QSR1835/1/5/24

Depositions and examination – John Street charged with maliciously killing three sheep belonging to Edmund Piper at Langford

31 December 1834

From: 1834 To: 1834

Edmund Piper – he is a farmer living at Langford and keeps ship. He had been away from home for a week before Monday 22 December. He returned on hearing that some of his sheep had had their throats cut. When he got home he found they had been sold and saw the skins of seven hanging at the butcher’s shop. Four of the skins belonged to his mother and three to himself. He examined some footsteps he found in the field where the sheep were when they were killed and they exactly fitted his own shoe. John Street has his shoes made on the same last. John Cooper – he is brother-in-law to Edmund Piper and looked over his farm whilst he was absent. About 8 o’clock on Wednesday 17 December he was sent for to the field where Piper’s sheep were and saw seven of them lying in the pen with their throats cut. They were quite dead. He examined he footsteps and could not see that there was more than one person concerned. There were marks on the ground of the knees and backside of some person who wore corded breeches. William Cropley – he lives at the Lower End of Langford near the Boot. On Tuesday evening 16 December at nearly 11pm he saw John Street going by his house towards the Boot and away from his own house. He heard Street swearing bitterly to himself. He caught the words “Damn his old eyes and bugger his old eyes”. Street had a cap on his head but he did not take notice of the rest of his dress. Sarah Sale – she lives about ¼ mile from the field in which Mr Piper’s sheep were. She heard a great noise in the direction of that field about 11pm. She went out of doors to listen and could hear the voice of John Street plainly coming from that direction swearing very much for about 10 minutes. Sometimes he stopped for a minute or two and then his voice was higher again. Amongst other oaths she could hear him say “Damn your heart cold” and “Damn your eyes and bugger your eyes”. After she went into the house again she could still hear his voice. She has known Street ever since she was a child and is quite sure it was his voice. Jane Ray was with her at the time and heard the same thing. Jane Ray – she was with Sarah Sale and heard all she has stated. She is sure it was John Street’s voice. She has known him as long as she can remember anything. John Street – he knows nothing about the sheep. He was no further than the Boot that night and did not go into the Boot. William Edwards of Langford, yeoman – he was constable at Langford for some years. On Wednesday 17 December he was sent for to investigate the affair of Piper’s sheep which were killed. On the Tuesday he went to the field and observed the footmarks very particularly. He has no doubt they were Street’s footmarks. He has often had occasion to observe Street’s footmarks in the case of depredations of which he has been guilty. He is so well acquainted with them he is sure they were Street’s, They are right and left shoes, rather smart shoes for a person like him. He told Mr Piper they were Street’s. By the steps it appeared that the man who was at the sheep pen must have been drunk, he had reeled from side to side so much. He has known Street many years and he has a habit of swearing very grossly when he is drunk and when he is by himself. On the Saturday after the sheep were killed he saw Street and observed that his small clothes were all over mud which had dried on. On the Tuesday after Street came up to Mr Piper’s with a pair of somebody else’s shoes on.

item

Street, John,
Piper, Edmund,
Cooper, John,
Cropley, William,
Sale, Sarah,
Ray, Jane,
Edwards, William

LANGFORD, sheep, farmer, butcher, shoes, Langford Boot, parish constable, drunkenness