222 
VtUvimvv Sumprulr^iue. 
[We insert the following on account of the curious plea urged by 
the counsel for the prisoner, and the nonsense of the whole 
affair. Surely there is no doubt as to the names by which 
sheep of every age are generally acknowledged and that ought 
to have overruled any local peculiarity. There is much reform 
wanting in our veterinary jurisprudence of every kind.—Y.] 
Northern Circuit, Carlisle, Thursday, Feb, 22, 1838. 
Crown Side.—{Before Mr. Justice Patteson.) 
Alexander M^Cully was indicted for killing, with intent to 
steal, one hog sheep, the property of Matthew Brown, of Cum- 
mersdale. 
Mr. Ramsay conducted the prosecution, and Sir Gregory 
Lewin the defence. 
The prosecutor, it appears, resides at Cummersdale, about two 
miles from Carlisle. On the evening of Friday, Feb. l()th, he had 
forty-one hog sheep in a field called Low Brooms. On the morn¬ 
ing of Saturday one of them was missing; and, on a search, the 
skin, head, and part of. the entrails, were found in a small planta¬ 
tion adjoining that field. The skin bore the marks of having been 
hastily removed from* the carcass, and by some one not well ac¬ 
customed to similar operations ; being cut in several places, and 
having, adhering to it, portions of the fell” or film usually left 
on the meat by regular butchers. Lying near the skin was a 
portion of purple weft. The liver of the animal had been taken 
away, but the other viscera were left. 
On the morning of Sunday, about four o’clock, the superin¬ 
tendent of the Carlisle police went to the house of the prisoner, 
which is in Shaddon Gate, on the Cummersdale side of the 
town. He rapped at the door, and was answered by the pri¬ 
soner. On apprising him of the purport of the visit, admission 
was refused ; but, after some parley, the door was pushed open. 
The fastening yielded to very slight violence ; and, at the moment 
the door was opened, the prisoner’s wife was (by the light of a 
lantern carried by the police) seen in the act of standing on a 
box and reaching into a cupboard, in which, on examination, 
twelve pieces of mutton, with portions of a sheep’s liver, were 
found. The prisoner w’as in bed, and, at first, refused to accom¬ 
pany the officers, but yielded on their proceeding to take mea¬ 
sures to compel him. On an examination of tlie mutton found 
in the cupboard, it appeared to have been skinned and cut up 
