The Sun. — 1860-03-30 (London, England)

THE BURGLARY AND MURDER AT  STAMEO.RD.  Henry Corby was yesterday charged before the borough magistrates with the murder of Elizabeth Pulley, by suffocating, choking, strangling, and burning her; and also with breaking into the dwelling-house of the deceased and stealing therefrom 100 sovereigns, a £lO note, six gold rings, a quantity of silver plate, and a writing-desk, her property. The prisoner is about 50 years of age and a earpenter.  Sergeant Harrison, of the Stamford borough police, examined—On Monday, March 19, I was directed to enter the premises of Elizabeth Pulley, who livedin the High-street, St. Martin's. I went in company with Mr. George and constable Dalrymple, and with a ladder sealed the south wall of Miss Pulley's back premises. I got over into the garden, and then, by opening the garden door, let in Mr. George and the Rev. J. Place. We went down towards the house, and found the passage door wide open. We looked into the side of the back entrance, and saw nothing there. We then looked into the room on the opposite side, the door of which was partly open, and there, on the hearth, I saw the body of the deceased, Miss Pulley. The body lay within about three or four inches of the fire-grate, on the east side of the room. Deceased lay on her back, with her head on the hearthstone, and the body in a slanting direction, in front of the grate ; from the shoulders downwards the body was on the boarded floor. It was an oak floor. The head was turned a little over, the left shoulder towards the grate, and the legs were crossed. Parts of the clothing, and also of the body, had been destroyed by fire. The remains of the clothing showed deceased to have been fully dressed. A brass candlestick (produced) was lying between the left arm and the body, the top of the candlestick inclining a little towards the body. The clothes were wholly burnt off both arms, and partly off the upper portion of the body. The legs werenot all burnt. There appeared to be the ashes of some covering, as a vest, lying over the fore part of the face, so that the upper part only could be distinctly seen. A bonnet which the deceased had on was partly burnt away. The right arm was elevated by the side of the body, with the elbow restin gon the floor. The fingers were partly burnt off, and the remainder of the hand was charred. The left hand, which lay out from the body, was also a good deal burnt, but not so much as the right. Some ashes from the clothing lay between the left arm and the body. The body did not appear to be at all elevated from the floor. I did not perceive any rings or jewelry anywhere about. The fire was out, but there was a strong smell of burning still in the room. In the grate I saw some peat and some paper, apparently la id ready for lighting, but which had not been lighted. There was no carpet on the floor ; a table stood in the centre of the room ; the fender and fire-irons stood on the south side of the room, away from the fireplace ; there was no coal in the grate. I locked up the room, until it was visited by the coroner's jury, between 6 and 7 o'clock the same evening. I accompanied the jury to the house, and unlocked the door for them. The body was then in the same state as when I left it in the morning. I saw the body moved by one of the jurymen, Mr, Hibbins. He took hold of it with the tongs, and raised it partly upon the left side, to search for the pocket. I then saw that the floor was burnt and covered with ashes. Mr. Holkings, another juryman, took hold of the fingers of the right hand, in