[List-Cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 14 Dec 1822 - Police Office (1)

[Petra Mitchinson]

Saturday 14 Dec 1822   (p. 3, col. 1-2)

 

POLICE OFFICE:-SATURDAY. 

 

Walter PHILLIPS was this day brought up for further examination on the charge of stealing a lamb-tup, fully entered into in our last
paper. Mr. BLOW appeared as his professional adviser, and opened the business by stating that he would now produce evidence which he
believed would completely exculpate his client. The first witness was Wm. GRAHAM, of Brampton, butcher. He said he knew PHILLIPS
very well as a respectable farmer, and sold him a tup-sheep soon after last Langholm fair, of the Bambershire breed, for, he
believed, 11s. (In answer to a question from one of the Magistrates, he here stated that he saw the prisoner in gaol on Thursday
night, and conversed with him on this subject.) The lamb had a tar-mark on the near rib when he sold it. He saw it again at
PHILLIPS's a week ago last Monday night, at his request, and fully believed it to be the same that he sold; he therefore desired
PHILLIPS not to give it up: he knew it by a bare mark at the back of the head, and its hanging ears. He had also particularly
examined the sheep this (Saturday) morning, and still fully believed it to be the same that he sold in July last.-To various
questions by the Court, he replied-The sheep was not cut in the ears when he sold it; he had it of T. FORSTER, of Leeshill; bought
five of him, killed three, and sold two for the breed. When he saw it on Monday week, the ears were cut and sore; he asked about it,
and learnt that it was because they had been marked to make them like the ears of the others; if the ears had been cut at the time
he sold it, the wound must have been healed long ago. PHILLIPS had never seen the lamb when he bought it; it was then at Leeshill;
when the bargain was made, he bought several sheep of PHILLIPS, and some of the family were present. About a week or ten days
afterwards, the prisoner took the sheep which he (GRAHAM) had bought, to Walton Lonning-Foot, in a cart, and witness went part of
the way with him, and met him at that place, where the tup had then arrived from Leeshill. Sally GADDES was present when PHILLIPS
paid for the tup, and took it away. On Monday week, the tup had two ruddle-marks. Witness had brought with him to-day the father of
the lamb, and the two were as much like each other as it was possible for them to be. The letter that was sent to the Police-Office
last Wednesday, was written at his request and signed by him. He had known PHILLIPS many years, had often bought sheep of him, and
never heard any thing to his prejudice till now. John STOBBART lived as servant with PHILLIPS from Whitsuntide till Martinmas, and
very well recollects his bringing home a tup-lamb soon after Langholm fair, saying he had bought it of Wm. GRAHAM, the butcher; that
lamb he kept up to the time that witness left his service. When it came home, it had a tar-mark on the side; which mark was nearly
rubbed out when witness quitted the place. He (witness) marked its right ear when it first came home, by cutting off a piece of the
point, and Mrs. PHILLIPS ruddle-marked it over the back and down the right shoulder. He saw the sheep last night at Mr. NORMAN's,
and verily believed it to be the same that his master brought home. Mr. PHILLIPS always bore a respectable character. In answer to a
Magistrate, he said he was at the gaol last night to see PHILLIPS, but no one told him to go there. John MOFFAT (a youth) lived with
prisoner from Whitsunday to Martinmas, and recollects his bringing home a lamb about July, stating that he bought it of GRAHAM of
Brampton: the same sheep continued there till Martinmas. It was marked with red paint; that is, red paint without oil (the same as
cart wheels are coloured with) down the fore and hind quarters; a piece was also cut from the end of its right ear. He had seen the
same sheep to-day; he knew it by being bare at the back of the head; he had not the least doubt of its being the same. His master
was 66 years of age, and could not walk without two sticks, and went very little out of doors. PHILLIPS took away his own lambs,
when he brought back the tup. He could not tell whether this was done on the day the butcher was there and bought them or not; but
GRAHAM was there when they were taken away; and witness had seen him there repeatedly. He had heard his master say that he lost
sheep some time ago.-Thomas FORSTER, of Leeshill, Bewcastle, sold some lambs to GRAHAM, about July, and the animal in question
looked very like one of them; the father of them was now here; the breed Bambershire. He originally put a tar mark on it, when a
month old, with cold tar; and that mark had disappeared from some of those which he had left, as well as from this: there was
therefore no particular mark to swear by, but he really thought the tup claimed by Mr. NORMAN was the same. He never heard any thing
against Mr. PHILLIPS till this time.-A man-servant who went to live with the prisoner at Martinmas, said the tup in question had
been at Mr. PHILLIPS's from the time that he had lived there, and that he had heard the family say it had been re-marked in the ear
lately, to make all alike, as they had sometimes lost sheep.-In answer to some questions by the Court, he stated that PHILLIPS
sometimes killed a sheep for his own use; that he lately killed an ewe; he was sure it was an ewe and not a tup; but he knew not
what became of the skin or the fat. He never saw but one tup in his master's possession. (The other servants also asserted that they
never saw but one tup on the premises.) The reason why the lamb went to FORSTER's field was, he said, because it frequently got with
his sheep and knew them.-MOFFAT was recalled. He had seen his master kill a sheep sometimes; he knew of one in the harvest.-The Rev.
Mr. TOPPING, of Irthington, had known the prisoner 16 or 17 years, during the whole of which time he lived within five miles of him,
and ever considered him a reputable person.-The prisoner was discharged, and took the tup away with him. 

 

 

[to be continued] 

 

 

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