The Sun.
London, England, 1823-04-11 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT CLAPHAM.

An Inquest was held yesterday at the Plough
public-house, Clapham, before War. CRABII, Esq. deputy
Coroner of the liberty of the Duchy of Lancaster in Surrey, on
the body of MrS. Elizabeth Richards, whom we yesterday stated
to have been inhumanly'murdered on the evening of Tuesday
kit. As, soon . as the Jury was sworn, they proceeded to the
house of the deceased to take a view of the body. The house
was one of a continuous row of houses along the road, through
the Common, one of which is the Baptist Chapel. The ap-
pearance of the body was such as described in the evidence of
Surgeon Rippon. After having taken their view, the Jury re-
turned to the Plough.
Sophia Jones was then sworn ; and said, I live in Clapham ;
1 am not married. 1 was well acquainted with the deceased,
Mrs. Elizabeth' Richards ; she was a widow lady. I under-
stand she was about 75 years of age • very feeble, and not
capable of taking 'Care of herself; Shelc'ePt no servant, but a
woman of the name of Mrs. Bell lived with her ; and the de-
ceased's niece•came to her once a week to clean the house ; she
resided near the Baptist Chapel, on the Common. Mrs. Bell was
never married, and resided with the deceased as a lodger; she oc-
casionally helped her about the house, in a friendly way.. I have
known them nearly two trearS; I never heard the least' dispute
between them ; Mrs. Bell lived with her about 3 years ; she was
not at all in distressed circumstances ; I last saw the decased at
about 4 o'clock on:Monday afternoon; I only Went in to see
her ; on Tuesday evening I generally went to read the news-
paper to her, called "Bell's Weekly Messenger ;"'she seemed
in her usual health on Monday afternoon ; I stayed with her
about half an hour; I was to have gone to her again on Mon-
day afternoon, but the heavy storm prevented me ; I went in
the evening of Tuesday to read the newspaper, as usual, a
little after li o'clock—not more than a quarter past 8; 7 o'clock
was my usual hour, but I had sonic one with me, and I con-
sequently did not go for an hour after the usual time, and then
found her dead; I have reason to believe the villain who mur-
dered her was in the house at the time. 1 gave one knock at
the door, and stayed longer than usual to-be admitted. I look-
ed through the key-hole, and saw the room .on the greand-fiOar
in darkness. I, stayed about a minute longer, thinking
,that
she had gone up stairs for her night-things, as she usually did.
I was then going to knock at the door again when it opened a
little ; I said, "It's me, Mrs. Richards," three times. Then
the door opened wide, (I can't say if I touched it with my hand)
and I went in. I went up stairs.), calling " Mrs. Richards;"
I then returned, and seeing what I knew to be Mrs. Richards'
body, by the dead light of the fire, lying on the floor, I
thought she was in a fit. I went home very much agi-
tated, arid called Mrs. Strathatn,' who instantly: returned with
me. We then saw a poker under the parlour-window outside.
I had a light in my hand at this time; I said, " Oh, God !
Mrs. Richards is murdered." I went ini:,;ettiately to Mr.
Miller, a next door neighbour, and called Mi. Glaystier, an-
other neighbour also. They both came with me that moment.
It was a very dark night. The shock I had 'received was so
great, that upon seeing her feet [was, able to go no farther. Her
feet lay from the fire, and her head towards it. She was not very
near the fire-place.. Site had had two paralytic strokes and near-
ly lost the use of one side, and one hand in particular, but could
walk about the house, feed herself, and make her bek I don't
know what money she,had ; she did not talk to -me on the subject.
Shaprothised to leave me something in her will, she said she would
say nothing about it until it was made; -I suppose she had made a
will ; I don't know if I am mentioned in it ; nor do I know
where it is.- She promised to remember me in lice will about
two or three months ago. She seldom visited anyone about us.
I lived four doors from her. There- was no cortnnunication
backwards between our houses, so that if she had called for as-
sistance I could not have heard her, She was on the most
friendly terms with the people next door. She had been at Mr.
