The Express.
London, England, 1860-04-13 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT STAMFORD

Yesterday the prisoner, Henry Corby, charged
with the murder of Miss Elisabeth Pulley, was brought up
before the local magistrates for further examiuAtion.
During the week which has elapsed sine the last bearing
of this horrible cue the police have been indefatigable in
their efforts to connect the chain of evidence against the
accused. The case continues to excite the most intense
interest, and the court was again crowded.
Sarah Wallace wee the first witness examined. She de-
posed to having taken charge of the body after it was found,
and to the search which she made of the spot after it was
removed. the remains she discovered about a
handful of white hair (which she produced), the deceased's
hair being white, some burnt string, some pieces of burnt
basket, and a tooth with dried blood upon it.
Some additional evidence was adduced of a box or desk
having been seen in the prisoner's custody. It
was also proved that a ladder was found lying across the
1 saw-pit under the workshop on the prisoner's promos,*
which corresponded with certain marks on the wall of Miss
Pullwis back yard.
Willkrn Pollard deposed to having searched the privy
attached to the house of the deceased on the 24th March.
On the surface of the soil in the vault he found two towels
(now produced). There was not much soil in the vault.
The towels were not directly under the hole in the seat, but
rather forward, one being more forward than the other.
One of the towels was marked with blood, which was dark
but not moist. From the state of the moil he considered
that the towels had been recently thrown into the vault.
There was recent soil upon them. On searching the privy
he found two finger bones in the vault ; they were burnt to
• cinder.

Superintendent Ward proved that, in the course of an
examination of the garden of deceased's house, he found a
halfpenny at the upper end on the grass. Near to the spot
where he picked up the halfpenny he observed on a bower.
bed an impression of a nailed boot or shoe.
Mary Anne Kyte-1 am • widow and live with my
mother in Church-lane, St. Martin's, Stamford. MI
mother keeps • small shop. On Friday afternoon, mar
16, I was going down Church-lane, between two and three
o'clock, when I met the . He asked the to go
with him to Peterborough. I said, "No; it pit
me"—meaning it would not pay to go to Peter
with„hini. He said, " I'll pay your fare there and
if you'll go." I refused to go, and we parted. When we first
met, the prisoner said, " I'm going to Peterborough to-mor-
row." Between 8 and 9 o'clock on the following morning I
saw the prisoner pass our house ; he was going towards the
Midland Railway station. There is a morning train to
Peterborough, but I do Slokinow the exact time it starts.
I did not notice the prisoner's dress, but I saw that he had
a kind of deg basket in his right hand. He appeared to
have something very wide and heavy at the bottom of
the basket. About five o'clock in the after-
noon I saw the prisoner again. He appeared
to be coming from the station. He had with him the same
.basket, which he was carrying under his left arm. The
basket then seemed to be empty. On the 'Tueeday or Wed-
nesday in the week before Mims Pulley was found dead I
saw the prisoner talking to her. I cannot say positively
which day it was. They were standing in the middle of the
lane near to Mies Pulley's back premises where they
pared to lime met. I heard Mir Pulley twice call " Mr.
Corby, Mr. Corby, I want you to"—the remainder of the
sentence I did not bear. The ',limner replied, " I will
ma'am, thank you, ma'am." lam not sure what time of
the day this occurred, but I think it was in the morning.
On the Tuesiday after the body was found the prisoner came
into our home for half an ounce of tobacco. I was present
and heard my mother have some conversation with Corby.
She mentioned Miss Pulley's death, and said how shocking it
was. The primmer " I've only juat heard of it; they are
talking ait down there" (meaning at his own house). He
said his wife had been speaking of it. Corby seemed to be
very much excited, as though he had been drinking. I have
often seen him drunk. When the prisoner was supplied
with the tobacco he paid Is. 6d. which was due from him,
including the balance of an old score. I did not then see any
other money in his possession. The basket which I saw in
the band of the prisoner was such an one as is commonly
used by • carpenter to carry his tools. I think it was larger
than the one now moduced.
Harriet Bedford-1 keep a small grocer's shop in (lurch-
lane, Stamford, and have known Corby, for thirteen or
fourteen years. His • family dealt with me slightly.
I don't think his affairs have been in • flourish-
ing condition during the !wit nine months.
They never had much at a time. I never
trusted the prisoner above two or three shillings,
knowing his circumstances. I once entertained a doubt
even as to the payment of No small a sum as I have named.
On the Saturday, before Miss Pulley was found, between
eight and nine o'clock in the mooing, I sew the prisoner
pries my house with a basket in his hand ; it was a tool
basket ; he was it in his right hand, and it ap-
peared as though it was c osed at the top. I did not see him
again that day. On the Tuesday after Miss Pulley was
found, some time in the morning part, the prisoner came to
my shop in a very excited state, and asked for a quarter of •
pound of tobacco. I said, " You mean a quarter of an
ounce ;" and he said No, a quarter of a pound. I re-
marked to him how very shocking it was about poor Miss
Pulley. He replied, in a very excited way, " I've only;
just heard of sat ; they're talking of it down yonder.
He paid me • shilling for the tobacco. He
only took with him part of the tobacco, saying he
would call for the rest another time, and he did so on the
following Wednesday night. When he took the shilling
out of ha pocket I heard a good deal more money " jink,"
but did not see what amount he had. When he called for
the remainder of the tobacco on the Wednesday evening, he
said be bad been somewhere, but I don't remember where.
He was very " f re.h," and said he was then going to Hugo
Hicklin's (a public-home).
Ann Sharman—l am the wife of John Sharman, • carrier
to Peterborough. On Saturday, the 17th of March, 1 was
at Peterborough, having gone there with my husband's
cart. I saw the prisoner there ;he passed me whilst I was
standing with the cart near the church, some time after
one o'clock in the afternoon. He was carrying a carpenter's
tool basket in his hand. The basket contained something,
but no tools were projecting from it. He was going to-
wards the market-place in • direction from the Crescent
Railway Station. About four o'clock the same afternoon
I saw the prisoner epic; be was then going towards the sta-
tion, and he was carrying the same basket, which then ap-
peared to be empty. The basket was similar to the one
produced.
Ann Stubbs—Last mouth I lived with Mr. Barnes, in the
house next to that occupied by Miss Pulley on the north
side. I had lived there 17 years. I knew MW Pulley, and
frequently heard her move about the house at night. On
Thursday, the 17th of March, between 7 and 8 o'clock in
the morning, I heard a very loud scream, it only lasted •
short time, but it was very loud. I could not exactly say
where the sound came from, but it seemed to come from
Mime Pulley's premises. After that time I never heard
Miss Pulley in her home, and I thought she had gone out
visiting, as we were accustomed to hear her so often.
Application was then made for a further remand, and in-
timation being given to the bench that additional evidence
of an important character would be adduced, the prisoner
was remanded till Thursday next.