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

IHATESVAN.

• CORONER'S ISQ111111111;77. • -
--dm-
liebteniay maiming at .1 est- osikatt
ices at the Plough, pnbliato.
eferscWas. Crabbe, DepultatelelPt• h•' •
• fie Duchy of Lencaster, ea ma she body
dilixebeth Ric-herds, who vast
,ward
Is* residence Pat Claplit-OuTnesny nightl;
SephiaJoads &posed, Ant sleesedJeit at Clspbant.--
She know the deneamW, who wee id 'Mtn of s.g. and'
very feeble. Theatre:eased Midi:ollw the Baptist Oa-
pel, io her own house; an elderly %Indy, named Bell,
lodged in the deceased's house, and else was the only.per•
inn with the detested, who kept eo•servant ;
occasionally sisistedtheateoessed, net as a:Wesel' ittstin
.a friendly! way. The last Lime witness law theideomured
.11/9/5:011 Moseley afternoon, shoot four o'clock, when ibe.
weals to callopolcher. deceased then appsantd to her
,her usual elate of kealdt. Theo remained together b
en hoot. Wituesswasio.the habit of reading I week!
newsman ,to the deceased retry Tuesday. Witness
wised to call on the deceased spin on filloadey
•butio consequence of II severe storm sire was
OriTuesday night, about a quarter past eigrlte
witnessment to the deceased's house, for the purpose
reading the newspaper to her, when she had every real
totteliove that the murderer was in the house. Shagged
one kaock at the sielor,'end was kept longer than :usual.
She looked through the kerbole, and saw the
on the ground Boor in darkness. Witness vessain
about amiinute longer, thinking she was op stairs, SS
her usual habit about that time. She was about knoils4
• ing again, when the door opened a little. Witnels said,
i'• ltie me, Mrs. Richards,' which else repeated. three
times. The door then opened wide enough toadralt
mess, and she went In. *On eriterlog*the place she found
it quite dark, **cleaned the deemed by her nine several
times, but received no answer. On proceeding forward;
she foetid- the stemmed lying at the parlour door, with
something over her face. She was very much &termed, anti
left the place for the perpose of going home. She met Mrs.
Streusel, and brought her with her ; on entering the gate
Attached to the deceased's house, she found a poker,
when she exclaimed, Good God ! the deceased is mars
dewed." She went to Mr. Miller, a neat door neighbour,
to inform him of the circumstance, and also to. Mr. 01a;
Tier ; and they both returned with her. The night wee
• city dark. Witness took a lighted candle with her.
The deceased lay with her bead towards the fire, and hie.
feet towards the door. 'The deceased, asisdet time ago,
was *elect! with a fit of apoplexy:lyr which etie eidesoks
affected. The deceased had not a great 'deiti of Plate,
she had a watch which belonged to bee deceased bus-
• band. It generally bang over the mantle.piece ,• she
ver saw deceased's money ; she always appeared to be
• very comfortable in circumstances. 'Her niece, who re-
. sided at Brixton, named Cook, used frequently to visit
her; her husband was a labourer, and she saw him once
•it the how,. • Witness understood that her niece bad
"'married against her will, and she disapproved of the
• watch; bat witness did not know the cause of her dis-
like towards him. 'The niece canoe once a week to.clean
the house; the husband Was a gravelAigger they lived
:in Love 11,ane, between Brixton and Stockwell ; did not
know what family they bad ; her husband was not in the
habit of going there, but she once saw Washout three
:months ago concerniego house which Wig buil.ting for
t'ie niece. Mrs.•Beir was frequeiciii Ott When she called
Tuesda evesings: —She -out on the Tuesday of
• the murder,y but could not saywas where lobes seas. Witness
sail the deceased's watch, which bad the Annie of her
hAband, '* Thos. Richards," on it; it seas torte-lin-shell
:iinfside and silver inside; the name walteng.rived in full
on the silver part of the watch ; could not give a descrip-
l•ften'of the outer ale. She did nut press against the
• dour when she first knocked, and was not certain whether
" she knocked a second time. The door would open wide
• by- a trifling 'push, and on this occasion she thought
some one must have been behiud the door when she
• went in. On leaving the place to make the alarm. on
her return the door was shut ; never heard the deceased
expiesi any uneasiness about any circumstance of this
• kind happening, or of her having spy money in her pos.
