a few
minutes before half past five
He must have been nearly as strong as a horse , because after working in this manner for Rushton & Co. from six in the morning till half past five at night , he usually went to work in his garden for two or three hours after tea , and frequently went there for an hour or so in the morning before going to work . The poor devil needed the produce of his garden to supplement his wages , for he had a wife and three children to provide for and he earned only -- or rather , to be correct , he was paid only -- fourpence an hour . There was an old house to which they were making some alterations and repairs , and there was a lot of old wood taken out of it : old , decayed floorboards and stuff of that kind , wood that was of no use whatever except to burn . Bundy and his mate were working there , and one night , Misery came a few minutes before half past five and caught Dawson in the act of tying up a small bundle of this wood . When Hunter asked him what he was going to do with it he made no attempt at prevarication or concealment : he said he was going to take it home for fire-wood , because it was of no other use . Misery kicked up a devil of a row and ordered him to leave the wood where it was : it had to be taken to the yard , and it was nothing to do with Dawson or anyone else whether it was any use or not ! If he caught anyone taking wood away he would sack them on the spot .