George Robert Robertson

135

C H on 2nd March 2024

Old Bailey Online GEORGE ROBERT ROBERTSON. JOHN ARLETT. Theft; animal theft. 12th December 1836 Text type Trial account Defendants GEORGE ROBERT ROBERTSON, JOHN ARLETT Offences Theft > Animal theft Session Date 12th December 1836 Reference Number t18361212-311 Verdicts Guilty, Not guilty Punishments Transportation 311. GEORGE ROBERT ROBERTSON and JOHN ARLETT , were indicted for stealing, on the 25th of November, at St. Giles', Camberwell, 1 lamb, price 20s., the property of Richard Thomas—2nd COUNT.—for killing, with intent to steal the carcass. RICHARD THOMAS . I am a farmer, and reside at Dulwich, I have some sheep and lambs. On the 25th of November, on my return home in the evening, I was informed a lamb was missing—they were at grass—my shepherd brought me several slips of the skin—the legs were attached to it, and the feet—I have no doubt it was the skin of my lamb—I traced one letter on it—I have no doubt it is mine—I know neither of the prisoners. JAMES WRIGHT . I am a gamekeeper of Dulwich-common. I was on watch at Mr. Thomas's field—I found some slips of skin on the 25th of November, in the middle of the day, in the College-wood—I went down to the farm and spoke to the shepherd, and he looked after the lamb. SAMUEL PICKETT . I am the prosecutor's shepherd. On Friday the 25th of I received information—I had counted my lambs on the 24th—I looked at them, when the keeper came, and missed one—I saw the pieces of skin that were shown to my master—there is no doubt but it was the skin of the lamb that was missing. JAMES BARKER . I am a policeman. On Tuesday the 29th I went to No. 24, Pitt-street, Bowyer-lane, Camberwell—Robertson occupied a room there—in a box under the bed I found part of the carcass of a lamb, and in the cupboard a leg of lamb dressed, with a lot of suet with it—I took it away and brought it to the station-house—I went directly back with two more officers, and found a quantity of turnips and this shoe, under the beds, which exactly fitted the marks in the field where the lamb had been slaughtered—it is a remarkable shoe—there is a piece out of the sole which exactly corresponds with the marks, and a nail in the sole as well—on the 30th of I went to Arlett's house which is about fifty yards from Robertson's—I found a quantity of suet, and some caul-fat, which appeared he same as I found at Robertson's—I found a clasp-knife in Arlett's pocket when I searched him, and another officer found in his house a hatchet—here is a quantity of grass on the shoe as if it came just out of the field. JAMES SIMONS . I am a policeman. I accompanied Barker to Robertson's, and saw the shoe found—I did not go to the field—I afterwards went to Arlett's, and found a shirt stained with blood on the left shoulder, and a smock-frock also—I took one waistcoat off him in Horsemonger-lane, which had marks of blood on, in the same place as the shirt, and so had his other waistcoats. Arlett. It was my nose which bled in the night that did it. WILLIAM WATSON . I am a policeman. I was at the station-house—I saw Barker bring in four joints of lamb—I accompanied him back again to Robertson's house, and saw him find part of a leg of lamb, and a knuckle of lamb—the next day the lamb was shown to Mr. Thomas—the skin and some joints were brought from Mr. Thomas, and the joints tallied exactly—we compared the fat found at the prisoner's—it appeared to tally in quantity exactly, and the knuckle that had been cooked tallied with that in the skin—I observed some particular cuts in the chopping down the neck of it—it appeared to have been done by a hatchet, and not by a butcher. Robertson. I wish it to be shown, to see whether it is lamb or mutton that he found at my house. Witness. Here is the shoulder bone. SAMUEL WRIGHT . I am a policeman. I accompanied Barker to search Arlett's house—I went into the back room, and found a chopper and saw—they had blood and far upon them—I compared the chopper with the neck of the meat—it exactly correspond with it. WILLIAM COLTON . I am a policeman. I accompanied Wright to Arlett's—I saw this hatchet compared with the cuts on the neck of the meat—it appeared to fit exactly. CHARLOTTE JOHNSON . The prisoner Robertson lodged with me in the room which the officer searched—I have seen him in company with the other prisoner several times. Robertson's Defence. The meat which was found in my house was mutton which I had purchased—I brought the leg, neck, and breast, in New-gate-market on Friday morning—I gave 5d. a lb.—the other I bought in Lambeth-walk, and gave 5 1/2d. a lb.—the whole came to 8s. and some odd pence—I do not know the people I bought it of—it was a butcher's-shop in the centre of the market. Arlett's Defence. On Sunday night, the 27th of November, I was in bed with my wife and children, when I heard myself called by name—I was asked, whether I had borrowed a water tub of Robertson—I called, out that I had not, and returned to bed—should I not have removed these articles which they found at my house, had I been conscious of any thing wrong? On Wednesday the officer came and took me in my house—it has been stated that part of a sheep's head, and less than 1/4lb. of suet were found at my house—and the policeman would allow it was found in my cupboard in a paper flour bag—they will admit they emptied out the flour, and having separated the suet they returned it into the bag—the hatchet and saw were found in their usual place—I use them as a feller of wood, in the spring season. ROBERTSON— GUILTY . Aged 32.— Transported for Life. ARLETT— NOT GUILTY .