The Sun.
London, England, 1802-11-11 00:00:00

ROBEERY AND MURDER.

• MR. ST E ELF, Proprietor of the Lavender Water
'Warehouse, Catherine-street, in the Strand, was yes-
terday morning found murdered on Hounslow Heath.
The deceased went on -Friday last to Bedfont, where
he had a plantation of lavender, for the• purpose of
giving some instructions to the people whom he there
employed, nacaning to return borne on the following
day. Not having returned at the appointed time, his
family-concluded that he had been unexpeßedly de-
, tained by business ; and this consideration prevented
any alarm for his safety, till Monday morning, when
they sent a messenger- to Bedfont, to inquire the
cause of his delay. The information there received
was, that he had set out at seven o'clock on Saturday
evening, and being unable to procure any kind of
carriage, had resolved to proceed to town on foot.
Since that time, the people at Bedfont had-heard no
intelligence whatever of him. This eircurnSeance
naturally led his relations to conclude that some
fatal accident had. befallen him, and his brother-in-'
law, with some other friends, determined in conse-
quence to set out in search of him. For several hours
they continued in vain exploring different parts of
the Heath. At length they discovered at a short
distance from the road a piece of blue cloth. On-lay,
ing hold of this, they toured it to be the skirt of a
great-coat buried in the turf, and which, on ex-
amination, proved to be the same that Mr. STEELE
had taken with him from home. • Proceeding a little
farther, they saw near a hush a soldier's hat, and ex-
amining the bush with care, they perceived a quan-
tity of blood ; this appearance led them reasonably to
conclude that murder had been committed near the
spot, and on examining the bushes minutely, they
found their suspicions unhappily realized. They be-
held beneath, the shocking spenacle of their mur-
dered relative, nearly covered with the turf, and for
several minutes were lost in the horror of the scene.
Upon insneftion, they discovered that the deceased
had received several wounds in the top and on the
back of the head, and that a part of his forehead
had been entirely cut away. Round his neck they
found tied a strong piece of belt, by which it is sup_
posed he had beene,trangled. The wounds on the
head appeared to them as if inflicted with a bayo-
net, and this circumstance, as well as that of a mi-
litary hat having been found near the spot, natu-
rally excite a suspicion that the horrid deed has
been perpetrated by two soldiers who were seen walk-
ing across the Heath the same evening. The pockets
of the deceased were entirely cut away, and his
boots and hat had also been carried off. , The most
diligent search is now, making for the abominable
murderers, and there is reason to hope they will not
escape the punishment so justly due to their crimes.
Mr. STEELE was a young man of very amiable
chargter, and his fate is sincerely lamented by a
very numerous acquaintance. The body has been
conveyed to the Ship, at Hounslow, where the Co-
roner's Inquest was to be held upon it this day.

On Monday se'nniglit a young Gentleman, on a
shooting party
.at Wakehurst Park, Sussex, the seat
of Admiral PEYTON, was shot through one of his
arms, owing to his gun acc..lentally going off;
whilst the gamekeeper, by whom he was attended,
was rapping his flint. On the arival of a surgeon,
amputation of the limb was deemed necessary, and
accordingly took place on the same evening. The
young Gentleman, (who, we understand, is ne,
phew to Admiral PEYTON, and had lately returned
from abroad) is as. well as can be expeted after SO
severe an opergion.