds; William Joseph Hobbs a Butcher of Toddington and John Mead a Veterinary Surgeon of Leighton Buzzard taken upon Oath this 5th day of May 1899 at The Town Hall in Woburn in the County of Bedford. In the Case of William Heenan charged on the 25th day of April 1899 at the Parish of Toddington of Bedford feloniously did unlawfully and maliciously kill certain cattle to wit a sheep the property of James Goodman Dover of Toddington aforesaid Farmer contrary to the statute in such case made and provided.

5th May 1899

From: 1899 To: 1899

Deposition of Charles Bates:- I am a labourer in the employ of James Dover of Toddington farmer, and live at Toddington. On Tuesday the 25th April about half past seven [eight] in the morning I took a load of mangold wurzals in a grass field called Big Rough Grounds. Aflock of sheep and lambs were thee but I did not count them – I could see all over the field – There was not a dead sheep laying near the old Ash tree, then or I must have seen it – I went near the tree – the lambs were all right and quite – I did not see anyone about. The field is in the parish of Toddington. Deposition of Charles Billington I live at Sundon and am a Lime Burner employed at Mr Forder’s lime works at Sundon On the 25th April 1899 I was at the Works on night duty – about eleven o’clock at night the prisoner came to me at the Lime kiln and he told me that he had been working at the Kilns during the day and that he had subbed 1/- and had been to get himself victuals – and that he had found a dead sheep and he wanted to borrow a knife to go and stick it – I refused to lend him one- He then went away to the Blacksmiths Shop. I saw him come out with some Zinc in his hand and he said I am going to open the sheep with the piece of Zinc – He left and returned in about half an hour – He said I have opened a sheep- He then lay down and went to sleep - He got up about 20 minutes to 6 in the morning - From what he told me I told him I thought the sheep was Dover’s – He said I am going to Mr Dover’s to tell him about the sheep – He left and returned about 7 o’clock – he told me Dover had than thanked him and said he often had one die and told him he could have it if he liked to take it away – the prisoner asked me the price of sheep skins – I told him I did not know. Deposition of Charles Dixon: - I am a police constable of the County of Bedford stationed at Sundon. On the 25th April 1899 I saw the prisoner leave the Red Lion Inn at Sundon about 10 o’clock at night – He went to several houses in the village and knocked at the doors - I asked him what he was doing – He replied I am looking for lodgings – I told him to leave the village – He did so - He went down a field in the occupation of Mr Henry Gates towards Mr Dover’s field – About twenty minutes after he left me I heard the bleating of sheep and lambs as If they had been disturbed – From information received I went the next morning to Mr Dover’s field in the parish of Toddington and there saw a Dead sheep with its belly ripped open – I found three pieces of Zinc near the sheep’s head the entrails were thrown about. I then went to Mr Forder’s Works and found the prisoner there – I charged him on suspicion of killing a sheep the property of James Dover of Toddington Farmer. He replied “that is what you get for doing good” I took him into custody. I produce the three pieces of zinc. Deposition of James Goodman Dover:- I am a Farmer and live at Old Park Toddington On the 25th April 1899 I had a flock of sheep in on of my fields in Toddington known as Rough Ground. I am not aware that there was on dead. Bates I believe was the last to see them on that day. I did not see anything of the Defendant next day at all. About 10 o’clock in the morning I meet the Policeman in the field. He pointed out to me a sheep under a tree which was dead. The sheep had been ripped open. In my opinion the sheep was killed. It had not been cast its limbs were not rigid and upright and there was no froth at its mouth. The Sheep would be worth alive about £2. As the sheep is now one of its hind legs is dislocated It was not so when alive as I know. The wounds were jagged – There was a quantity of blood in the carcass. Deposition of Thomas Muckleston:- I am a Labourer and live at Harlington Beds. On the 26th April about 6.15 a.m. I was walking up the Midland Railway to my work at Forders Lime Works. I saw the Defendant in afield in the occupation of Henry Gates adjoining the Railway. He was in the direction of the field known as Rough Ground belonging to Mr Dover. There were some sheep in Dover’s field and some distance from the others by the side of an Ash Tree there was a dead one. The defendant was there about 150 yard from the sheep between the Lime Works and the sheep – There were crows all round the sheep picking at it. Deposition of William Joseph Hobbs:- I am a Butcher and live at Toddington. On the 29th April 1899 I skinned a dead sheep by direction of the Police in a field belonging to Mr Dover near the Midland Railway. The sheep was lying on its back in the field. Its hind legs had been dislocated, its belly had been ripped open and part of its entrails taken out. I dressed the carcass but did not find any discolouration to speak of under the skin except under the back from which I concluded it was not cast Mr Mead was with me at the time. I saw a wound on the sheep at the top of the head as if it had been hit by something heavy. Deposition of John Mead: - I am a Veterinary Surgeon and live at Leighton Buzzard. I was present on the 29th April 1899 when the last witness Hobbs skinned the sheep and I made an examination of the sheep. I found the sheep had been cut open down the belly - jagged cuts such as might have been caused by the pieces of Zinc produced. The intestines had been removed from the stomach and were near the sheep. I found a considerable amount of blood inside the carcass and on the wool outside at the edges of the wounds. The lungs were slightly diseased but not sufficient to cause death. I found the nasal chambers filled with coagulated blood. As if it had received a heavy blow before death. The blow was such as would have rendered the sheep unconscious. There was a corresponding