Miller 'S about half an hour before I found her dead. Mr. Mil-
ler told me so ; and that she had left his house by the back way.
Mr. Miller is a carpenter. She had 'not a great deal of plate;
she had a watch, which generally hung over the fire-place In the
parlour. She had some. table-spoons. I never saw any old
guineas with her. She did not complain of the times: Sheseem-
ed very comfortably situated. Her niece was in the habit
of' aiming once
a week. She is a married woman. - Iler name is
Cooke, and lier husband a labou rer. The deceased did notapprove
of her niece's marriage. The only time I ever saw the husband
there, wait about .'months ago, when he came respecting the,
lease of a house which she built them. I never heard her say any
thing ill of theliusband, but she did not like him; lie is a gravel
digger, and lives in Love-lane, between Brixton and Stockwell.
I always found the deceaged at home when I called to read the
newspaper on Tuesday, but Sirs. hell wits almost: always out
on those evenings. The deceased's husband's name was on
the watch—" Thomas Richards." It is a silver watch, with it
presso
ekeda. gaisnis,the itn;
it
believeopened i
tit r
tortoise-shell case. The name was on the silver, part, inside.-.-
I should know it again. \nen I knocked at the door, I did
pieksdteneld
little,
nju bucked.
4ist,hiatve eenonblyone
and there appeared to be something pressing behind it, and' I,'
:thinking it was Mrs. Richards, was afraid to push against it,.
lest I should throw her down. When it next opened, it fell
'back alteigether as it usually did. Sly tient, conviction is,
that there was somebody behind it the first time it opened.--
1 always knocked when 1 went there. I never heard . her
express any uneasiness on account of having money in the house.
!I did not perceive whether the back door' was open or shut. I
am no relation of the deceased. Mrs. Richards' habits were
known in the neighbourhood. She never slept out all night.
(A poker produced.) Tarn confident that was the poker which
I saw under the window. It was generally in Airs. Richards'
parlour, but she did not use it in common. Mrs. It. had half
a dozen silver table-spoons, a dozen of tea-spoons, two Biller
cream.jugs, and two salt-spoons. That is all • the plate I ever
saw with her. I alined with her last New Year's Day. I never
hid any quarrel with her niece. She (the niece) seemed a very
nice Woman. I saw her this morning. She, seemed to feel this
'affair very much. She said she was easy in her mind, as both
she and her husband were innocent. _She made that observa-
tion of her own accord : what led to it was her saying that
a gentleman examined her very minutely yesterday, . and
ask her many questions respecting her husband, in regard to
the different places he wits at on Tuesday last, which hurt her
very much.- Were.she said this, her feelings seemed very
calm and composed. She said she did not care any. thing about
it, as they werequite innocent. I Obseried, " If you are inno-
cent, Mrs. Cooke, that is every thing." She replied that she was
innocent. She seemed attached to her aunt, and said she would
not have cared if, they had robbed her of every thing, it' they
had not murdered her. No other person was present when this
conversation took place ; it Was in the room with the deceased. i
- My own opinion s, that these people arainnocent, but that the
murder was perpetrated by somebody who, kneveher.
Charles Miller, of Clapham, carpenter,. said, I have known
the deceased these 18 years. We have been next dour neighbours.
We-have been on terms.. 9f intimacy. Shawas in the habit of
coming to my house once or twice a week. There was a coin.
niunicetion between the houses the back way, in consequence
of one pump Serving fourheuses with water. 1 have no wife
living. Sly children. de tint .live with site, but they sometimes
come and see me. ,rie naive of coy son who was with me on
Tuesday is Wilkinson; he' is my son-in-law,' and was with me
at dinner. There was none of them with me when Mrs. Rich-
ards called. She called on me about a quarter of an hour
before eight o'clock. She seemed uneasy some time past lest
she should be disturbed in consequence of the lease of her
house having been purchased lately by a solicitor. I had
some conversation with her. about a person of the name of
Chester, who had novcalled on her for some months. She said
nothing about ker will, or about any uneasinesti with respect to
robbere. I can bear the voice when any thing is said at Mrs.
