The Sun.
London, England, 1823-07-26 00:00:00

CROYDON, Juiy 25.

MURDER OF MRS. RICHARDS, AT CLAPHAM.
Philip stqpn and Charles Keppell were indicted for the wil;
fill murder of Elizabeth Richards, by suffocating her with an
apron, at Clapham, on the Bth of April last.
The intense interest which this case excited is almost in.
credible. Every part of the Omit was at an early hour crowded
to excess, and When the doors were opened to the -public, it was
an useless ceremony, as there were then no more accommoda-
tions for the spectators. Even the Gentlemen of, the Bar were
obliged to make a special application to the Bench to be accom.
modated with sitting room.

The prosecution was Conducted by Mr. Co tnz nn l ilr.
BOLLAND ; the defence of Stoffell by Mr. A NDJIEWU ; a►ui
that of Keppell by Mr. Anor.rtrus.
The evidence against the prisoners ranged itself under four
heads ; first, the facts and circumstances of the murder of Mrs.
Richards ; second, the testimony of Robert Scott, an accomplice
of the prisoners ;' third, the vOlUntary confession of the prisener

testimony of
a aBbogir
stundutthoebecro:oefetivirilotrt,:
:lee
118:es:861,1 i a
corroboratingand fourth,
.
of Steffen, in many collateral, but material circumstances.--.
A. brief outline of the leading features of the .case will, ter
the present purpoSe, be sufficient to recal the attention of the
public to the atrocious crime with which the Prisoners stood
charged. The deceased, Mrs. Elilabeth Richards, was a widow'
woman of small income, and turned of 74. She resided
in a cottage, , forrnipg one of a row cf 'lollies in the Clap-
ham-road, neer Acre:lane, on the loft band side coining from
London. An elderly woman, named Bell, lodged with her,
• • f ,
who was in the habit ofgoing to a Dissenting Chapel on certain
evenings in the Week. The deceased was occasionally visited
by a young woman named SOphis Jones; a dress-maker, whose
Constant practice was to call upon the deceased every Tues.
day evening, for the purppse Of reading for her amusement.
On Tuesday evening, the flth of April, Mrs. Bell left the cot-
tage of the deceased flie the purpose of going td Chapel as usual.
The deceased, who occupied the front parlour, which opened
upon. the . toad, Without a hall or paiseage fastened up her
door.' Between seven and eight o'clock Ass Jones called to
read to her according to her prectice ; sale knocked at the
door,, anti received no answer ; the. knocks were repeated,
but without effect. Observing the door not to he fastened;
she pushed it open, and found every thing in darkness. She
vehemently called to the deceased, but received no reply
Upon entering she. found the deceased lying On ner WA..
apparently dead ; an alarm was Lgiven e the neighbours col-
lected, and, upon entering, the deceased was found a life-
less corpse upon the floor. Her face was covered with a
white upton, pne ;end of .which was twisted, and thrust dowo
her tbtoete to the extent of Several inches. , Upon pulling
it out, the part, which had been-in her mouth wits satu-
rated with saliva, and stained with blood, in consequence of
the forcible expulsion of a todth from her jaw, which was
supposed to have been swallowed-in the agonies of death, A
surgeon was called in, but the spark oflife was irrevocably
extinct,. though the, body was still warm. These were the.
outlines of the cireornetances.and manner of. the death, To
prove that the prisoners were the perpetrators of the crime, the
facts elicited in evidence
,were, these i—The house had beet;
robbed of a metal; watch, . some silver spoons, some wearing
apparel, and some money to the anumnt of about 31. 10s.—
On, the table, in the apeConente was founda brown paper par-
cel, addressed as Pillows :—" Mrs. Bell, 'hat Mrs. Richard's,
Clapham, Surrey," which, upon beingg, opened, was found
to contain nothing. but .a piece ofe blank paper. Next day
the police .were on the alert. 4t *tweed of two hundred pounds
was offered for therapprebension of. the murderers.—liall and
Olennoje; two fictive police officers of the Public Office, Union
Hall:. obtained information •Which led to the apprehension
of the PliSoller Stollen. He was taken into custody on the
lith of April, andbrooght before Mr. Allen, the Magistrate.,
...The officer flail being possessed of the brown. paper parcel
Above-mentioned, induced the prisoner to re-write this address
written upon it, upon .a piece of white paper, and having done
so, showed him the hrown paper parcel,. and asked him if he
knew that ? The prisoner, panic-struck by this testimony of
