The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-07-27 00:00:00

A DREADFUL TRAGEDY.

On Saturday morning it was found that Richard Lewis
Sands, landlord of the Nile beerhouse, Church-street, Green-
wich, had murdered his three children in a wood adjacent
to the roadside, and committed suicide.—The Times of Mon-
day gives the following particulars :
It appears that at eleven o'clock on Thursday morning
in last week Sands left home with his three children,
Agnes, aged 7i years, George, aged 6i years, and
Amy, aged ft. He told his wife that he was going to
Bexley-heath, which is a mile and a quarter from
Crayford, to see his mother-in-la w. It appears, how-
ever, that he took the train to Erith and thence
walked to Crayford, for on the same evening he was
seen at the Lord Nelson Inn at the latter village,
the children being in his company. He there
asked the way to the churchyard, and being shown
the road went with the children in that direction.
At a quarter past eight a postman saw him sitting on a
stile near a pond at the roadside; but at that time he
had no children with him. At a quarter to six the
following morning the body of Sands was found float-
ing in the pond, and when it was got out it was dis-
covered that the throat was cut in such a manner as to
sufficiently account for death. In his pockets the
police found £l5 in money, a silver watch, gold chain,
and a small penknife, having no stain upon it. There
was also in his pocket a receipt for 125., paid by R. L.
Sands for removing furniture, and this, together with
another letter, enabled the police to identify the body.
Upon the intelligence being telegrapked to Green-
wich, a reply was received that the children had not
returned home. A search was accordingly instituted,
and soon after daylight on Saturday morning the bodiee
of the three children were found in a wood forty
yards from the pond. The throat of each was fright-
fully cut, and a large three-blade clasp-knife covered
with blood lay close by. Two of the blades had been
broken off, apparently in the commission of the
murder; but the smallest one remained. A hat and
silk handkerchief, afterwards recognised as belonging
to Richard Sands, were found a short distance from
the children. The spot where the tragedy occurred is
a very lonely one. There is only one dwelling house
within a quarter of a mile, and the occupants of that
state that they heard no screams. The bodies were
removed to the " Bell " publichouse, Crayford.
Until recently Sands filled the position of manager
of the Fine Arts Exhibition,Burlington-street, London.
He made many friends, and his last recommendations
were from Sir William Drake and Mr. Tooley, pub-
lisher, of 177, Piccadilly. These recommendations
were obtained with a view to the transfer to him of
the beerhouse already mentioned. For some reason
or other Sands desired the ease and income of a beer-
seller, and it appears to be the practice that when
such a tranfer is desired, application is in the first
instance made to the police. Accordingly he presented
himself at the Greenwich Police-station, and on
the question of reference he stated that if Sir
William Drake and Mr. Tooley were insufficient he
would also give the names of six peers. The police
at once proceeded with the usual inquiries as to the
character of Sands, which was found to be excellent.
Less than a fortnight since Sands left Burlington-
street and became the landlord of the Nile beerhouse,
and on Saturday week the boatmen at the riverside
repaired to the house in great numbers. They drank
freely, and in the end they fought freely. Sands
called in the police, remarking that it was his first
Saturday night in the Nile and that it would be his
last.