The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-08-08
THE RICHARDS MURDER
Two Men Under Arrest
Charged with the Crime.
D. F. Jordan, of Lower Oxford, Pa,
Declares They Confessed to
Hin-HiS Statement
Received With
Doubt.

After remaining Shrouded in mystery five
wears the Richards murder that tragedy
which startled Cecil county and the whole
State. is again brought before the public
attention by the sworn statement of one man
charging two others with the crime.
On Friday of last week Benjamin T. Jordon,
we.l-known character. now living near
Oxford, went to the Office of Magistrate
Hudson. in Hopewell Borough. Pa. and
declared that he had statement to make
which had been preyng on his mind. Jordon
then charged John q. Carver, OF Lower
oxford, and James Adams, now in the Lam
caster Pa, jail awaiting trial for larceny. as
being the murLercrs of Mrs. ]. Granville
Richards at her home near RisnSsun, this
county. on the night of April II, 1891. Jor-
dan made this statement:
'One morning. just before daylight. in the
year 1891, | met Carver and jim Adams
coming from toward Risingsun. Both men
appeared to be considerably excited. and |
asked chem what was wrong They told me
of having visited the residence Of Granville
Richards near Risingsun, for the purpose Of
obtaining the money which he was supposed
to keep in the house.
"Ta"v succeeded in etfcrtinS an entrance
and orept stealthily upstairs, finally entering
the beiroom of Mr.. and Mrs. Richards.
Their presence served to arouse the woman,
which took them by surprise, and on the spur
of the moment they raised their revoyers and
shot her dead in her couch. They said that
they got out of the place as quickly AS posi-
BILE. hlt only after exchanging several shots
with the husband.
NV God. can't get that womun out of
my eyes said Carver to me as be proceeded
with Bis story We did not intend to shoot
her, lat we have killed her, too
Gods sake, said Adams to me. keep it
qeiet. for they would hang US.
Jorlan's statement was taken in writing by
the magistrate.
Warrants were Immediately issued for the
arrest of Carver and Adams, and the former
was ;aken into custody in oxford and was
given hearing at Hopewel on Friday night.
Jordan was sworn and facing Carver repeated
his stosy. Carver is now held in the West
Chester Pa, Jail and will be brought here for
hearing upon requisition.
MR.. RICHARDS oPINIoN-HE DOES NOT PLACE
MUCH CONFIDENCE IN JoRDAN's STATEMENT.
lI-. j. Granville Richards. husband of the
victim Of the murder, who occupies the posi-
ton of examiner of merchandise at the
Baltimore Custom House. when interviewed
respecting the arrest of Carver. stated that
he WI not place any confidence in the story
I,
tive eTidence to support the charges he has
made.
Jordan says that he was Il pal Of these
men said Mr.. Richards, land | have been
told;:Aat he has been with them much of the
time since my wife was murdered. If this is
so h" must have many links to be added to
the chain which he is trying to place around
Carver and Adams.
II have known Jordan for many years.
He IS one Of Il family whose house is about
two niles northwest Of the one in which the
tragedy took place. The family does not
bear good name in the county. and its
members have frequently been arrested. One
OF them this one. | think-was tried at
EIk:oa last year for shooting a man.
Carver and Adams are not the first per-
sons gpon whom Jordan has attempted to
throw the crime. A few weeks after the
murder he was loud in his denunciation of
an OH farmer in the neighborhood, whose
innocence was easily proved.
From what | know of Jordan / do not
think that, if his story is true, he would have
wait"l 50 long to tell what he says he knows,
for rewards amounting to $1,000 have been
Offered for information leading to the capture
OF II" two men who invaded my house that
night He had a grudge against the man
on whom he first tried to place the crime. and
| have heard that he has recently acquired
grievance against Carver and Adams. Know
ing This. | should be inclined to distrust his
motives until strong evidence was brought
forward to corroborate his story"
When asked il he believed it likely that
Jordan was posing as nformer because he
himself was one Of the guilty persons. Mr..
Richards said he did not believe this. at
was SO dark at the time of the murder he
said. that l could not possibly identify
either of the two masked men who shot my
wife and grappled with me. There were only
two Of them, for the tracks of two men were
plainly observed the next morning leading
away from the house for more than Il mile
and . half. Their direction was not exactly
toward the home of the Jordans, but it was
not in an opposite direction
THE RICHARDS MURDER.
Mrs. J. Granville Richards was murdered
at her home two and half miles from
Risingsun, on Sunday night, April 10, 1891,
and her husband wounded, two bullets having
passed through his body.
The family, consisting OF Mr.. and Mrs.
Granville Richards, their four sons, William.
Harry, Hampton and Joe, and Mrs. Langdon,
sister-in-law, had retired about 10 o'clock
and were sleeping in rooms on the second
floor.
Suddenly Mrs. Richards was conscious that
shadow had passed before her face and she
awoke. She tightly clutched the hand of her
G-year-old boy, who was sleeping beside her,
and then as quietly as possible aroused her
husband.