Richard's house, but 1 Cannot distinguish 'the. words. Nobody
could get into her house the back way without my hearing theM.
I .have no doubt that she will murdered e the murderer must
have got in the front way. The eircunistance of the poker
leads me to believe that they went out at the front door; and
my nothaving heard any noise in the rear,: and she having told
rue when she was having - my house that he had a light in her
houSe,Nand having- besides bolted the back gate after her,
convinces me that they must also hive gotin by the front door.
I went for a constable at Sir.. Glayslier s suggestion. Some-
bady else went for it medical person. My son, who.called
on me on Tuesday, only stopped aliout ten minutes while I was
at dinnee. That was at one o'clock. He called on me some-
timee when he Caine to town. I have not seen hint since. It was
about half an hour alter Mrs. Richards had left me that Mrs.
Jones gave, the alarm: Site said that tioniething was the matter
at Mrs. Richards's,.for she was lying -on the floor, and a poker
was standing outside _ the door. I accompanied Mrs. Jones in,
and saw the deceased l) ins; on her back in the parlour near the
fire, and an apron stuffed into her mouth. Mrs. Stratton pulled
it out, and there was a little blood upon it. It was a white oven.
She appeared to Le quite dead. I don't know if she was cold,
for I did not touch her. I went for the constable ; and when I
returned the doctor was there. • I then touched the body, as se-
veral others did Al y son-in-law, has been out of work some time.
Ile used to spend what he earned. Ile has got a wife now, and
I suppose it is not better with hits. His name is George liil
kinson. lie was brought up here from a child. He left me on'
Tuesday before two o'clock. tie_ is a stone-mason. Ile has
hen out of work the greater part of the winter. Ile went nut
with me after dinner: I was tit work out. I returned about
seven. was told that two suspicious-looking men were about
the place having the appearance of Sailors. Sly son-in-law's
brother is a tailor at rooting, and does business for Mrs
Bishop. His name, is John. George expected me to give him
iomething ; but I luul nothing to give him this tithe. 1 gave
him half a crown in the winter. He wore. a fustian jacket that
day, and blue trowsers. Ile told me where he lived, but I
can't recollect it. I believe somewhere near Tothill-fields. He

has one child, and his wife is far gone with another. lie is up-
wards of 30 years df age. He has been married these three
years ; I have never seen his wife. I don't know where he was
born. He parted from me as I was going to work. He said
he bad dined with John at Tooting. He was sober then ; but
he used to be fond of drink. My son Charles is servant to Mrs.
Cooke, of Clapham; he often comes to see me. He went to
Chelmsford one Monday morning, to meet his brother at his
aunt's, and returned on Tuesday night as he informed me.
did not see him until Wednesday morning. (The apron was
here shown to witness. It was an old white one, very much
worn, and had two spots of blood upon it, each bout the size
of the palm of a man's hand. A pocket was also produced,
without strings.) That is the apron to the best of my belief,
which was on Mrs. Richard's face and mouth. I think so by
the blood. I did not see that apron on her before. I saw that
pocket ; it was lying on the ground beside the deceased. It
was after I returned with the constable that I saw it. I think,
it was in the constable's hand when 1 first saw it; it was then
without any strings.
Joseph Rippoirsaid—l am a surgeon. About a quarter be-
fore nine on Tuesday evening, a boy whom I did not know call-
ed on me, and informed me that a woman was killed. I.fel-
lowed him to the house of Mrs. Richards, and found' her lying
flat on her back on the floor in the front room, with. her bead
near the fire-placee She was lying quite straight,' and her
clothes not at all discomposed. I assisted in placing the body in s
chair, and found her quite dead. Mrs. Stratton then produceithis
cloth (the apron hand said she had pulled it out of .3lrs. Richards'
mouth. I found a mark on the side of the throat, as if a thumb
harp been placed on it, and the nail had slightly raised the skin.
