The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-04-10 00:00:00

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

MAL. Arnit.9.—Came down from the river this nfter-
noon, and sailed, the Salmon River, Granular.: for Pail
delphia ; remain in the Downs, the Severn, Frigate; mid
Diligence. E. I. Pilot, Yacht.--Wind, North.
PORTSMOUTH. 9.—Arrived the Uftclerwood, gimingtr'".
from Dem ; Regard, Case, Almeiel s and Lord Ex-
mouth, Mills. from Smyrna. Sailed H. M, S. Brazen, for
America.—Wind, East.
PLYMOUTH. APRIL B.—Sailed• the Mount Stone, for St.
John's. Newfoundland; Rustler, Leader, for Piper*; and
Nautilus, Mitcheli, for Prince Edward's Island.—Wind N.
H►RWICH. APRIL O.—Arrived the I ord Nelson packet
from Cuxhaven ; and Jane, Ditto, from Gottenburge—Wial
E. N. E.

ATROCIOUS MURDER AT CLAPHAM',

Yesterday the Magistrates of Union-ball received a com-
munication from Mr. Franks, the Vestry Clerk of Clapham
parish, describing a most inhuman murder that was com-
mitted the preceding night on the body of Mrs. Elizabeth
Richards, a widow lady between 70 and 00 years of age,
who lived within two doors of the Ebenezer Baptist Chapel,
Clapham-common. The unfortunate lady had resided LI
the above house for the Jest 30 years. where she was we,l
known and respected by all the neighbourhood. Her hus-
band bad been a pin-maker in the city, and since his death
she and another female occupied the house in which she was
so cruelly murdered. It appeared that Mrs. Bell, the lady
who lived with the deceased, went out on the night In ques-
tion about seven o'clock, for the purpose of attending* meet-
ing-house, and left the deceased at home. At a few minutes
alter 8 o'clock, s=e returned and knocked at the door, which
was not opened to her ; she repeated her knocks twice ; the
third time the door opened, and Mrs. Bell walked into the
passage ; she repeatedly called out " Mrs. Richards," no
answer was given, neither was there any light to be seen.—
She advauced towards the kitchen, and just at the entrance
she sterabied over something that was lying en the floor, she
became exceedingly alarmed, and ran oat of the house im-
mediately to call for assistance. She obtained assistance,
and lights were brought, when a poker, which did not belong
to the house, was observed lying outside the hall-door.—
Upon going into the house, the body of Mrs. Richards wa
discovered lying stretched on the floor, near the entrance
into the kitchen ; an apron was thrown over the face, and
the greater part of it was thrust into the deceased's mouth ;
a mark of violence was also visible on the riaht side of her
throat. From her advanced age and Infirmities, she was
not enabled to make resistance against her murderers. It
has occurred to Mrs, Bell since the Murder, tbtt a person
passed out of the house from behind the door, at the time
she entered it. The pockets of the deceased appear to have
been violently tore from Ler side ; a caddy. which had cm-
tained a little money, lay near the deceased's head, empty :
a silver watch was taken, together with a doe .ct of s,:cion4.
There was considerable property in the house up stairs, nut
it was left untouched, es no doubt the murderers had been dis-
turbed In their work of plunder. Hall, chief constable, and
Glennon, most active officers, have been sent to Clapham,
in order to trace this most atrocious murder. They found in
the kitchen of the house a piece of brown paper, foldel up
in the form of a letter, and tied with a piece of cord, which
had the following address written on the back of it : " Mrs.
Bell, hat Mrs. Richard's, Clapham-common," in very ille-
gible characters. It is supposed the murderer gained ad-
mittance into the deceased's house on pretence of hay.ng
this letter to deliver to Mrs. Bell. Upon the discovery of
the appalling circumstance. a vestry-meeting was called,
and a reward of 601. offered for the apprehension and cdt-
viction of the perpetrator or perpetrators. This sum, hew-
ever, was not considered sufficient fur the purpose, and an-
other meeting was therefore held yesterday erode', by
which the reward was unanimovsly increased to 200 gaiseas ;
and a resolution passed to communicate all the pedestal's of
this dreadful crime, and the proceedings of this parish in
consequence of it. to the Secretary of State for the /lame
Department, leaving it to his discretion to take what steps
towards effecting the discovery of the guilty he may think
proper. The inhabitants of the neighbourhood are in a state
of indescribable dismay ever since the horrible occurrence
took place; and one of the Magistrates, in addressing the
meeting oa the subject last night, stated that one individual
in particular, such was the bold that the dread of murder
had taken of his imagination, had been nearly altogether
deprived of the use of his senses. A Coroner's inquest *i:l
be held ou the body at 12 o'clock this day.

