Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-04-16
CECIL'S DOUBLE TRAGEDY
Further Details of the Rising
Sun Crime.
$4,000 FOR THE MURDERERS
The Only Clue is Footprints
in the Mud.
MIR. Richards Heroic Combat With the
Dastarsls--His Wound is Not Necessarily
Fatai--The Community Stirred to the
Highest Pitch of Excitement.
Special Correspondence Of Gazette and journal

Special Correspondence OF Gazette and journal
ELKToN, Mp, April 13.-A short story Of
burglary and murder comes by the Cecil
telephone wires from Colora Cecil county.
The house of ]. Granville Richards,
former member Of the Maryland legisla-
ture and now an inspector of merchandise
in the Baltimore custom house, was en-
tered during last night by two burglars.
The entrance was made about | o'clock,
and the burglars were vigorously resisted
by both Mr.. and Mrs Richards. A des-
perate encounter ensued, in which Mrs.
Richards was shot in the head, right back
of the ear, by ball from a revolver, from
the effects of which she died at o'clock
this morning.
Mr.. Richards received two balls in his
left side, and he was cut also across the
forehead with knife, besides being badly
beaten with an iron. His recovery is con-
sidered doubtful.
The burglars got $50 in money and a
gold watch. They dropped another gold
watch which they had found in the hall
way as they were making their exit after
their bloody work
The murderers are described as young
men, aged from 20 to % years. They wore
light overcoats and drove a small bay
horse to buggy. The county is thor
oughly aroused, but it is thought that the
murderers have put many miles between
them and the scene of their crime.
States Attorney William S. Evans and
Sheriff ]. Albert Boyd have left for
Porter's Bridge, which is village about 20
miles distant by the county roads and
situated on the beautiful Octoraro river,
which has been the theme OF many poets
pens. II is only few miles from the
Pennsylvania line.
Mr. Pill, rs1s ,uas tba ,,ioti,,, sc n forp,ar
robbery on the highway when homeward
bound, in 1885, shortly before leaving his
seat in the legislature. He was beaten
over the head at that time until insensible
and his life for time was despaired Of.
He is in Baltimore during the week but
spends Saturday and Sunday night at
home.
A correspondent writes from Elkton.
Md, giving further particulars of the muir
der of Mrs. j. Granville Richards and the
serious woundng of Mr.. Richards by
burglars: After midnight, somewhere in
the neighborhood of o'clock in the morn
ing, Mrs, Richards was awakened by dis
turbance in her bedroom. She called to
her husband, who was sleeping beside her,
and said that some one was in the room.
Mr.. Richards rose up in bed and pulled a
revolver from under his pillow and cried
Who is that? Speak or ! will shoot!n
The words were scarcely out of his mouth
before there was d report from pistol
coming from the direction of the door.
The bullet struck Mrs. Richards in the
head, and she fell over in the bed. Her
husband returned the fire and sprang out
of bed and made for the burglar. whom he
heard retreating from the room. As it
was very dark his aim was directed at ram
dom and hit nothing but the wall.
Mr.. Richards followed into the hall and
!,
posed it was his son William, questioned
him to that effect. No one spoke, but
there was a second report from Il revolver,
and MIR. Richards was struck. Mr..
Richards returned the fire, and the burg
lar and himself came into collision, and
there was a tusse for moment or two,
when Mr.. Richards was struck by heavy
piece of iron, which turned out 10 be a
chisel. The blow was received on his left
wrist and somewhat weakened his hold on
his asSailant. and he tumbled headlong
down the stairway. Before doing this he
managed to fire a third time at the burglar
but it is pretty certain that not single
Shot took effect in the body of the person
they were intended for The burglar fol
lowed Mr. Richards down the steps and
struck him q second time with the piece of
iron, and also shot the already badly
wounded man a second time. AT the foot
of the stairs the burglar made hasty
exit from the house, leaving behind him
hut the slightest thread to lead to his iden-
LITIGATION or help the officers of the law in
pursuing him.
Besides Mr.. Richards and his wife the
other occupants of their residence were
Mrs Randolph l.angdon of oxford, Pa,
wife of Mrs. Richards brother, and who
occupied chamber across the hallway
from the room of her relatives. Then
there were their four children, William,
aged II; Harry, aged 10; Joseph, aged II,
who occupied a chamber at the northeast
corner of the house, and Hampton, the
baby of the family, aged six years, who
was sleeping in the bed with his parents.
A colorcd servant, Florence Badly, occll-
pied room on the first floor
During all the commotion occasioned by
the conflict with the midnight murderer
none of these people were awakened until
after the noise had subsidized. The first per-
son to come to n knowledge of the situation
in the house was William. the eldest son.
He became conscious of something unusual
going on. Just about the time his father and
the assassin reached the bottom of the
stairway, and came out of his room. He
found his father lying on his side, and
from him learned what had happened. The
son assisted the father to Il room, and then
went ont to find assistance.
Mr.. Stephen Murphy, who lives across
the field, about 800 yards away, Mr.. John
r. Reynolds and Mr.. Milford Richards,
close neighbors were awakened and went
for medical assistance. DIR. Charles Turner
of Rising Sun and DIR. Il. r. Crothers of
Colora, arrived at the house about 3 O'Clock.
The doctors found Mrs. Richards in an
unconscious condition, and she died at &
O'Clock without having spoken a word.
The ball that killed her entered lust
behind the right ear, and lodged in the
brain, causing hemorrhage.
Mr. Turner does not think Mr. Richards
wounds will prove fatal One ball entered
the back nj the lower border of the ribs on
the left side followed the ribs around for
about six inches and made its exit in front |
The second ball struck him in front above
the abdomen and about in line with the
posterior wound. and is supposed to also !
have made an exit in the back. There are
four holes two of them being taken as
evidence that the bullets did not lodge in |
the body.
The booty secured was two pocket-books, |
taken out of Mr.. Richards clothing in the |
bedroom, and which contained 500, gold |
watch. A silver watch |
owned by one of the boys was also secured, /
but dropped in the hall when the burglar
was tusscing with Mr.. Richards. Bonds
Of the Pennsylvania railroad of almost
81 200 value were also taken away.
Footprints of different sizes on the soft
earth of the lawn in front of the house
make il appear that two persons at least
were IMPLICATED in the affair. One is large
and made by No. 10 shoe; the other is
smaller. The burglars broke
Il. r. IL /