The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-09-11 00:00:00

SHOCKING MURDER OF A YOUNG GIRL

NEAR PONTEFRACT.

The usual Sabbath evening quietude and repose of
the inhabitants of the small but not unpicturesque
village of Upton, near Pontefnict, were startled on
Sunday evening by the announcement that a dreadful
trajjedy had been perpetrated there, the vietitim being
a girl of only fourten years of age, and the minnow:4
murderer her fellow•servant, • youth of seventeen.
The scene of the murder is in the °menet* of Mr. ,
Moneta Spink, who, however, luau only resided there
about twelve mouths. The house comprises a kitchen
and two sitting rooms on the ground door, and three
bedrooms above. Immediately behind the kitchen, and
,bout two yards to the right of the back door, is an
outhouse used as a coal place, A.c., sal it was here that
the body of the murdered girl was discovered.
The general facts connected with this horrible tragedy,
so far as they could be collected upon the spot. are
these Sunday afternoon, about half-past two
o'clock. Mr. and Mrs. Spank, who wete but recently
married, left home to visit some friends at Derringtem,
a place four miles distant. The house was left in charge ,
of the decenied. Elizabeth Mitchell, who was fourteen
years of age, but whose height and strength and fully
developed appearance conveyed the impression that she
was much older. She hail been iu Mr. Spink'a service
dote Martinmas last, her parents reading at North
Fluidal', a village about a mile and a half from Upton.
The only other person in the house was George Thorpe.
the farm servant, who is accused of the murder. lie
had been in Mr. Spink's service since the latter end of
March last, his parents being also in humble life, and
residing at a place about 11 miles distant, called Fen-
wick, near Askern. Thorpe, it is said, was a lad of •
sullen and morose disposition.
It appears that after Mr. and idni. Spinka bad left
home, .tnnis Cookson, a young woman, eighteen years
of age, witu tesides near, joined the deceased and Thorpe,
and continued with them until about 5 o'clock, when
she returned I ..... le to tea. During the afternoon some
joking took place, in thecourse of which Thor peattempted
to obtain possession of a Wiliam head-dress, which the
4irl Cookson huh on. This dLispleased the deceased, who
was not inclined to view Thorpe's conduct very leniently
and she pulled his hair somewhat severely. This seem*
to have greatly annoyed Lim, for he relapsed into a state
of .ullennees, in which 'mused language of a threatening
character towards the deceased. -

The murder must have been committed shortly after
5 o'clock, although it seems somewhat singular that no ,
alarm would have been heard by, or attracted the atten-
tion of those living near. Shortly before 6 o'clock. i
however, after having partaken of tea, Cookson, returned
to the house, and was bort ified to find the deceased laid,
apparently dead, in the coal-bowie. She immediately
man anal gave AU alarm. Mr. Joseph Thorpe and StVe-
nil other persons were attracted to the spot, and the de-
Mead, who was found to be quite de.i, was removed
into the house. Mr. lbeson, surgeon. Heinswortli, was ,
sent for, and he arrive-I, but his services were of no '
avail. The deceased, he discovered, hod been shot in
the left side, near the spine, just below the shoulder
bone. A post :modem examination of the ilea-ascii was
.mole ou Monday by Dr. Clark, of Ackworth, awl Mr.
Dwain, and we are informed that • large number of idiot
were extracted, which correspond with there moved (rein
Mr. Spink's drawer.
Time position in which the body was found favours the
supposition that after the departure of Annis Cookson,
about five o'clock, the prisoner lied quarrelled with the
deceased, and having posses-seal himself of the gun, she
1..1 Ijsscs,mmie alarmed by his threats, and had attempted
tim escape by rushing out of the back door. }taunt.
nately, she was not sufficiently rapid in her movements,
and the murderer must have deliberately shot her in the
lock as she was entering the coal-house in her attempt ;
to get away-front liim. Tile deceased, on receiving the I
sliot, hod fallen upon her face, her feet towards the
door, upon which her brutal murderer coolly left her.
and quietly returned the instrument of death to the
plow whence lie had obtained it.
Du Wednesday afternoon lost the in miry into the
Cause of the death of Elizabeth Mita hell, who was
murdered at Upton, a village between Doncaster and 1
Wakefield, was opened at Upton before Mr. William I
Marrott, coroner of the district. The person charged
with the murder, George Thorp, • fellow-servant of the
deeeased, • youth only 17 years of age, and of most
repulsive appearance, was present during the investiga.
Measni. Smith and Atkinson, solicitors of Dun•
caster. attended to watch the case on the part of the
prosecution. amid the inquiry was made in the presence
of Colonel Cobbs,, the chief constable of the West
, }tiding, and several magistrates acting for that division
of the county. A great number of witnesses were
examined, but the principal persons called were Annis
Cookson, Mr. Lister, F.R.C.S., and So wrintendant
Hall, of Pontefract. The first witness (Cookson) said
that she was at the house of Mr. Spinks, where the
deceased lived, during the whole of Sunday afternoon
last. and that during the time she was there the deceased
ausl herself had a scuffle with the prisoner, and deceased
got hold of the prisoner by the hair of the head and
drew him luck to prevent him taking hold of Cookson.
All the 'rid', the prisoner made was " D—thee,
'tl 'lt be quiet," and being released from the deceased's
grasp, lie left the house, and was absent about an hour,
when he returned and told the deceased that lie ought
to kick her sister (who•had been in but • short time)
out of the house. Cookson and the sister left directly,
and at 6 o'clock Cookson returned, and found the
deceased weltering in her blood. She gave an alarm, '
and assistance was soon at hand. It was further shown
by another witness that when the prisoner was told
that the deceased had dropped down dead, he said
"D her, is she dead I saw her about two hours
ago"- • statement that was incorrect, as it was proved
that lie was seen coining from the house immediately
after the report of • gun had been heaill ; and whet, the
report of her death had been communicated to
him he returned to the house, and said that he had
not killed her, when no question which warranted
such an answer hail been put to him. Mr. Lister
said that lie bad made a pose morttia examination of the
body at the request of the coroner, lie found between
the nine and tenth ribs, and a inch and half Ince the
spine, • wound two inches in extent. He found the
upper border of the tenth rib fractured. his then
carried hie examination to the left lung, and found a
paosage there corresponding to the external opening,
extending very obliquely upwards, and to the right
side. lie then examined the heart, and from the right
ventricle extracted 14 shot corns, from the pericardium
nine more, and front the lobe of the left long one'
making fit in all. Thine injuries proceeded from •
gunshot wound, which no doubt had been tine, cause of
death. Mr. liall, superintendent, said that when he
took the prisoner into custody on the charge of wilfully
muniering the deceased the lorisoner told him that he
, had • blue smock on. He afterwards ascertained, how-
ever, that it was • white one, and on obtaining it he
found that the wristband and another part were stained
with blood. It was not shown that there hail been
any misunderstanding or jealously between the deceased
and the prisoner, but the jury were satisfied upon the
eVitieUce that there was& Clear Case against the prisoner,
and they returned a verdict agaivat hint of '
wilful
nuirder." and the coroner bound the father of the de-
ceased over to prosecute. As the inquiry was proceeding
in the presence of the prisoner, the funeral procession
of the unfortunate girl lett the house of her late