'session. Witness was no relation to the decease:l. The
'habits of the deceased were well known in the neighbour-
'bond: Never knew Mrs. Bell to sleep out all night ; if
tile did it was very seldom ; would know the potter she
`found on entering the gate. (The poker was here pro-
dared).—Witness had not the smallest doubt but that
-Sias the poker, and that it belonged to Mrs. Richards.
'lt was generally kept in the parlour. There were no
marks of blood on it when she picked it up. The de-
• ceased bad 6 largesilver table spoons, 12 tea spoons, two
'cream us, ad tWo salt spoons, which -wasall the silver
pl .te shjeg evern saw,. The mere of the deceased appeared
to be • nice woman. and was much affected by the circum-
stance-. She told witness, without solicitation, that she
and her husband were innocent. The niece was now at
the deceased's house. Ilad a conversation with the niece
with informed her that some person had been very parti-
cular in inquiring about her husband, in regard to the
whoae places he bad been in. After telling her this,
she said, •' 1 do not care any thing about it, as we are
quite innocent." Wituess replied, "If they were inno-
we
cent, it was all very good. She replied again, "
are innocent." She did not cry on seeing the deceased,
she seemed to feel partictilar attachment towards her
aunt. She further observed, that" she would not mind
if they bad taken the whole .of ter *nut's property, so
that they bad not murdered her." 'rbere was no one
else present during the conversation.
The Coroner here suggested to the witness that she
need not etrertain the least fear of disclosing her suspi-
cions to the Jury, if she felt any impression who were
the murderers.
Witness thought the niece and her husband were inno-
cent, but she was satisfied that the deed was performed
by a person or peruses who knew the house well.
Charles Miller deposed, that he was a carpenter, and
.resided at Clapham. lie had been acquainted with the
deceased for the last IS years; he was her next door
.neighbour; they were on Arum of intimacy,—
The deceased was in the h. bit of calling in once or twice
a week. The deceased called on witness on Tuesday
night a quarter before eight o'clock, and remained there
about a quarter of an hour, when she quitted the place
end proc.eiled taher coin house the bask Way, bidding
hint " good night." She said she had a light. Wit-
ness and deceased merely converged together concerning
.a. house which she resided in. There was a gate at the
back part of the house through which the deceased used
occasionally to pass for water ; if any one had passed
through' that gate, witness must have heard the 'noise
"from the close connexion of his and the dieceased's house.
Is of opinion that the deceased was moracred, and that
'the perpetrator entered' he front way by the street door;
heard that a parcel had been left at the house ; saw no
light or candlestick in the place. Mrs. Jones brought'
a light, an i they saw an apron stuffed in the deceased's I
.inouth ; he did ri .t take it out. Several persons passed
ky to ask fur charity, buthe did not know them ; did not
f.el soy alarm himself, becante he bad nothing to lose.
The deceased and witness were on good teruis ; heard,
.-the deceased bolt the gale when she left his place; it
was about half an hour afer the deceased left witness
• .that Mrs. ,limes gave an alarm: she said " count this
•svey, there is something the :natter with Mrs. Richards..
'she lalying on the fluor, and there is • poker outside;
• the door. Ile accompanied her initnediarely with Mrs.)
• Steelton, and they saw the deceased in the parlour on beri
back, with tee apron stuffed in her mouth ; it was a'
' white apron, and it was taken out by Mrs. Strettou;
lied some blood upon it, and likewise some blood on -the
amen ; witness, at the request of Mr. filmier, went for al
constable, and some other person went fur a fleeter ; be,

=mew
°/menrefl Wu, Mead Spit eileatiedrivitneue. re--. _
ed la about tes4al t the deceased
hal been reallfited=then4CLL he felt the
4,ithiali Wei artirm:' • Ai, OWiege
ition, occasionally Vieiletrivitn;: trai eat of
secirkierne.time; was'notlet iiittimiee :podgy A* itiget
him ; he was brought up•frotahisailfairood artits&in.
