The Warwickshire Herald. — 1887-08-04 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

MURDER OF A SWEETHEART.  GEORGE AUG1361'175 EARLY, aged 18. engraver, was put upon his trial at the Winchester Assizes, on Monday, charged with the murder of his sweetheart, Isabella Rose Fleming, at Southampton, in April.—The prisoner, who had been in the army in America, became acquainted with the deceased about three years ago. About Easter the prisoner visited the girl's house, and on the Sunday previous to the murder Early, whilst in a state of intoxication. produced a revolver, and told Mrs. Fleming he should kill himself. Mrs. Fleming upbraided him, and he threw the revolver down, the weapon exploding on the carpet. On the afternoon of the 13th, the prisoner and deceased were close to the mantel-piece in a room, and while Mrs. Fleming was proceeding upstairs to dress, she heard two shots in rapid succession, and heard her daughter say before the first report. "George, what are you [ doing with the revolver ? " She ran downstairs, and found her daughter shot in the breast and her pinafore ignited by the explosion. The girl ran to her mother and said George had shot her, and died in five minutes. Behind the door was the prisoner, who had shot himself with the second discharge. He was in the habit of carrying the revolver in a pocket, and just before the fatal shot had been heard to speak cross on one occasion to deceased to make her cry.—Prisoner, when removed from the infirmary and charged with the murder, made no reply nor any intimation that the discharge was an accident. Several letters were read showing much affection between the prisoner and deceased.—No motive could be given for the act except that it was to prevent another person from marrying her.—Mr. Giles' defence was that the prisoner, in attempting his own life, was prevented by the girl, and that the revolver accidentally exploded.—The judge pointed out that the prisoner never said it was an accident.—Mr. Giles said prisoner's solicitor advised Early to say nothing.—The judge: Then all I can say is that more pernicious advice was never given in the world, and his solicitor, who is sitting ih the background, ought to be ashamed of himself for ever. His lordship afterwards justified this by saying it was pernicious if he believed his client innocent.—The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to death.  THE Crystal Palace Company's Bill came before the examiners of the House of Commons on Monday. The Bill authorises the directors of the company to create a new debenture stock, for which the existing debenture stock of the company is to be exchanged. The examiners reported that the Standing Orders had been complieo with. A PA INTER at work on the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday missed his footing and fell from a point near the centre of the span into the river below, a distance of 130 feet. He struck the water on his chest, but came again to the surface and was rescued by the fireman of a passing tug-boat. He did not complain of any serious injuries. A CONFERENCE of ironworkers was opened at Sheffield on Monday. About 40,000 ironworkers are included in the districts, and the Association has enrolled 7,000 members. The object of the meeting of the Association, which was provisionally formed in Manchester, and which is intenhed to consolidate the entire ironworks of the country, was to appoint officers and adopt rules.