The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-23 00:00:00

THEMURDER AT ULLIN GSWICK.

HEREFORD, W EDNESDAY.
George Hope, the returned con vict, now in
custody on the charge of having abus ed and mur-
dered the girl, Mary Corbett, was convicted at
Hereford, in December, 1850, of stealirt g fowls, the
property of Mr. Skerrett, at Ullings' vick, and of
housebreaking and robbery at the sat ne place, for
which he was sentenced to seven years ' transporta-
tion. He has since been twice coilviel :ed of misde-
meanor, and of using threatening language, for
which he has suffered terms of imprist. nament.
It now appears that Mrs. Skerrett, a respectable
farmer's wife, living in the ne.ighbourh‘ood, finding
some of the necessaries of housegee ping getting
rather low, and would not, in all proinability, last
until she visited Hereford market on Wednesday,
sent the deceased to the Draiuer's Arm's public-
house, to which a shop for the sale of grOceries is
attached.
The girl Mary Corbett was a remarkable speci-
men of the ruddy-complexioned damsels of Here-
fordshire, and was an exceedingly fine and powerful
girl for her age. When ,she entered the Drainer's
Arms the first time, about 8 or 9 o'clock on Monday
night, the prisoner was drinking with others in the
kitchen. The prisoner asked her to drink with him,
which she prudently declined to do. This circum-
stance had, perhaps, something to do with her re-
turn to the house a second time, she having forgot-
ten some candles she had been instructed to bring
with her. On her second appearance the prisoner
repeated his importunities, and went so as to
order a glass of beer for her, which she ha 'd also
the prudence to leave behind her. However, ionic-
diately on the girl leaving the house he was observed.
to get from his seat and follow her, leaving behind
him some beer, which he did not re; urn to drink.
Nothing further transpired to indicate the nature of
the offence that had been committed until Mrs.
Skerrett, in her state of uneasiness at the absence
of the girl, gave information to her husband's work-
men, by whom it was immediately spread, and the
facts that had transpired at the Drainer's Arms be-
came a matter of common conversation. This at
once threw suspicion upon Hope, and it was at first
thought that the man named Wm. Weaver had par-
ticipated in the crime. This happily turns out to,
be unfounded,and the evidence which will to-morrow
be given tends to fix the offince absolutely upon the
prisoner Hope, who is a desperate character, as
will hereafter appear. Inquiries having been set on
foot, it was observed that at a certain point in the
road a struggle had taken place, which had been
followed up to a bank by the wayside. It was here
observed that the knees of a man, having a peculiar
kind of stuff in his trousers, had made indentations
in the turf and mould. Here, too, was found by the
prisoner's own brother who had joined in the search,
a frail which the prisoner had with him at the
Drainer's Arms on Monday night. Also, the net
which had been torn off the head of the poor girl.
The prisoner did not return to his lodgings that
night, nor does it appear that he slept in any house.
His own statement is to the effect that he slept
in a. barn, which upon examination does not show
any trace of his having been there, It was also ob-
served that, on Tuesday morning prisoner washed a
portion of his clothes and had blood upon his fore-
head, which it is probable resulted from his struggle
with the girl against the bank by the wayside.
From this point steps were traced to an orchard some
few hundred yards distant, where the corpse of the
poor girl was found placed up in a sitting posture
against an apple-tree, after the first offence had been
committed.
N. Lanwarne, Esq., the coroner, will hold the in-
quest to-day.

314 RAJ-11)S.