his guilt, which was found exactly to correspond with the
band-writing upon ;the piece of aper, immediately said, he
certainly was concerned In the robbery, and was present at the
murder of the decearsedeand said he would confess all. The
Magistrate, who was present during pail of the time the pri-
soner was waiting, warned him that he was not bound to con-
fess any thing. to his own prejudice. However, the prisoner
desired his 4tatemeht to be received, and he epteeed accordingly
into a minute detail of the circumstances of the robbery and.
murder. In this he 'implicated Scott, Keppell, and a man
named Pritchard. From his statement it appeared, that the
robberYlad been Planned a month before it was effected.—
No personal violence was intended towards the deceased;
.but
it was arranged, that an entry into the house was to be gained
by making up the brown paper parcel above-mentioned, di
, rected for Mrs. Bell, who was known to lodge with the de-
ceased. This plan was. accordingly. executed. The accom-
plice, Scott, knocked at the door, which was opened by the
deceased, and upon receivbig the parcel, she took out her
spectacles to eclat the address. Ailillst she was so engaged,
the net of the, petty entered. The prisoner, Stoifell, who
was her nephew, laid hold of her, told her no violence wile
intended, and advievil her to make, no noise. She was laid.
down on the floor, and the prisoner Keppell wits left to keep
her .quiet, while the rest of the gang -proceeded to rifle the
house. As soon as they had accompliehed. this object; they,
folioed the house, leaving the door near. These,- which were
only the leading eircomitances of SteMPa confession, led to
the apprehension of Keppell and Ocott, Who after the ronbery
and murder, had gene with Pritchard to Bristol, but returned
to London ;free a week's aloence. The father of Scott, who.
was a rat-catcher by, trade, Was instrumental to the detection of,
his eon, on condition 'that he should be admitted :is:in approver.
On a day fixed in the following week, Scott accordingly ear•
tendered filmset( into the' custody. of Hall and Glcnnon, the
officers, and was confined in the house of, the latter the nearly
two months before he was brought up foe examination. The
reason for this delay as to Scott, was suggested to be With .a
view m render him inetrimental to the apprehension of Prit-
thard, who had absconded, ~and was not yet brought tits
justice. The same information given by Stollen Fed to
the apprehension of Keppell, who, being brought before
the Justice., desired to hear Stain's statement read ova
to him, which.. was accordingly done. He was about to'
make an admission .tending to implleate himself, when the
Magistrate, at the aliggeetion of Illr. .Andrews, the Counsel,
evil° was attehding the office at Union-hall Upon another cast,
told him that any confession or statement he should tenike
would be adduced in evidence against him on his trial ; he
therefore declined eitying any , thing. ,The accomplice Scott
made a full confession of the robbery and murder, which, in
the details, did not differ materially from the . statement of
Stoffell. Throteghout the whole transaction it was quite mani-
fest that the death of the deceased was not originally contem-
plated, and that-the fatal termination of her life seemed to
have arisen from a desire to prevent any. interruption whilst.
the desperate gang were accomplishing the robbery. A great
number of witnesses were examined in support of the fourth
head of evidence, with a view to. corroborate'-the accomplice
and the confession of theprisoner Smiled. It was stated by floe
accomplice thaodie plunder had beau sold to a map named
Perkins, who kept an, non-stall and reef-shop in Bell-alley', In'
the Mint, in the Borough. This person was called as a wite'
nets, but denied all knowledge (lithe transaction. .
In the puree of the trial, Mr.,Serjeant Os stow anienade-
verted in strong terms of reprehension uppn the practice of pub.:
lishing police reports of cases brought ex-portchefore.the Ma.
gietnites, and observed that it was a matter.which ought to be
takers notice of by the Attorney.tiencral. In the time of. Air,
Wace, the Attorney-General', no such publications ever took
. . ~
The case foie the prosecutiop being closed, the prisoner% were
called upon for their defence.
The prisoner Keppel replied that lie had nothing to say, bill
that he was entirely innocent of this murder.
The prieoner Stolle' said that he had nothing to add to what
he had already spoken. .
Mr. Serjeant ONSLOW summed up the evidence with the
greatest minuteness. _ _ ,_ _ _ _ . ...