Pam—This morning, at a quarter to three o'clock,
a tremendous tire broke out at Mr. Gibbs's, the Maiden-
head public-bouse, in Ram Court, Fleet•street. The
whole neighbourhood was in a dreadful state of alarm,
by the springing of watchmen's rattles, the vociferation%
of Fire! and in the endeavour to rouse the sleeping in-
habitants. The distress was, indeed, greater than w•e.
have witnessed on former occasions—the lateness of the
hour, the narrow entrance to the court, and the conse-
quent difficulty of egress and ingress; women, with in-
fants in their arms, men half-dressed. rushing impetuous-
ly through the crowd—some anxiously looking for their
families, and other., in the violence of their anguish, ex-
claiming that they had lost their all—rendered the whole
scene one of terrific horror. Two parish engines ar-
rived instantly, and there was a plentiful supply of wa-
ter ; !intim inability of their conductors to ormz thlin
into play, added to the confusion. The arrival, however,
of the more efficient Fire-office engines, cheered the sur-
rounding inhabitants; and the ravages of the conflagra-
tion were restrained, but not till a house, in the corner
of Sergeants Inn, occupied by Mr. Potts, was consun•ed,
and some other houses in Rain-court were damaged.—
The flames were issuing so furiously out of the tap-room
and bar, before Mr. Gibbs was awoke,that he and his wife
and niece, and the rest of the family, were forced to mike
their escape out of a ground-floor window ; when he,
in his pantaloons only, and the females each with a gown
thrown hastily over them, and one w.thout her shoes, ran
for shelter to the house of his father-in-law, Mr. Rees, of
the Angel Chop-house, St. Clement's Church-yard.
The property of Mr. Gibbs was fortunately insured ;
whether that of Mr. Potts was also, we hare not heard.
It has not been ascertained how the fire originated ; but
it is supposed to have began either in the tap•rooru or
the bar It was report° : this forenoon that some person
had perished in the public-house, but we are happy to
add, that the report was groundless.
Boxeas.—Bout Aby Bemsco and Halton shewed publicly
yesterday at the sporting-house. Helasco exhibits the
effects of but one blow, and that is under the left ear. Halt-
on's face is muc's battered, besides a pair of black eyes.
Ile fought lOst. lilb. only, as it now turns out ; and he was
much over-matched in weight and fighting Belasc.) waited
on the President of the Duffy Club yesterday, to receive the
stakes.

STEEPLE CILLCP.—A Sweepstakes Match of 18 sovereigns
each, took place oil Tuesday, between Capt. Marks and
Messrs. Hamilton and Jeffery, of the Snowden Huat. The
start took place from Middleham Cottage, near South
Minims, to go to Haydon Hilt, near Pinner, Middlesex, a
distance of about twelve miles, across a close country. The
three, very well mounted, kept together to Caddicot Hill,
leaving Elstree on the right; here Mr. Hamilton separated
from his competitors; each took a different course, but they
nesrly met together again oa Bushey Heath. Capt. Mucks
took the best road by the Hermitage, for Pio/I.er Park,
whilst Mr. Hamilton pursued a straiter course through
East-and. The Captain won the match by arrividg ot the
destined spot four minutes before Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Jef-
fery pulled up a long way from Bowe. It was done in 43
minutes.

WALKING MATCH FM TWENTY SOYEREIGNSI-.-1n Officer
in the Army (Mr. Webb), undertook, on Tuesday, to walk
fair heel and the It miles in two hours, over a piece of
ground of three miles. Tlle match took place at Ashford,
Middlesex, and betting was six to four on time. The pe-
destrian did the first mile in nine minutes and 20 seconds,
and three miles 1n29 minutes and 40 seconds. The first six
miles were performed in two minutes under the hour. wine
miles in a minuteend a half under an hour and a half, wad
the whole distance in one hour, 59 minutes and 19 secant,.

COAL. MARKET, APAIL v.
Ships at Market. • Sblps Sold'. Plies.
011 Newcastle .... . 4-f lts 9d. to 4.71. Or.
191 Sunderland 16, 565. 0.1. to 471. 04.
i 9 Scotch Coal . 9 Us,