He left witoess'sliouse before two o'aock
~ilhll ,acs,
day ; • he' had been out of wear dariagitre 'Whiter. And
bad a wife and child; witnemethought d
e
applied to the parish ; witneu did, avit,.#4qps *limt;
aiiteess returned bone on the TwMaY *We ie'Sek
o'clock, when Mrs. Richards called on lim. Wkauts
was told by some lodgers in his shame thettwo milers
had been seen Jerkin about the deceased's 'heti*, -hat
could not say what dwelt Was; his son-in-law„lieorge,
wore a fustian jacket and blue trowsers on 'the •day be
caned upon him • t said he had'heen dining with 'his bro.'
tier, at Lower Tooting ;thought be *resided in the
"neighbourhood of Tnfi4fields ; fie called on witness;
for the'porpose of getting some money, but witness hat
none to give; he bad been married trio or three Years,
bitt witness never saw hie wife ; did not thitilt•ite
Mrs. Richards.
The 'apron was perdue:ld, Which the witnltildentifielir
at being the same OM was .stuffed in • the .deceasuPs;
Mora ; it had Mood oo it.
A'pocket, iiith'separite ttrings, was produced. Nit=
ness stated that the• pocket bad been torn-from the
ceased's.peremi. It vies pot —till be had ,returned wit
the mins:Ale that be sew the toast in the'hadds of Mr
Lee, the constable ; It wfu `without strings.—Did
kaow how much mosey was '•tatiria out of the pock
Charles, witness's fen; 140040 nm on :Monday last tel
visit his aunt at Chelmsford, and he informed whom,
that he had returned owTueldey 'mesh%
Mr. Joseph•itippes, • sergeoe, of Claphern,'-Reposedi
thee on Tnesday eight'aWut squatter before nine cluek4
a boy called at his house and informed
to vat The des
ceased was killed :he proceeded initantir to ter '
on which Mrs. •StrettOn prOduced a cloth • lidded -
which she stated she died taken heti' .the"de
Is:moth ; be found a mark 'on the *bat, and idiot
eve on the nose, together with a slight issaitriois the
'temple ; one of her teeth was forced oat whielvtint '
the'•blood on the apron; he did not find the tooth ; the
ittiiiirs on the throat, nose, Und temple were tot Om* '
bat he was decidely of opinion, that tier' death was
caused by suffocation, end that while the apron weekept
in the month, the nose was pressed by the fingers, to
prevent the deceased breathing. The mark MC the
throat, in the opinion of witness, was produced by the
pressure of the nail of a human thumb. From the mist-
ner in Which the apron was folded, witness was of opl-
nio'n, that it was forted Into the mouth of the dtmeesed
by another person, and•hot by herself. . ts• •
Susanna Stratton said, "[have known the deceased near 40
years. She was about 74 Zoe 76 years of age. I ls'sived within
twekloors of her. The remainder of this witnes Mme-
ay corroborated, so ,far as it went, the evidence of the.pre-
ceding witnesses. The apron, she said, was twisted lightly,
ted'staffed down the deceased'throat. She ha to give it
a considerable tug to get it nursed when she didd,.the mouth
opened widely.
,(are sell, the woman who lodged in the house of the de?
ceased, deposed that she' bad lived with her between four
and eve years. On Tuesday last, she left the house before
&in o'clock, to go to Mr: Phillip's meeting vbut it was not
open, and she went ever to Mrs. Haynes' s, opposite the
'peeing, where she remained until near nine o'clock. As
she was going home, in oosapany with *sister of Mrs.
Haynes, she met a man dressed in block, who sed, " (Mies,
if you are going home, mind what you are about, for Mrs.
Richards has been murders*" Witness said, " impossible,"
apd be replied, 'twat true. Me was very civil, although a
Weeper to witness, and accompanied her to the door. She
did not see the boxy until to-hay. To the beet of her know-
ledge, the apron produced belonged to the deceased. A
brown paper parcel was handed to witness by the nurse who
bad the care of the body, sealed and directed to witness " at
Mrs. Richards." She opened it immediately, and found it
to be a sham ; it contained nothing but brown paper. She
was convinced that parcel had not arrived previously to her
Laving home on Tuesday evening.
• Francis Hinton, of Clapham, carpenter.—Knew Mrs.
Richards some years ago, but of bite he had net seen
rim. He conjectured the reason why lie was called for-
ward—because he had made use of an observation, that
a character who was well known to belong to a gang, all
of whom had been transported but himself, was seen
larkiug about on the day of the murder. He could nut
say any thing in elucidation of the affair.