The Jury deliberated a few minutes, and found the prisoners
Guilt, and they were ordered for execution on IVionday
Morning.
Both the prisoners, during the time that the Jury were de-
liberating on . their verdict, and also at the moment when it
was delivered in, and tubSequently whilst the Judge was
passing sentenceupon them, presented an aspect almost entirely
unmoved. There was, however, a transcient flushing of blood
under the eye, an involuntary biting of the lip, and also a
slight convulsive tremor in the cheeks of Keppel, which showed
that; however he might wish to hide, hr still w A7l agitated
Iby ignite strong Internal feeling. There was something ps.
cullarly airing and reckless in his glance during the whole ctn.
tinuance of the trial; and yet we are inclined to think that if it
bad not Wen for a cat-like slyness with which he somttimea
eyed the witnesses that were, produced against him, an indiffer:
ent spectator would, have judged from his countenance, that he
was a person whose habits were that in general of Mild and
gentle description. Of the innate ferocuy of his divination,
however, few doubted who heard the evidence offered at hie
trial. If there were any persons in whose minds even the
shadow of a dont*. lingered, .it
.was entirely removed hy his
exclamation to the Coort on leaving it. As he descended the
steps by which the prisoners leave the bar, he apostrophised
the Learned Judge ivho hail triedlihn, at a b—y old rogue,"
and IlimMed 41114 114 b.,--y Jaws together. The appearance
or sue,' was much 'pert savage than that of Keppel.'

PARES PAPERS.

(From the Journal «les Watt).

MADRID, JULY 17.
(n' AN EXTIIAOTIDINAILY CONVEYANCE.)
M. Lecoulteux, the Duke d'Angouleme's Aide-de-camp,
arrived yesterday evening from Port Santa Maria, which he
'tent on the 13th.

This officer states, that the blockade was vigorously formed
since the flotilla of gun-boats fitted out by Admiral Villa-
Vicencio had - gone down from. Seville, Nothing now leaves
the place, and nothing now enters it. 'Two large barks, which
wished to enter Cadiz two days before the departure of this
officer, were sunk. Bombs are preparing, and within twelve
slays shells will begin to be thrown. Provisions, without being
wanting, are becoming more scarce, and consequently.more
dear. The population and the troops must hentetbrth be
- liged to live on the magazines.. Great confusion reigns in the
.town, and the most confident are of opinion.that, every thing
will be over in a month,
General Bordesoult daily sends the King a boat with fresh
water, vegetables, and fruits. 'Hitherto the King's gaolers
have permitted him to receive this homage.
The Madrid Regency send the Duke of Villa llermosa to
.Lisbon. 'A Portuguese General, the Aide-decamp of the In-
fanta Don Miguel, has arrived to compliment the Duke of An-
goolenie. Some persons even pretend that he will be acere-
dited to his Royal Highness, of whom he had an audience this
morning. It is said that the Court of Lisbon offers its fleet
and an army for the siege of
It appears certain that Sir Wm. A'Court is not dispoSed to
lend himself to the mockery of the pretended restoration of the
_King at Cadiz, and that he has embarked.for Gibraltar. We
are also assured that the. Danish Charge d'Affaires is on his re-
turn from Seville to Madrid.
[The remainder of this letter consists of statements relative
to the operations of Generals Bourekand Uuber, which are su-
persededbythe details we have inserted from the .411viturr.]
Jur.7k .-19.--,-The brig 'lsere captured on the
lihh instant a chasat' mar's!, bound iron Santona to St. Sebas-
tian, having-on board 320 barrels of powder, 69 chests of gre-
tudes, and 1,700 hand grenades: There not being at Passage
a suitable magazine, the chaise math was sent to. Ilayonne.—
It was stated by the crew,.'. that the garrison of &Intone. were
.in want ofprnvisions, -and that they began to murmur against
tile dilatoriness and .in ertness- of the Government.

