The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-13
Extraordinary Murder and Suicide In
2" 20 England.


I'VE reported on Thursday an extraordi-
nary tragedy which occurred on Wednesday
morning at Ewell, Surrey. A man named
Thomas Huggett had been living with wo-
man named Lizzie Richardson for some
months, and she left him, going to liyewith
Iher sister, the wife of q carman named
Spooner, in West street. There was also
llodcinr in the house Southwestern Railway
Company's porter, named Smith, another
man, and Spooner's two children. Nugget
came down to Ewell by the last train on
Tuesday night, and his strange appearance
was noticed by the station master, who or
dered him out Of the premises He went, as
subsequently confessed, and stole bag OF
powder from Messrs. Sharp's mills, where
he had worked as q carman some time ago:
Il He hid himself in an clubhouse, and
when the woman Richardson came down In
the morning at o'clock to get Spooner's
breakfast Nugget got into the house. She
screamed, and Spooner ran down stairs,
stopping Nugget from following the wo-
man. During struggle between Spooner
and Huggett the latter broke away, and
threw the bag of powder into the fire. A
| fearful explosion vas the result, the parti-
ton wall of the next house being blown
down. Nugget was blown through it, and
Spooner so seriously injured that for time
his life was despaired Of. Nugget died at
half past loon Wednesday morning. Smith,
who was in the house, was removed to Guys
hospital, and Spooner to the Hop Pole,
where he now lies in dangerous state.
| The dead man, whose name is Thomas Hug
gett, had lived with the woman Richardson
| Tor about six months, but why or when
they parted has not TRANSFERRED. He had
been employed some time since IN bringing
kegs down from London to the powder-mllls
of Mr.. John Carr Sharp, and thus was well
acquainted with the premises from whence
he stole the powder with which he blew up
the house. His body is much blackened,
and when DR.. Barnes was called to him a
few minutes after the explosion he found
him lying in the adjacent house, having
been blown through the partition wall, and
for some time he could not be reused to con-
seriousness. Upon the examination made in
his dying condition it was seen that lie had
wound in his left side, and since his
death it appears to be between the nth and
six ribs, penetrating to the heart. There
is also scratch on the throat, as if an at
tempt had been made to cut it. There was
knife found by Nuggets side, and the
blade corresponded to the wound, which
had penetrated to the heart; but how the
wound was inflicted is at present mystery.
The man Spooner has made no statement as
to the knife being in Nuggets hand
at the time of the struggle. 1t is
clear Huggett could not have stabbed him
self after the explosion, though, if he had
the knife in his hand, the stab might have
been done by accident when the deceased
was driven by the shock through the partit-
ton. His clothes were saturated with
blood. Nugget had strewed the door of the
cottage with gunpowder, so that of his dia-
bolical intention there can be no doubt.
DR.. Barnes entcrtains strong hopes of
Spooner's recovery, although reports have
been rife in the village that he could not
live many hours. Rumor also assigns the
cause to jealousy of the man Smith, who
lies at Guys Hospital, but there does not
seem to be any foundation for it so far as
can be ascertained. The woman Richard
son is, of course, reticent. Mr.. W. Carter
has appointed Monday for holding the in
Quest. -Lond0n Globe.