THE SURBITON RAILWAY MURDER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2451, 6 March 1901, Page 15

THE SURBITON RAILWAY MURDER.

LONDON, March 1

George Parker, an ex-soldier, has been sentenced to death for the murder of a farmer named George Pearson on January 17 in a railway carriage at Surbiton. Parker at the same time shot at and severely wounded Mrs King, who was travelling in the same compartment.

The murder was committed on January 17 on the London and South-western Railway. Three persons — Mr Pearson, a traveller in agricultural matters, Mrs Rhoda King, and George Parker, an ex-soldier, all unknown to each other — were travelling in the same compartment, when suddenly Parker demanded money from Mr Pearson. The latter indignantly refused, when Parker shot him with a revolver, and at once began to rifle the pockets, abstracting cash, a watch and chain, and other valuables. Mrs King screamed for help, when the murderer threatened to do for her also. She implored the man to spare her life. He said something about placing a revolver in Mr Pearson's hand so that it would be thought it was a case of suicide. Mrs King said she would notify the police, whereupon the ruffian fired at her, wounding her in the face. J3he dropped from her seat, and lay motionless, assuming unconsciousness but carefully watching movements of the murderer. Arrived at "Vauxhall, the murderer sprang out, but in a few minutes Mra King was able^to give the alarm, and the man was at once chfised, and eventually overtaken in a small tunnel in the gasworka yards. Mrs King was faint from th« loss of blood and

nervous prostration when the train reached Vauxhall. After he was in the police cells Parkier called for writing material and wrote a letter to his father. In this he practically admitted his crime, but said he did not know what he did it for — that he must haye been mad.