[EXTRACT OF A PRIVATE LETTER.]
" ZANTE, JuNEID.—The intelligence from Constantinople
,of the Itth instant is little tranquilizing. Since the Ottoman
Torte has been informed of the war in Spain, it has conceived
'there are such grounds for secority that its pride has increased
:in a manner most humiliating to the powers who have hither-
to sought to accommodate is. differenceit With Russia. It he-
. heves it sees Europe on the eve of one of those general wars,
through the favour of which the Turks, separated from Euro-
pean policy,- obtain all they wish,' and inagme.that the Chris-
tian powers are too happy to have them. for friends. They, on
-this ground, like Boom/parte, because he was the promoter of
wars which caused the shedding of Christian blood ; and they
'tatter themselves that the :Inas of Spain will place them in a
similar situation.. The Austrian Interrunicio may judge every
day of the influence of this idea upon- the Members of the Di-
van. They .no longer give ear., to any
.of his representivions,
however just or pressing. The commerce of the Black Sea • is,
in consequence, almost annihilated.
" Lord Strangford,•not less ill treated, seems determined to
postpone ail-his negociations; and it may be said Withont fear
of exaggeration, that the Ambassadors of the Christian PoWers
at Constantinople 'are no longer any thing • but the kind and
mute witnesses of the operations of a Cabinet, infatuated with
its power, and which follows all the erroneous wanderings of
the Court Of the last of the Gesell of the Lower Empire. It is
'doubtful from alit), whether the magnanimity of the Emperor
Alexander. can long ,accommodate itself to a state of affairs
which places the commerce of Odessa et the mercy of the ca-
prices of the Ottoman'Porte. • Its impelicy makes him very ten-
sible that, without the possession of Constantinople, that of the
:Tauric Chersonesus and of Bessarabia, is very precarious.-
4 his the Sultan does not comprehend, but it in certain that af-
lairs cannot-long remain as they um"
Fi.ont the Consillutionnel.)
MAnntn, Juts: 14.,-.The Regency has authorized the Je-
suits to resume possession of the property of which they were
despoiled by the Cortes. These religieux on the 10th inst. re-
awned poasesaiOn of their Noviciate and of their Convent of- St.
Isidore.

The Madrid Ga.zelte publishes to-day.the speeches address-
ed to his Serene nightie4s t4e• Regency Odle Kingdom, by the
Austria! and Prussian Ministers, on their being presented to
the Regency.
SPEECH OF COUUT THE AUS.
~rittAsr atims•rmt. /
";The Emperor my master, in sending toe to reside near the
Recency' established at Madrid during the captivity of his Ca-
tholic Majesty, has wished to give to your Serene Highnesses,
as well as to the whole Spanish nation, a new proof of the
constant sentiments which have led to the union of his august
'Allies in labouring In the great work of the restoration of
Spain, and which now induce him to desire that the Spanish
Government should chew to all Europe its vigour, in unison
with the principles, with the support,' and with the protection
of the Alliance. We shall very soon see that cause triumph which
we all defend, and for which France is now.making such great
and generous sacrifices—we .shall witness the happy day
when the-King,. restored to the affectionate desires of his peo-
ple, will be enabled to employ those persons whom his heart
points out to him, in order to labour for the restoration of
order and tranquillity in a nation which ..by so many tides
merits repose and tranquillity. I Shall esteem myself happy if
with my teeble talents, and with the aid of the superior intelli-
gence of my colleagues, i can contribute to accelerate that de-
sirable moment. The Regency of :Spain will always find the
:Minister of the Emperor disposed to aid its efforts directed
wards this grand object, and I shall congratulate myself if, by
try zeal to execute the orders of his Majesty the Emperor and
Ring, I can give to the Regency 4proof of my personal men.
timents."