Mr. William Glasier, of Clapham, lived three doors
from the deceased. On Tuesday evening, about a quar-
ter past eight o'clock, lir. Miller called witness. Here
the witness was interrupted by the arrival of a letter from•
two officers to Mr. Franks, stating that they had two
men in custidy.oe suspicion of the murder, and answer-
ing the de script ion given in the placards.
Evidence resumed.—Witness went to Mr. Miller's call,
and found the deceased ea before described. lie identi-
fied the apron, and aided, that when taken'out of the
mouth it caused the deceased to have a most ghastly ap-
pearance. H e saw a tea:caddy on entering the place,
and a pocket without any strings. The latter was search-
ed in his presence, and there was nothing in it, neither
was there in the caddy.
Thomas Burgess, servant at Lark Hall Tavern, Clap-
lam, said that on Tuesday night last, a little after eight
o'clock, he was walking along the road leading to the
dic-ased's neighbourhood, when he met a man running
from Clapham, towards Lark Hall ; he was dressed in a
blue jacket, and blue pantaloons, and as soon as be saw the
witness, he turned his back towards him, and went off.
.Thos. Reed, Constable of Clapham parish.—Mr. Mil-
ler came for witness about 20 minutes before nine o'clock
on Tuesiay night, and witness accompanied him to Mrs.
Richards's licise. Wittier. saw an ink stand, with a pi-
per parcel lying on the floor, addressed to Mrs. Bell, the
lodger, and witness gave it to her, supposing it to to
her property. It was given back to him next in irning,
and lie gave it to R. Hall, the officer of Union Hall.
Robert Hall produced the parcel, addressed to " Mrs.
Bell, at Mrs. Richards's, Clapham." It was brown pa-
per, signed With black sealing wax, and the inside con-
tained neither writing nor property.
The Jury consulted together, and instantly returned a
verdict —" 'f hat the deceased, Elizsbeth Richards, had
been wickedly and malieionsly murdered by suffocation
by some person or persons at present unknown."
1 The Jury sat from 12 until 7 o'clock in the evening.
. .
iced

The body of Joseph Morland, who shot at Sir Charles
Bausfylde, and afterwards shot himself, was, in conse-
quence of the Coroner's Inquest having pronounced a
verdict of Feb° den, buried at an early hour yester-
day morning, in the cross road near St. John's ►Mood
Chapel, Edgware-road.
Wastwicx Asstags.--J. Keely, &stained a verdict of
IOU!. damages against the Plopriet sr of a Birmingham
stage-coach, by the overturning of which be had his leg

broke.
A Coroner's Inquest was held on Tuesday night, be-
fore T. Shelton, Esq. Coroner, at the Stroll and Sugar
Fettee.lane, on the body of Ambrose Umtata, an
officer on half-p iy, lodging at IS, Cursitor-street, aged
55 years. It appeared the deceasedgmil for a lung time
been subject to an astlanixtic complaint. On Tuesday
about eleven o'clock, he went to a Mr. Wild's, and re-
turned in about half an hour, when he was seized with
-a violent coughing ; he drank a gill of wine, and then
retired to bed, where -he lay about an hone, when the
,eeugb again seized him, and the pulse, teamed to
best. After a few words from thetoruner, the Jury re-
turned a verdict otet 00 by-the Wait-diva vi %re

IiAINICAIITSgstVSSISB,Ss Aleut, 8.
geltifet,,ll2o.o,, was -ohiseged 41141,iviitoi
er of atavoirelllague, his wife, by throwing her
lilt the canal at 'Salford. lie was also charged with
vi duty, and in order to tender the-second Wife a ton*
ireientmitases on•the
but
hives neosseery that this
iirdictment should be .first disposed of. Thepeirauer
was therefore arraigned, and pleaded guilty of the biga-
my. To the indictment fur murder, he 'pleaded—Net
e'
iVerratewnwproard the east for the relecutien.
nedfdatailed the ciesulselansee.
.After thetevidence had been .gone through at -great
length, the Jury setureed a verdict of—Not Ouilty.
