The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-11-28
LOCAL MATTERS.

MuRpER.-A foul and savage murder was
perpetrated in the Valley. near the east cor
poration line of this city, at o clock yester-
day morning. A man named John Richards
was shot with musket and instantly killed
by an old man named WILLIAM HEBDEN,
about 60 years of age.
The particulars, as far as we have been
enabled to gather them. are these Hebden
is a stone mason by trade, and for number
of years past. has been living with an old
white woman, named Rebecca Chapman
These two occupied a small cottage at the
foot of Maddoxs Hill, about one hundred
wards from the corporation line, and Rich
ards who was a drunken, dissipated creature,
in the employ of Htbden, had been boarding
with them. Mrs. Chapman, from some cause
or other, became unfriendly to Richards the
early part of last week, and set her wits to
work TO get up difficulty between the two
men. On Saturday morning Richards and
Mrs. Chapman were seen In conversation
before Hebdens house, when Mrs. Chapman
charged him with having been there the
night before and attempted to burn the build
ing. This Richards Indignantly denied, and
declared that the matches found near the
shed of the house were used by him in en-
deavoring to light his pipe. AT late hour
Saturday afternoon Hebden and Richards
passed up 18th street in company, the latter
carving a bag of corn. On getting to Heb
denis door, Richards put the bag down and
refused to go in the house on account of his
difficulty with Mrs. Chapman, when the old
man remarked "come along, John, never
mind her tongue" That night after getting
supper Hebden left home and was absent
several hours. In the course of the night
Richards returned, but failed to get in, and
the next morning called on Hebden and re-
ceived portion of bis wages, with which he
purchased pair of boots. III ethen went off,
got on froIic, and in the course ofthe day
was found in a drunken row at the head Of
Broad street What became of him after
that time, it is impossible to say
About o'clock yesterday morning, Johu
English, Mr. Point and other persons living
in Hebden's neighborhood, heard gun fire,
but that benign unusual occurrence, paid
very little attention to it.
About O'Clock, yesterday morning as
some of the neighbors were passing from the
hill to the valley, they discovered corpse
living in the old field, and on examination,
it proved to be the body of John Richards.
Finding that he had been murdered, they
traced the blood to the rear of Hebden's
garden, through the garden to small alley
to the front of the house, and thence through
the alley to the front door, where the unfor
tunate man was shot and killed. there being
not only signs of blood, and track made
by dragging him, but prints of shot that took
effect upon the fence They also found in the
house a musket that had been fired but
short time before, and an old carbine. Besides
these We're flask of powder and a shot belt
partially filled. On examining the body it
was found that the load had entered the in
ner side of the left thigh, cutting the large
artery and doubtless producing immediate
death. In the yard and alley where the dead
n oH 20 Hon nnH hpan 1rnurpd o1ppCr N
effort had been made to conceal the traces of
blood by covering them with ashes, which
had been brought out ofth house. There
were marks of ashes on Il sheet on the bed
in the first room, probably made by the foot
of the murderer on returning to bed. Even
a little dog owned by Richards was covered
with blood which flowed from his master
The house occupied by Hebden contained
two rooms, one above the other, and a shed.
The first room was occupied by Hebden and
Mrs. Chapman, the upper room by Richards,
and the shed room for cooking and storage.
As soon as the murder was made known,
Mrs. Chapman was arrested by Capt Wilkin-
son Ofthe Night Watch and taken to the cage;
and as Hebden had left home and gone to
Chesterfield where he had been at work, Off
Ger johnson, Capt. Wilkinson and four or
five of the Watchmen started in pursuit of
him. After long walk officer johnson and
VI,
Wilkinson and Waterman Perrin took ano-
Their, and started on q fresh search When
the first party got near Mr.. HardgrOve's plan
tati0n, officer Johnson discovered Hebden,
and Lindsay and himself at once arrested
him. When they did so, Hebden demanded
to know why he was arrested. johnson told
him for the murder Of a man. Hebden re-
piled if he had done so, he had not done it
without a cause The police force having
succeeded in capturing the fugitive, assem-
hled together, brought him to this city, and
deposited him in the cage for safe Keeping
Too much credit cannot be given the officers
and watchmen for the zeal they manifested
in bringing the fugitive to Justice
Justice Nettles, of Henrico, assisted by constable
Undertake, held an inquest over the dead body
number OF witnesses were examined from whose
evidence we have already given the particulars
Mrs. Rebecca Chapman, who lived with Hebden,
was sworn and exanined, but her evidence was so
contradictory, so utterly devoid of truth that we
deem 1t waste OF time to give it, She at first stated
that she knew nothing OF the murder-that Rich
ards was not at the house on Sunday night-that
Hebden di not leave the house after bed time-and
that she heard no alarm On being cross questioned
and taken TO where the dead body laid, she then
said that Richards came to the house that morning,
attempted to break open the door, and declared he
would kill Hebdeu-that he had told her on for.
mer occasion that Hebden should not live to get
back to Batlmore-that she had apprised Hebden
OF the tact and cautioned him to be upon his guard;
that Richards tried to fire and burn the house on
Saturday night, and had promised TO return at 10
O'Clock Sunday night and complete the ob-and
that Hebden had killed him to save his own life.
On examining Mrs. Chapmans clothing several
spots OF blood were found, which she endeavored
to explain away, but the jury seemed perfectly
isted that she got them while aiding Hebden
move the body from his yard to the old field
Another conclusive fact was this: Coroner Net
ties probed the wound on the dead man, extracted
a number of spots, which on being compared with
those in the shot belt found in Hebdens house,
exactly OF the size.
When the evidence was concluded, the jury ren.
dered as their verdict that John Richards came to
his death by gun shot wound inflicted by William
Hebden, the same being done with malice afore.
thought and without provocation.
The prisoner being in the hands of the city police,
Justice Nettles turued the over to the Mayor,
who committed Hebden to jail to undergo an exam.
ination on the 18th of December on the charge of
murder.
THEATRE.-A very attractive entertain
tnant will be presented tonight Three plays,
namely, the "Brigsnd and his CON- Rent Day."
snd the Mountain Sylph'-wl be performed, in
addition TO an address by Miss ]. Kendall, one of
100 or;o daN ,r-s'f