Sentenced to Death.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 5

Sentenced to Death.

BRUTAL MURDER. [BT ' TEUKtBArH. —OWN COEBESPONDENT.I • (Roc. Oct.-'l2, 0.59 a.m.) • Sydney, October 11. • : George Tofft has been* sontenced to death on a charge of murdering Maud Fletcher at Quirindi on July 29 last. ■ The' murder was committed near the railway line at '.the-southern ,end of, Quirindi, a town on -tho. Great Northern. Railway. -It appears that, a .youth named . George > Tofft, aged 20 years, a native' of. the town, and .Maud I'lotcher, aged li! "years, had'; been keeping company for some Tout, who was of a..ioalous disposition, had, beaten sweetfieavt on more' than one occasion. Some words, had 'passed between the girl's father and'Tofft during the after-' /noon,-when .Tofft threatened to shoot the' l0 The mother 'and ; her daughter had been ■ out, and wore returning homo to propare tea, .when Tofft appeared on the : scene, and commenced a tirade of amide. The girl- immediately fl(;d across the' paddock at tho'rftar of tho houso. From the surroundings it appeared that the, girl had just stepped through a wiro fence when.sho was shot,'near the edge of a gullv, and that she-then rolled to the bottom, , where ; .Tpift ■ folloved her aiid hammered lier . sk'ill in, breaking the rifle stock with - tho • force of tho hlow. Somo_ children': state: that tliey saw her rolling down the slopo. Tofft went off, after threatening ito "do for" the girl's father and for himself, and wandered, round for sometime, with a loaded rifle, before, he was arrested.