The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-25 00:00:00

vessel, has been commmitted to gaol in London-
derry on the charge of having murdered one of the
crew. Several of the other sailors presented in
their• persons marks of the cruelty with which he
had treated them during the voyage.
_ _

On Tuesday evening a public meeting was held
in Belfast for the purpose of petitioning the House
of Commons for the extension of the Forbes Mac-
kenzie Act to Ireland. Resolutions were adopted
deploring the many and aggravated evils arising
from the sale of intoxicating liquors on the Sab-
bath.day. A petition to the House of Commons
was agreed to, praying that, as the 16th and 17th
of Victoria, cap. 67, known as the Forbes Mac-
kenzie Act, had been of considerable benefit to the
Scottish community, the enactment might be ex-
tended to Ireland. The Act in question prohibits
the sale of intoxicating drinks between the hours
of 11 o'clock on Saturday night and 7 o'clock on
Monday morning.

711 E ULLINGSWICK MURDER.

THE CORONER'S INQUEST, AND COMMITTAL
OF THE PRISONER.
HEREORD, THURSDAY.
This morning Mr. N. Sanwarne, the coroner for
this division of the county, held an inquest upon the
body of Mary Corbett, who had been brutally mur-
dered on the night of Monday last. The inquisition
took place at the Prince of Wales Inn, whither the
body was removed after finding it in an orchard, as
already reported. The prisoner (Hope) has been
previously convicted of felonious charges, and was
in 1850 sentenced to seven years' transportation,
but only served three of that term, when he re-
turned to Ullingswick on a ticket-of-leave, and has
since been twice convicted of misdemeanour, for
which he has served terms of imprisonment.
Dr. Bull, of Hereford, made a post mortem exa-
mination of the body, assisted by Mr. Hill, surgeon
of Bodenham. The clergyman of tne parish, Rev.
J. M. Ware, was in attendance. The first witness
called was Mrs. Elizabeth Skerrett, the mistress of
the deceased, who deposed to the circumstances
under which she had disappeared.
Mary Bevan said—l am a married woman, and
my husband is a drainer. I live at the half way
house in Ullingswick, and keep a shop and beer-house.
I knew Mary Corbett, from her having come to the
shop. Mrs. Skerrett's is about 300 yards from my
house. On Monday night Mary Corbett came to my
house for candles, about ten minutes before 10 o'clock.
Any one going to the shop as a customer would have
to go through the kitchen. The only persons there
were Hope and John Prosser. Prosser was asleep,
and Hope had some beer. As she was about to go
out Hope asked her to have some beer, and she said
she did not want any that night. She then left,
and Hope, without speaking, got up and went out.
He left about a glass and a half or two glasses in
the jug. I did not see him or deceased after. I
never saw them together before, nor have 1 seen
either of them since.
Prisoner—Did I stop in the house ten minutes
after the girl left ?
Witness—No, you did not.
By a juryman—Hope gave the girl a glass of beer
when she was down before, when she came for beer
for her mistress. I did not see him attempt to take
liberties with her. It was about 8 o'clock.
Richard Mapp said—l am a labourer, and live in
this parish, about 150 yards from Bevan's beershop.
I have seen Mary Corbett at Skerrett'e, and I knew
Hope, who got his living by labouring about. I
did not see either of them on Monday night. I went
to bed about ten, and immediately after I heard two
screams. I got out of bed and went to the window.
It was of a female calling out, " Oh ! dear, oh," as if
in distress. I opened the window, but did not near
anything more, as the wind was very blusterous.
My cottage is about 70 yards from that part of the
road where the marks of ,truggling were. 1 fancied
the screams to come sideways to my house, which
would be in the direction of where the struggle
took place.
William Weaver—l am a thatcher and live in
Ullingswick. I have known deceased since she was
a child. I also know Hope. On Monday night I
slept at George Hope's, a brother of the pi isoner.
William Hope does not live with him. It rained
heavily, and when I went out to wash at 7 o'clock
1 found deceased in a field at the back of the house.
I could see it was a person as if covered over
with a black shawl. I called George Hope, and
said there was something lying under the hedge.
We both went to see what it was. We went round
through the gate instead of getting over the hedge.
I saw it was a female quite stiff, and George Hope
put his foot to her. She was sitting with her head
hanging over her right shoulder. Her clothes were
down, her face was covered with mud and blood,
and her hair was in a disorderly state all over her
face. The shawl was thrown over her, up to about
her face. The shawl was dirty and wet. She had
the appearance as if she had been rolled in mud and
