The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1891-08-29 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

MYSTERIOUS MURDER OF A GIRL AT HUDDERSFIELD. A mysterious murder is reported at Milnesbridge, a suburb of Huddersfield. It appears that on Friday afternoon a servant-girl at the Ivy Green public-house in Manchester-road was left in charge of the house. During the afternoon a butcher's boy shouted out, but could not make anyone bear. Later on a neighbour went to the house and found the girl lying dead, having apparently been stabbed in the neck with a sharp instrument, but no knife could be found near. The police are now searching the surrounding country. The wound had separated the 4ugular vein. At present the affair is shrouded in complete mystery. Further inquiries show that the unfortunate victim was only sixteen years of age, and had been engaged from Flint, North Wales, as domestic servant. The Ivy Green Hotel is kept by Mrs. Brooks, a widow. The deceased was the only assistant whom Mrs. Brook employed. It is stated that her mistress left home on a short shopping expedition, and, that shortly after 3 o'clock a customer, named John William lredale, left the house, there being then a couple of strange men at the counter drinking. At 4 o'clock the butcher's boy, named Reeves, employed by the local Cc-operative Society arrived with some meat, and it was then that the tragedy was discovered. The bar and the various rooms frequented by callers were all empty, and there being no response to the boy's calls, a neighbour who heard him shouting, went in, and soon found the girl lying in one of the passages on her back, and dead. There was a small punctured wound on the right side of the neck, going through the jugular vein, and this had evidently been inflicted while the deceased was down, the blood having flowed down the neck a,nd formed a pool under her head. Her clothes appeared to be in proper order, there were no marks of blood about the hands or face and there were no signs of any struggle having taken place. The police having been summoned there was soon much excitement in the locality, and Iredale, having heard of the discovery, immediately procured a companion and set off towards Slaithwaite. Before arriving at that village they saw the two men whom Iredale left in the house, and whilst one kept them in sight the other went to the policestation. Sergeant Rameden and Conetable Fownes having been hurriedly informed of what. had occurred., determined to arrest the two strangers on suspicion, and found them in the Dartmouth Arms. They were taken to the Slaithwaite police-station, where, upon being searched, a small penknife was found in the possession of one of the prisoners, but nothing of importance upon the other. The names of those arrested are Joshua Lockwood, a stoutly-built man of between thirty and forty, and George Farnham, aged from twentyfive to thirty, a tall and slightly-built man. Both are respectably dressed, and described themselves as agents in the employ of Mr. J. B. Law, a photographer, of Raumden Huddersfield. When cautioned and charged, Lockwood said, "It's a bad job, but I know nothing about it." No bloodstains were found on either of the men, but there were patches of green on their coats, and the corridor where the body was discovered was washed with green, which come off on being rubbed. The two men Lockwood and Farnham were brought before two county magistrates at Huddersfield on Saturday, but both prisoners denied that they were in the hotel till after the murder was committed. The prisoners were:remanded. They have since been discharged. Mrs. Brook,ithellandlady, remembered that there was another man left in the house, John Stockwell, a teaser, wholives not far away. This man was seen by two persons to leave the house shortly before the butcher's boy went with the meat.