1st September 1866 – A Charge of Stealing Meat
Thomas Watts, timber haulier, Goytre, was charged with stealing 5lbs of veal, the property of John Richardson, butcher, Usk on the 21st of August. Mr Henry Roberts appeared for the prisoner, Charles Coleman, miller Llanbaddock, said he was riding on the walk down Bridge street Usk on the evening of the day named about eight o’clock, when he saw, by the light of the gas, the prisoner take a piece of meat from a hook in the shop of prosecutor and put it under his coat; witness at first thought it was a joke, but he waited a short time to see if it was so or not, and seeing the prisoner walk away with another man who was with him, he told prosecutor that he had seen. In cross examination thos witness said he was sure it was Watts took the meat, not the other man – Francis Young, who is in the employ of the prosecutor said he missed part of a neck of veal off a hook in the shop; he had just before served the prisoner and a man called Rosser with 23/4 lbs of chops, part of which he had cut off the neck in question; Watts paid for the chops with a sovereign and witness went into another room to get the change; he afterwards saw the prisoner apprehended and the piece of veal, which was the same as he had cut the chops from, taken from his pocket. John Richardson, the prosecutor, deposed to giving information to the police, and to being present when the prisoner was apprehended, at the foot of the Usk bridge; when he (prosecutor) took the piece of meat from his pocket – P C Hill proved to apprehending the prisoner, and added that he found £6 5s 1d on him. Under cross examination this witness said; We forcibly searched the prisoner and took away everything we found on him; we did not take the knife from him because he was drunk; he was not drunk. – Mr Roberts in addressing the bench contended that the prisoner had taken the meat in a lark, as the witness Coleman had first supposed it was; and this idea he submitted was favoured by the fact that the prisoner was in a respectable position as a timber haulier; and further by the circumstances that he was returning towards Usk when he was overtaken by the policeman. The prisoner, after being duly cautioned was committed for trial at the quarter sessions bail being taken.