blood. The shawl produced by the police is that
which covered her body. George Hope opened the
gate and went to her, and only found some heel or
toe marks near the body. I went to fetch Insole,
and then went after the constable. When bring-
ing her up here I found the place where the struggle
had taken place, in a corner on the side of the road,
and picked up the net now produced, which I gave
to the constable, Frederick Pugh. The net was as
near as I could tell to where her head was in the
lump of dirt where the struggle was. Had no
thought it was a native. Inquired if any stranger
had been seen about. It seemed like a murder, and
we took care not to disturb any footmarks.
George Hope confirmed the evidence of the last
witness, and added that he found the frail produced
at a corner of the orchard full of turnips. The cord
was then attached to it. He fancied that it was his
brother's frail, but he could not swear that it was.
His brother did not live with him.
Sarah Prosser said—l am the wife of James Pros-
ser, a sawyer, and live in Ullingswick. I know
Hope, who had lodged with me four weeks. He
worked at hedging and draining for anyone who
could employ him. My rule was that Hope was
to be in at ten or be locked out. We never locked
him out before Monday night. I went to bed at
half-past nine. If he had come I should have
let him in. He did not come. I saw him on
Tuesday morning, about half-past seven, when
he said he was going to work for Mr. Hill, of the
Green. I had not seen him from Monday morning
until that time ; he then came for his breakfast.
Did not observe that he was dressed when he went
out. When he returned he had his short slop on
and trousers in which he usually works. Did not
see him go away from the house. He had not much
change of clothes. I cannot say whether the frail
produced is prisoner's, but he had one similar to it,
which used to be hung at the back of the house.
Never noticed whether there was a cord attached to
it. He used his fran to carry his food. I did not
see the frail on Monday. My husband has a frail,
which is hung up there now. Hope took the jacket
now produced on Monday morning, and he did not
bring it back again on Tuesday. It was not dirty
when he took it out.
James Weaver, a thatcher, said-1 reside in
Ullingswick. On Tuesday, about 4 o'clock in the
evening, while on my road home, and in consequence
of what I had heard respecting the affair, I went
into a piece of plantation to look for the jacket that
was missing, and near to where were the marks of
struggling I found a jacket (the one produced) rolled
up tight and concealed in the stump of an old tree.
I pulled it out, and in the morning placed it in the
hands of the police. It was about 150 yards or so
from where the struggle took place.
Daniel Harwood, superintendent of police at
Bromyard, examined—l was on my way to Here.
ford on Tuesday last, and from information I re-
ceived I came down here, and found Simpson, in
whose company I went to where the marks of
struggling were seen. I examined the spot very
minutely, but could not find footmarks, from previ-
ous rain and trampling, but foand two places as if
the toes of boots had made indentations in the earth.
On some clay that had been thrown out of the ditch
an impression of a person lying on her back, from
the buttock and back of the head ; also found seve-
ral knee marks, as if some one had been kneeling.
The knee marks were produced by a peculiar fort
of ribbed stuff. I then got a spade, and in the pre-
sence of Simpson I dug up the plainest of the im-
pressions, which I now produce. I also produce
impressions from the trousers of prisoner ; the dif-
ference in the;impressions is accounted for by the
trousers being worn in some part.. I then went to
prisoner and examined his trousers, now produced.
found them very dirty about the knees. It is a twill
ribbed cord,and appears to have made the impressions
referred to. On the fall of the trousers I also found
blood, and also upon certain portions of his linen;
also dirt upon his shirt corresponding with the dirt
upon his trousers and upon the wristbands of his
shirt; also found dirt upon the slop he was wear
also examined his boots and found several
places as if nails had been recently taken out. _
Mrs. Bevan was recalled—Hope had on a jacket
when he went out after the girl. The jacket pro-
duced was that which he wore at the time; she
knew it by a rent in the left-hand pocket.
Mrs. Sarah Hill said—MY husband's name is
Jacob Hill. I undressed deceased ; I also laid out
the body on Tuesday morning her
bloodw er e
very dirty ; she had not beenweni ed Ifound
were wet.
upon her face, and her outside garments
lf
When I got thei dirt off her face ound two marks
' under the chin • I found a great deal of blood upon
the front tail of her chemise.
Mr. Henry Grave In conjunction Bull said-1 am a surgeon,
with Mr. Hill
i
living in Hereford.