The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-06 00:00:00

THE MURDER OF A GIRL NEAR

PONTEFRACT.

We gave an account yesterday of the murder of a young
girl named Elizabeth Mitchell, who was shot dead in the
house of her master, Mr. Spinks, of Upton Farm, near
Pontefract, on Sunday evening. It was also stated that
the deceased's fellow-servant, George Thorpe, a lad of 17,
was taken into custody on suspicion of having committed
the crime. The inquest on the girl's body was opened yes-
terday.
Mr. Spinks stated that he left home on Sunday after-
noon, the prisoner (George Thorpe) and deceased remain-
ing in charge of the house. He had a gun, with some
powder and shot, in the house; and on his return at
night. after the murder, he found appearances which led
him to believe that the gun had been recently discharged.
Annie Cookson, a girl of 16, stated that on Sunday after-
noon she went into Mr. Spinks's house, and found deceased
and prisoner alone. Prisoner began teasing them, and some
scuffing took place, but the lad did not appear to be angry,
although he once uttered an oath against deceased. Wit-
ness quitted the house with deceased's sister, leaving
deceased and prisoner alone. Soon afterwards (about six
o'clock) she returned, and found the girl dead in the coal-
house. Meeting the prisoner, she questioned him respect-
ing the mysterious death, but he stoutly denied all know-
ledge of what had taken place.
A neighbour deposed to hearing the report of a gun from
the direction of Mr. Spinks's house about half-past five on
Sunday evening, while another witness deposed that he
saw the prisoner coming hurriedly away from the house
about the same time. Mr. Joseph Thorpe, joiner, Leeds,
who was on a visit to Upton, was among the first to respond
to the call of alarm raised by the girl Cookson. In a short
time the prisoner came in, and the first words he uttered as
he looked at the body were, " Well, this is a d—d queer
thing, however." To Mr. Thorpe the prisoner repeatedly
asserted his innocence, but prevaricated as to the time he
last saw the girl.
Mr. Ibbeson, surgeon, who was called in about two hours
after the discovery of the body, found blood still oozing from
a wound on the point of the shoulder blade. The girl's
stays and chemise had been burnt quite black, and had
a circular hole burnt out about the size of a florin. It
was as if the gun had been discharged close to her body.
The seventh rib was fractured, and the heart shattered
nearly to pieces, and the left lung wounded. Fifty-
three shot-corns had lodged in the heart and lung. Death
would be instantaneous. It was proved that the shot ex-
tracted from the body of the deceased corresponded with
those which Mr. SiAnks had kept in the house, and Super-
intendent Hall found two marks of blood on the smock worn
by the prisoner on Sunday. When these spots were shown
to the prisoner, he said not a word. The prisoner when
taken into custody trembled violently. The evidence dis-
closed no motive for the crime. No violence had been
offered to the girl before she was murdered.
The Jury found a verdict of wilful murder against the
prisoner, who was thereupon committed for trial.
Thorpe will be examined before the magistrates to-day.