The String of Pearls (1850), p. 554

"Yes, or a thousand."
"Well, I should say not. It wouldn't be an easy matter to do that, I take it. I could tell you a particular horse among any lot, but I ain't so well known in the
way of hats."
"Is this the hat? Can you deliberately swear that this is the hat in question?"
"I shouldn't like to swear it."
"Very well, that will do."
John Figgs was permitted to go down upon this, and it was quite evident that some faint hope was beginning to quicken in the eye of Sweeney Todd, as he found that his self-appointed counsel began to make so light of the evidence of the hat. For the moment he quite forgot what damning proofs were still to come to fix the deed of muder upon him.
Colonel Jeffery was now called. He deposed clearly and distinctly as follows:—
"I knew Mr. Thornhill, and much regretted his loss. In company with Mr. Fletcher I went to Todd's shop to make some inquiry about him, to the effect that he had been shaved there, and had then left. I did not feel satisfied, and when Mr. Fletcher was found to be in London, I got the assistance of a friend of mine, named Rathbone, and together we prosecuted what inquiries we could. I picked up a hat from Todd's passage, and after putting myself into communication with Sir Richard Blunt, I delivered the hat to him. I have been in constant communication with Sir Richard Blunt upon the subject of this inquiry for a long time. We found that the prisoner at the bar had a sort of apprentice or errand boy in his shop, named Tobias Ragg, and we endeavoured to get some disclosures from that boy, when he suddenly disappeared. I found him again on a doorstep in the City, and he has made certain disclosures which he will repeat in evidence to the court to-day. On the 4th of last month I accompanied Sir Richard Blunt to a cellar beneath Todd's shop, and he showed me a contrivance in the roof by which any one could be let down. We took workmen with us and made certain alterations. I afterwards accompanied Doctor Steers of the ship Star to the vaults of St. Dunstan's, and I saw Doctor Steers take a bone from there.
Pray look at that hat, Colonel Jeffery. Is it the same you found at Todd's door?"
"It is."
"Did you mark the bone that Doctor Steers took from the vaults of St. Dunstan's?"
"I did, and I may state to save trouble, that I placed upon the hat a private mark by which I am enabled to swear to it."
Todd's counsel rose, and in a very respectful voice, he said—
"Did you ever see this String of Pearls, about which so much fuss is made, colonel?"
"Yes; Mr. Thornhill showed it to me."
"Oh. Do you know a young lady named Johanna Oakley?"
"I had that pleasure."
"You had? Have you not now?"
"I have the honour of her acquaintance since her marriage; she is now Mrs. Ingestrie."
The counsel seemed to be a little staggered by this answer, but after a foment or two, he resumed saying—
"Do you know a young lady named Arabella Wilmot?"
"I did.''
"What, colonel, did again ? Is she married?"
"Yes; that young lady is now Mrs. Jeffery, my wife."
The counsel had evidently intended to make some point against the colonel's evidence, which was completely destroyed by the fact of the two marriages. But he resumed the attack by changing his ground.