Preece Family Tree

ALLEGED SHEEP-STEALING FROM PITCHCROFT

William Eaton (56), dealer, lodging at 19, Southfield street, was charged with stealing from a field adjoining Pitchcroft seven sheep, value £14 14s., the property of Edward Frederick Skyrme, Grand Stand Hotel, Pitchcroft, between 9th and 10th Oct. Mr. Tree defended.

Mr. Skyrme said on the evening of Oct. 9th his shepherd reported that his flock of sheep were all right, and on the following day said seven were missing. They were all marked with pitch with an "S." When he next saw the sheep the marks on six had been defaced, some cut off altogether.

Thomas Hawkes, of St. John's, the shepherd, said that on the 10th he found the sheep had got out of a field where he had put them on to the Croft and seven were missing. On Tuesday, the 21st inst. he identified the missing sheep at Bromsgrove Cattle Market. They had been branded with an "E." over Mr. Skyrme's mark.

Frederick Charles Hooper, tailor, Blakefield road, said defendant brought seven sheep to a field in Bromyard road, of which he had charge, on the morning of the 10th, and they remained there until the 20th inst.

Supt. F. H. Pitt, Bromsgrove, said that on the 21st inst. he found the seven sheep with nine lambs in Bromsgrove Cattle Market. They were entered at the auctioneer's in the name of W. Eaton, and in conversation with Eaton, the latter said he bought the seven sheep at Upton-on-Severn market about a fortnight before; afterwards he said he bought them for £11 18s. from a man who was driving them to market. He said the man was about 50 years of age, about 5ft. 8in. high, and wearing a brown suit, answering, thought the witness, very well to the description of the prisoner. Prisoner was kept under observation, and after the sheep had been identified by Hawkes he was arrested.

Detective-Constable Bradley gave corroborative evidence, and said he had made every endeavour to find the man described by the prisoner, but could get no trace of him.

Prisoner went into the witness-box and repeated the statement he had made to Superintendent Pitt. He brought the sheep to Worcester on Thursday, the 9th, and put them in a shed near the Cattle Market, where they remained until Saturday morning. He branded them with his own brand before driving them on Saturday morning, not Friday as the witness Hooper had stated. An alteration of the date of the entry respecting these sheep in his pocket book was made at the time of the entry, when the mistake was made inadvertently. Until Superintendent Pitt spoke to him he had no idea that the sheep were stolen. The marks had been obliterated when he bought the sheep from Whitmore, and they mere appeared to have been "scissor-marked." Cross-examined by Mr. Byrne: He could not give the name of any person whom he met while driving the sheep from Upton to Worcester. He could not account for Hawkes stating that the sheep were safe on Pitchcroft until the Thursday evening, and therefore at the time he said he bought them at Upton. Mr. Byrne refered to another entry of seven sheep sold a month before. He said: "You would be surprised to hear that at that time seven other sheep had been stolen from Pitchcroft."

Prisoner: Yes, I should. Continuing, he said he bought his sheep from a man outside Worcester market, whom he did not know. On the evening of the Saturday when he took the sheep to the field, he saw a butcher's assistant in Bridge street, who showed him an advertisement of the loss of the sheep, and asked if the sheep he had driven in the morning were the stolen sheep. He took it for a joke, and did not see fit to make inquiries.

Alfred Greenway, butcher, employed by Mr. Smith, Bridge street, said he met prisoner driving seven sheep in the Bull Ring on the 11th, Saturday, not Friday, morning.

Prisoner was committed for trial at the Assizes, bail being allowed in his own recognisances of £50 and two sureties of £50 each.