discolouration of the skin over the nose - there was also evidence of a slighter blow on the back of the head. The hind legs had been pressed open and one limb dislocated at the hip joint The dislocation had been done before death or immediately afterwards. In my opinion the cause of death was the blow on the nose and the ripping of the belly. The ripping up had been done before death during insensibility or immediately afterwards. There had been a considerable flow of blood inside. The sheep was a full grown Ewe and in good condition. Statement of Accused “I have written out and signed a statement which I desire should be read” and the Defendant thereupon hand in a statement here to annexed marked “A” which was then read. Document Marked “A” To the Gentlemen of this Court. Gentlemen, I William Heenan now before you charged with killing a sheep. I can truly and conscientious sware I am innocent of the charge. Gentlemen, I am a seaman and I came from New York to London and I thought I would leave the sea for a few months and get work on shore, then I came to Luton and there I heard that there was plenty of work at Sundon. I came to Sundon on April the 25th and asked the Manager for work, he said I could start the next morning at half past 6, then I asked him if I could start after dinner that day and he said yes, then I worked till 6 o’clock at night I got one shilling and I went to Sundon to look for lodging but I could not get any then I went for a drink of beer. I stayed in the Publick house till 10 o’clock and when I came out I saw a Policeman talking with two men. I then went next door to the Publick house and asked for lodging, the Policeman asked me what I wanted I told him I was looking for lodging he said I had better go away. I said I was doing no harm and that the rode was as free for me as it was for him. Gentlemen, I then went down to the works to sleep that night and I thought I would go to Toddington to look for lodgings the next night but as there is two lanes not far from each other and as I was a complete stranger there. I went down the wrong way, but I thought it would lead me to the Railway and then I would not be far from the works. I went over one wheat field then into a grass field along side the Railway and in the grass field I walked close beside a sheep. I was close to it before I saw it, it was being on its side with it back to wards me, and as it never moved, I said to myself it is very tame, then I thought it was a sleep and I put my hand on to its side but it never moved, then I examined it more closer and I found it was dead and was very much swelled and some froth on the grass beside its mouth. I then remembered reading about cattle and sheep dieing and if they were bleed and opened shortly after death that they would be fit for human food ---- Now Gentlemen the Policeman said he followed me down the fields and he heard some sheep bleating and running away. Gentlemen, I sware it is not true, for when I got into the field the sheep was lieing down in quietness at the other side of the field ---- but Gentlemen, as I had not a knife to open it. I went to the works and told a man I had found a dead sheep in a field and I asked him to lend me his knife, and I would go back and open it as I thought by doing so it would save the flesh for the owner, but he would not lend me his knife, for he thought the sheep would belong to Mr Dover and he did not want anything to do with it. I then got 3 bits of Zinc and I went back to the field and opened it and took its inside out and laid it on the grass it was quite warm when I did so, then I went back to the works and told the man I had opened it, and that I would tell the owner the next morning what I had done. I then lay down and slept till 6 the next morning, then I asked the man the way to the farm he told me I must cross the Railway and go through some fields and on the way I saw a man feeding some sheep in a field I asked him how far Mr Dovers house was he said about a mile. I then told him I had found a sheep dead in a field belonging to Mr Dover and I had opened it and I was going to tell him where it was but he said I should not run after him for he would not thank me for my trouble as he had often put Mr Dovers things away and he never thanked him for doing so and he said the sheep might lie there for 3 or 4 days then they might give it to the dogs, he said very often they found a dead sheep. I asked him what did they die with, he said they got blowed – then I said to him if it was like that, I would go to my work and told him if he saw Mr Dover to tell him about the sheep and that a man named William Heenan had opened it he said he would do so. Now Gentlemen you can understand I did not keep it secret for I thought I had done a right thing. I may say here that when Mr Dover had given his evidence the Chief Police said to him but is not its leg broken then Mr Dover looked at him and said yes, the Chief Police then said it would be broken by some one running after it, and getting hold of it , then Mr Dover said yes. Now Gentlemen, I think that is not justice of the Chief Police to make them remarks, but if its leg was broken I can sware I did not do it, and now Gentlemen all I can do is leave the case in your hands and I feel sure that by your combined wisdom and mercy you will restore me to my liberty. Gentlemen I need not remind you of the fact that I have already suffered the hunger and hardships of prison for the last ten days and I have lost my work as well and under these circumstances I feel my position most keenly and hard. Gentlemen, I trust that you will consider my case with all justice, then you will understand and believe that I am not guilty of the charge and Gentlemen, the bitter experience of the past shall be my guide for the future. Gentlemen, I remain your humble and unfortunate servant William Heenan.

12 pages

item

Bates, Charles,
Billington, Charles,
Dixon, George,
Goodman Dover, James,
Mucklestone, Thomas,
Hobbs, William Joseph,
Mead, John,
Heenan, William

TODDINGTON, SUNDON, BEDFORD, HARLINGTON, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, labourer, limeburner, farmer, police constable, butcher, veterinary surgeon, animal cruelty