The President of the Regency replied in the -name of this
body, and expressed their gratitude towards the. Emperor of
Austria, for the efficacious.meanswhich lie had employed, in
trier to give liberty to their tutored Monarch, and to re,esta-
blish in Spain that social order which anarchy had destroyed,
The President .added, that if the military rebellion, supported
by a foreign loan of two: milliards, . and by succburs from all
the Revolutionists of Europe, was hardly able to Sustain itself
against the great majority of the nation attached to the cause
of tiod, of Legitimacy, at Thrones, and of the fidelity of the
people, this cause, now supported by the most powerful Mo.
liarchs of the world, will triumph in the most remote corners of
lbe earth ever the most depraved of sects, the most intimately
united, the most cunning, and the wideA spread of all those
xillich have ever appeared in the world fur .the misery of the
human race. • • __ _ _ _

„..--
)I'lo C3ncludcd by expressing the pl,!asure which the Regency
felt at timing as the Representative of the Emperor of Austria
a person so well known in Spun for his excellent principles,
anti. In: his attachment to the Spaniards.

rnscounsc or COUNT ROYER, mrxtsTEn PLENIPOTEN-
TIARY OF TAE liINO OF PRUSSIA.

" RIK Majesty the King of Prussia, having condescended to
choose me to reside at the Court of his Most Catholic Majesty,
has at the same time invested me with full powers to treat
with the Regency, during the captivity of that Sovereign,
whose 'misfortunes are as afflicting to all Europe as they are
calamitous to Spain.
'6 I have the distinguished honour to present to the Regency
these full powers, -expressing on the part of -the King, my
inast-a, the lively, and sincere interest which he takes in the
tuelandieiy situation- -of the generous Spanish nation, of this
fission so religious, so faithful to honour. so loyal towards its
'Kings of tins nation which formerly acquired and merited the
title of licroic. The- world does not new hope less from it,
whew the ohjetl'is to relate its Sovereign from a powerful and
tcbellion.
•.-

the King of Prusisia places muelt of his hopes on the ef-
forts of Spain, he does not place less on the decision, on the
energy, end en the'pritdenec of die Regency .charged to direct
these eilhrts. Both will concur with- an ally truly magnani-
mous, in completing an enterptise which has deserved the gra-
titude of the human race, for hr has only undertrken it, and
only continues it with greet saerifwes, for the interest of the con-
set v give p n p es of social order.
" Your Higlmesses will also have equal debris to the grati-
tude of the great family, for what other name can now be given
to the great European society ? It presents the 'consoling proof of
what can be effected to unite people; by probity, justice, and
religion, seated on the throne, and allied by a reciprocal con-
firience Never was there seen a mate splendid triumph for
virtue; Spain is worthy of taking her part in it, and she its in-
vited by the wishes of Europe."
The President replied, by expressink the most lively grati-
tude for the interest which the King of Pnissia takes in the
Spanish nation, for the eflints which .this Monarch has made
to render it happy in liberating it from an anarchical faction
which domineers over it, and which has thrown its beloved
King into the prison where he now groans. The perseverance
with which .'!!pain has recently maintained two wars to preserve
untouched its honour and its fidelity, as well as the enthusiasm
and cordial gratitude towards the magnanimous Louis X.V111.,
with which the Spaniards have received the French troops,
furnish the most convincing proof' that the ardent wishes of
the Spanish nation for the liberty of its Monarch, and its sen
timents at' honour and loyalty, its attachment to the legitimacy

of Thrones, are the same as those of the King of Prussia, anti
the other Potentates of the great European Alliance.
The President congratulates himself in being informed of
the will of his Prussian Majesty, by a person animated by
such noble sentiments and such excellent principles as Count
Royer.
The Gazette also contains a decree of the Regency, to cele-
brate annually on Sgptember 4th, a solemn service for the re-
pose of the soul of General Elio. A subscription is to be
opened to erect a mausoleum for him.
HEIDELIIERG, Jin.v 16.—1 t appears that what so much
incensed Austria against certain Political Journals of Consti-
tutional Germany, was an article inserted in the Anodes
d'Europc, edited by Murhard, and entitled Lcs Diplomates.—
This article appears to have excited singular displeasure at
Vienna, and the Directing Minister, in his ill humour, de-
manded the suppression of several Journals, in order to conceal
his spite against one. It appears, however, that before coming
to a final decision, the tendency of the Gazette dc Neckar, of
the Journal published by M. Pahl, and the Annales of Mur-
hard, is to be watched during the recess of the Diet.
The Prince de Metternich has, it is said, addressed a new
Circular to the Austrian Ministers accredited to the Courts of
Germany, on the conduct to be pursued in their reports relative
to the general affairs of Germany.
PARIS, JULY 23.