eloarcefrodmouat
rlsobnelpielacve
There was another similar one on the nose, a slight one on the
left temple, and one of her teeth had been forced out,
which
seemed to have occasioned the blood on the cloth. She had
only one more tooth. I could not find the tooth which had been
insghehisswthalumlobedon
throat and nose were not mortal : they seemed to have pressing
her nose with the fingers to prevent her from breathing.througe
that organ. lam of opinion that her death was occasioned ?Y
suffocation. Ido not think there is any occasion for the body
to be opened. It was impossible she could have placed' the, •
apron in her mouth herself. r 40
the
Susanna Stratton said, I have known the deceased
Ilea
thThroeatu.iarks Oil he'
years. She was about 74 or 75 years of age.. 1. lived within
two doors of her. 'rite remainder of this witness's testhnooy,
corroborated, so far as it went, the evidence of tho prect43:
witness. The apron, she said was twisted tighde, and stun
down the deceased's throat. She had to give it a considerable
tug, and
Bell the
the mouth opened ividely. de;
ceased, Bell, the woman who tiodged in the house of then
.e,„
ceased, deposed that she had lived with her between 4a, d,"
and pressing
years. On Tuesday. last, she lett the house before 7 o'c'°'.
to go to Mts. Phillips's meeting ; but it was not °Pte.%
and she went to Mrs. Haynes's, opposite the meeting,
_...7e_
she remained -until near nine o'clock. As she was gailli?'1"1so:
ed in black, who said, " Ladies, if you are
in company, with a sister of Mrs. Haynes; she met a Man tirt.ii
what you are about, for Mrs. Richards has been ininelered.'..,
Witness said, " Impossible," and he replied, 'twas true.
__T,
was very civil, although a stranger to witness, and iveeorner..`,.
nied her to the door. She did not see the hotly until to. ?AL
To the best of her knowledge,. the apron roduced belongs
the deceased. A brown paper parcel was-handed to "'mimeses
ti
the 'nurse who had the care of the body, sealed and &reel
witness "at Mrs. Richards." She opened it immediately,".
found it to be a sham: it contained nothing. but hrow.e to
She was convinced that parcel had not arrived previously
her leaving home on Tuesday evening.
not dirt)"
Francis Hinton, of Clapham. carpenter, said, I can why I
any light upon this business; but I believe the reaaa°lr f „b.
have been called upon is, that when I heard of the rre'
t; Marl bee
served to Mrs. Ching that a suspicious character,
w 1 nee
going home, u
longed to a gang, all. ,5f whom but himself were tralsr,s.and;
was
.seen to pass by. on Monday with a bundle in I
prised if the' murderer were found in quarter. liw
and as he was sheltered by his %other, he should not,.,l;e.tgi'ar.:
dividual had been brought up in this neighgbourhood. _line
William Olaysher c,orroborated that part of the peril
evidence
dec. There was no money found in the pocket. ,„le might
Pile of the Jurors stated, that all the money w1?,11_1_1,4 stairs-
evidence which related to his being called in after the
be considered to keep in the house was found by. loarie,_"2:
, The sum was considerable for.a woman in her sitt4enun par
Thomas Burgess, of the Larkliall publicehou.se,i
If Lambeth, stated that at about half-past elgn,t
,crecr os.
pas going to the house of Mr. Foot to inquire wru'l'leeareetle
wanted, when he met a man running towards bun, ykirante,
from Clapham, who inquired if that was the waY tio;:: a pit
Worth. Ile bad a blue coat and blue trowsers on,
of shoes in his hand. . 1.1
ben
rev"' • e-
Miller, was then sworn, bue communicated no n
Ivied {t
. Thomas Reed, the constable, who had been ca,.11,f;
The Jury consulted together, and instantly re hall hae been
dict—" That the' deceased, Elizabeth Ilieharea; sloe per-
wickedly and maliciously inunlered by suffocation u)
son or persons at present unknown." •
The ,Jury.sat from 12. until 7.o'clock in the eveDlei•

FIRE.--Yesterday' -----morning,—hetweea !w° aril
three o'clock, a fire broke out in the house ;
Mr...Lawvence, appraiser-and broker, N', al
C ravel-lane, South work. Mr. Lawrence P.