3usticellartsr then proceeded to pass sentence
on Min sforthelblgainv ; ond,ofter-SOnle remarks on -the
.heiwasatiess of that igoaee, observed, " On the greater
ebsege an which you were arraigned, the Jury have .tea
quittestyou, thinhitig, no doubt. there was not suificieat
MI-deice against you. tiod Arrant you may know thir
theiwwws' no foandation.for tbetheire. Ido not doubt
the propriety ef their verdict, because I bare no legal
.right to doubt it ;. but you best know wit• they there was
any ground for the • acquittal." His loordship then .sen-
teuced the prisoner to seven years' transportation,
John Keith, aged 36, was indicted for the wilfullnar-,
die of h!swife, Bridget Keith, at Wigan,by,kiekingleer
!on. the (ead.—He teas .found milky of tasitslanoistat.
and sentenced to two.years' imprisonment.
TYR SING W. CIIARLDS WALNIia, JOSHUA 11,00308,
CLAYTON, James 'HICKSON, AND JOHN HICICSON::
This was an indictment chanting the defeudonesimieb
a riot and disturbance et Ambton-onder-Line,ken the**
of August last, by making a procession. salsa hitioje .a
ttlack d jaseribsd, " Alorder7-16th .August,' ,stny-
ing ieditious and . indammatory hymns, and hy divers
other overt acts, to the wed alarm of the Deputy
.Constable of Jimieteveundepidoe, and other of the •King'*
loyaLsokieste.taid in :breads of the
public pe d•Sewee., The
indictment was found et Ase October Salforssions,
when the .defendant, Jobo Miasma, sulmlitlel. The
others temoveti it by certiorari iota thisCeurt.
By,ao errangentent between the 'patties, it Om agreed
that theMiferidants should plead Guilty,-on Condition of
ing discharged on their own recognizanees to appear
when eaLled upon. -It was with very great dillicaby that
they were induced to accede to this erraegneese.
Wheat they bad pleaded, .Mr. Jostles BAYLDY •Itaiti to
them—t" Now wind, don't get into wore scrape.; your
spirits ars too high in that ueighbonrhood."
fir Bppuutuat—" They acted under the.illueose of
their feelings,, my. land. They
I had been in their situ/.
Ao nut-know hot I should have done the.sonse."
.Me.jimike Bariotr--" No, no, Mr. Brouglistil, they
attea illegally, thonglt ibey might act under the ittluente
of their feellugs.-f;1 o the defendants.)—You have act-
ed :rery Polio:mm*lv impleading:guilty, end the prosecu-
tors have helravea humanely towards you. (Jo hone,
sqd don't do so arty wore."
Mr. Astovcruast—e." Du not commit any breath of the
peace."
Ty
The then entered into the necessary recog-
spix,arees. and were discharged.
• • ' 'BRISTOIe-avESDAY.
' Beam 3114ctis,. aged 47, a
wasfmale of matronly anti
most rem appearance, put to the bar 011 a
charge otMelbnitnnsly killing and slaying her o ND. sott-in.
law, clintes &feller.
The first witness called was Dr. Porter, of Bristol, who
stated, thit oa the gOth of kiirch last he was c &led in to see
the deceased, who was at that time in bed, and labouring
under a violent inflammation of. tile lungs. He co,uplaitted
of a pain in the lefde of the ..hreast. Tuere was great
expectoration, and all the esr.ptents Of pulinonary consump-
tion. It was hardly necessary AO state, that this consump-
tion was quite adequate to his death, with,at any Other
cause.
• A Surgeon stated, that be was present when the body was
opened. and he found marks of a pulmonary inflammation ;
andthere was also in the intestines marks of an infiarams-
lots quite auScienk to have occasioned the death of thu de-

owed.
The learned Judge here said, that he bad called the two
physicians first, be.mume it was absolutely necessary, in or-
der to substantiate the charge against the prisoner, that it
should be proved to the satisfaction of 'he Jnry, that the de-
ceased came to his death in consequence of some violemaa
islicted oy the prisoner. His Lordship put it to the Jury,
whether, after what had been stated by the surgeons, any
other evidence that could be ad luced of treatment received
by the prisoner could possibly lead to a safe conclusion of
her gui.t.
The Jury acquitted the prisoner without entering further
into the case.
a young man of gentlemanly ap-
John Gawdry, aged 28,
pearance, was put to the bar on a charge of forgery ; but
Mr, John Manhunt, the banker, did not appear to prose-
cute, and he was discharged. Mr. Maniford's reentriance
in the' sum of WI. was estreated.