The Sun. — 1862-10-23 (London, England)

THEMURDER AT ULLIN GSWICK.  HEREFORD, W EDNESDAY. George Hope, the returned con vict, now in custody on the charge of having abus ed and murdered 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 ' transportation. He has since been twice coilviel :ed of misdemeanor, 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 publichouse, to which a shop for the sale of grOceries is attached. The girl Mary Corbett was a remarkable specimen of the ruddy-complexioned damsels of Herefordshire, 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 circumstance had, perhaps, something to do with her return to the house a second time, she having forgotten 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, ionicdiately 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 workmen, by whom it was immediately spread, and the facts that had transpired at the Drainer's Arms became 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 participated 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 observed that, on Tuesday morning prisoner washed a portion of his clothes and had blood upon his forehead, 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 inquest to-day.  314