Cambridge Chronicle 1 Jul 1837: Alleged theft of hay from Mr Rowley
William Randall and Thomas Pettitt were charged with stealing a quantity of hay, the property of Mr. F. Rowley, farmer, of Trumpington, in this county. — The prosecutor stated that, on the 23rd of May last, he commissioned a person to buy some hay for him; and that he was afterwards on the Mill-road, Trumpington, between twelve and one o’clock on the day in question, and saw the prisoner Pettitt there, with a horse and cart; they were coming from his (prosecutor’s) house. He asked him what right he had to that piece of hay, and Pettitt said it was for the horse. Randall then came up, and said he knew nothing about it, and asked the prisoner Pettitt how he came to do so? Pettitt replied, “Don’t lay it all to me, Tom ; you know as much about it as I do.” Prisoners afterwards went to prosecutor’s, and asked forgiveness. — Robert Money, servant to prosecutor, proved that the prisoners brought a load of hay to his masters, and they said that they had left it all. —Randall made a statement before the magistrates, in which he stated that it was the custom of persons delivering a load of hay to take a bit for the horse. — The CHAIRMAN said that the hay had never been in the possession of the prosecutor according to law, and therefore the prisoners must be acquitted.