(bioeeolrinwiatiniychwmereks confined to his
under a severe attack of the gout. Severtil fruit,
less attempts were made to force open the stilfr.
Stammers, the landlord of the Prince and Prinfeor
public-house, adjoining, entered the firat "rai
window by ineansolialadder,followed bf °nip.,
otherL persons, who succeedod in rocuiu; ,
as securely barred ; at lengto 0
The flames were after considerable esertifottil
a Lawrence and conveying him ton place of saf.eti));
happily got under without further damage liti,
bed, 50(41
thev destruction of the room the fire broke °u;idi
\ e are sorry to say, Mrs. Lambert was ",1,0
burnt in One hands. and face. It is thought i.
15
accident was occasioned by the bed Cortgli
taking fire. ,
, a , ,iressea
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.--A respectably ia.-
p‘wwroocm.ms
tapmot i
ititistaei ssrt..aitalreikd'ee,gne suspendedot out
yesterdayof t h
ae
imi ;Ito:lila, inatiition)
giel:
taivo-nol:rivit
ceye
9,
stored, after she had been more than two minutes
or
under water. Aaron Briggs, a bargeraarYl,-13,er
hert throw herself in, and with assistance ga:, 3. t,
U. She is the wife of a linen-draper at 1Y e,,
miuster, and had left her home more than a weeit.

tine
LaOdyn
othfc3. 2iaid
oinrs(tioyattonßaloill.3yalißsonekre.yll-S.l louse county of Cork,"
On the 9th inst., the, wife of the Rev. James 1106 it 'St3ll"
ford-street, of a son.

MARRIED.
On the 9th instant, at Totteridge, H teerts, j4m;s lielivitbli
F N enoulbet; E., (4* Hatton-garden, solicitor, o,roacticir
Anne, Rides t daughter of James Ensor, Es+, of F
lodge, , to 10,.
On the tOth inst., Mr. Edward Harris, of 'Jambe Loge%
Ann Bagel!, eldest daughter of Mr. William
Bridge.street, Hlackfriars.

a:::onoldfteLni3ll:l:47.lalt, at his Dholut:De i:u Saville-row\ Sir• 6 11
Oot,. according to worldly phraseology, a great 1:0
niativo:o•E:
was Am- (111'?11") Bart., in the 02d year of his nge'
Infinitely superior—he was a good one : his name sho c .
',on every occasion in the lengthened list the child of 014tenaatt:;
as of charity, but the heart. to sympathio with' an-
'
; aNW
to succour the unfortunate, were eminently h's 7 an The
ever appealed either to
.the one or the other in vain. i e
stranger, who thus bears tribute to his worth, has felt also 6)
he n°ll
'sunshinei of his philanthropy; and the flower which he
that
on his grave will still hinarn,in its freshness, %/I°
1 taOtbestowed it shall have ceased to he remembere, ..,_
in bins )Iretlhesitay, at his father's house. Air-strect, Picea:lolY,
On
thestiyoeir, 31r. :%1111hun Henry P;sett.:k.
a'dt oza, the
BYo,,a,..gestutlm' igihntst.: tit tVtelinldats:l.34lerr.r3rcreh'otnCletsY-Ir9Val '''''''' °f die
- 4041
!"F('ilr,,,P ,CP,e)', NYorcestershire. ', •• in the .
• .- "le iata lilt, at lloniton's.:clist, • Devansbtral ~ nis
!ea! of ,his age, Fret ri .k L 11. urier, f.'s+,
ilajcsty' -V" ' ..-
t e ' 44'
'
b sce-Consul at Ilavre-de.tiraceT _
Printed---- - ~1-0 1401 i
and Published for the PitoratEcons, at v
Office, No. 1/ 2, Strand, by J. 13. CAUSTAI Kb'
t0r00.,./