Cambridge Chronicle 2 Mar 1861: William Rayner committed to trial for stealing a sheep
SHEEP STEALING - William Rayner was charged with having, during the night of February 15, feloniously stolen a sheep, the property of Mr. Toller, of Trumpington, of the value of £2. 10s. - Prisoner, who was very unconcerned apparently, employed himself by discussing a thick piece of bread during part of his examination. — Prosecutor said that he had stolen some sheep folded near home, in a field called “Hill Field,” on the night of the 15th: there were two pens of them. On the morning of the 16th, witness’s shepherd came to him and told him that some one had been killing and stealing a sheep, and had left the skin behind. Witness returned with him to the field and found that the case was as had been stated. The prisoner was in the employ of witness. - Thomas Parker, the shepherd alluded to by prosecutor, said he folded the sheep in Hill Field on the night of the 15th, in two pens. They were all hoggets, and numbered 273. Witness reached the fold soon after six o’clock on the morning of the 16th, and found a skin about 30 yards therefrom, which he recognised as one of his master’s hoggets on account of the brand. Witness fetched his master, and on their arrival together they counted the sheep, and missed one from the pen which contained the smaller number. The sheep did not appear to have been flayed by an expert hand, judging from the skin found. - Supt. Stretten, having received information, went to prisoner’s house on the previous day (Friday, the 22nd). Prisoner was not in, and witness sent for him from prosecutor’s farm. Previous to his arrival, however, witness said to his wife that he wanted to look if there was anything in the house which did not belong to them. The woman appeared very uneasy and alarmed at this announcement, and went to a cupboard, from which she endeavoured by stealth to carry away a bag and some pieces of mutton. She was in the act of carrying them into another room, when witness put his hand on her arm and asked her what she had got. She said a little piece of meat which she had bought. Witness insisted on her sitting down and she did so, the meat in the meantime being placed on the table. On one of the pieces of meat there was a little wool. Witness, not finding anything more downstairs, went up-stairs, and was followed by the woman and Inspector Long. Witness left the two in one room, whilst he was in the other. Mr. Long called out, “Here’s something here,” and handed from under one of the boards the greater part of a carcase of a sheep (produced). [The meat appeared to have been cut up by an inexperienced hand]. Witness remarked: “This is a curious place to keep your mutton.” The prisoner, who had arrived a little time previously, replied: “I can keep my meat where I like, surely: I bought the meat of a butcher in the market last Saturday.” “Very well,” answered witness, “you may go and find him to-morrow morning in the market if you like.” Prisoner replied that he should not know the man if he saw him. Witness produced a knife, which he found on searching the prisoner, and also a chopper found in the cupboard down-stairs. On the latter there were marks of fat. [The chopper was here examined with a magnifying glass, and vestiges of wool were found on it.] Witness took the prisoner into custody, and caused his trowsers (produced), which were made of corduroy, to be taken from him, as there was wool on them. With a pair of compasses, witness compared a small cast in plaster of Paris of the impression left in the field where the sheep had been slaughtered, with the width of the cord of the trowsers which were taken from the prisoner, and they were found to correspond. — Inspector Long corroborated last witness, and produced a cast in plaster of Paris of footprints near the place where the skin was found, and which agreed exactly in length and breadth with the boots worn by the prisoner. The foot-prints went from the place in the direction of the prisoner’s house. That morning witness took the prisoner into the Cambridge Market-place and asked him to point out the man of whom he bought the carcase . He said, “I don’t know him: I could not swear to him,” - P.C. Girling corroborated in part the evidence of the two last witnesses. — Mr. Wallis, butcher, Castle-street, proved that when the sheep was skinned, some egregious blunders had been made, so much so that a butcher could not have slaughtered it. — Prisoner, having been asked if he had anything to say, replied that he bought the meat for 13s. in the market on Saturday. — He was committed for trial.