The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-04-17
BuRaLARY ANp MuRpER.

tuhs 0EuHVltie IelCHatNo MUSE nau
been entered about the middle of the
night by burglars, aud in the rem
counter that ensued on the discovery
Of the burglars, the fatal shooting of
Mrs. Richards had resulted and the
wounding, probably fatal, of Mr..
Richards. A messenger arrived in
town about 2 O'Clock in the morn
ing, to summons q doctor. When
DR.. Turner, from the Sun, and DR..
Crothers, who had also been sum-
moned from Colora, reached the
scene of the tragedy, the sight was
appalling. Mrs. Richards was lying
unconscious with a bullet hole behind
ear, and Mr.. Richards was terribly
wounded with two bullet holes in
his body, the balls having passed
entirely through him. The children
were weeping over their stricken.
parents. The tragedy presented one
of the most distressing scenes that
eyer occurred in this county. As
soon as day light came the news was
flashed to every city and town in the
State and country, and most of orr
readers are familiar with the details
of this double crime of burglary and
murder.
Reporters of the daily papers. and
detectives, soon arrived from Balti-
more and Philadelphia by special
trains, who reported all the minute
details of the tragedy and instituted
a systematic search to discover, if
possible, the perpetrators of the
shocking crime.
After midnight. somewhere in the
neighborLood of one o'clock in the
morning, Mrs. Richards was awaken.
ed by disturbance 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
revolver from under his pillow and
cried, who is that? Speak or |
will shoot - The words were scarce.
ly out OF his mouth before there was
a 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 random and hit MOTH
ing but the wall.
Mr.. Richards followed into the
hall, and hearing some one coming
out of his son Williams room sup.
posed it was he, and asked, ais
that you Will?' No one spoke, but
there was a second report from
revolver, and Mr.. Richards was
struck. Mr.. Richards returned the
fire, and the burglar and himself
came into collision, and there was
tussle for a moment or two, when
Mr.. Richards was struck by a heavy
piece of iron, which turned out to be
chisel. The blow was received on
his left wrist and somewhat weaken.
ed his hold on his assailant, and he
tumbled headlong down the stairway.
Before doing this he managed to fire
third time at the burglar, but is
pretty certain that not single shot
took effect in the body of the person
they were intended for. The burglar
followed Mr.. Richards down the
steps and struck him second time
with the piece of iron, and also shot
the already badly wounded man
second time. At the foot of the
stairs the burglar made hasty exit
from the house.
The pistol of the burglar was he'd
so close that Mr.. Richards clothing
was blackened and burned.
Besides Mr. Richards and his wife
the other occupants of their residence
were Mrs. Randolph Langdon, OIL
Oxford. Pa. wife of Mrs. Richards's
brother. and who occupied chamber
across the hallway from the room of
her relatives. Then there were their
four children, William aged seven,
teen, Harry, aged fifteen, Joseph,
aged eleven. who occupied cham
Der 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 colored servant. Florence Boldly,
occupied room on the first floor.
SOUND sLEEPERs.
During all the commotion occa-
stoned by the conflict with the mid
night murderer none of these people
were awakened until after the noise
had anAaided The frat neraon to |