The Sun. — 1845-02-24 (London, England)

HIGHWAY ROBBERY.  The usually quiet neighbourhood of Haws:- ,d and Kentish-town, throughout the whole of Swill-day, presented a scene of the most intense excitement, in consequence of the discovery of a most inhuman murder and highway robbery which had been perpetrated upon a gentleman the preceding evening in a field near Bellsize Park, Hampstead. From the statement of the constable in charge of the body it appears that between 7 and 8 on Friday night, Mr. Hilton, of West-end, was proceeding along the Finchley-road, in the direction of the Swiss Cottage, in a cart, when, all of a sudden, his attention was arrested by hearing screams of murder, which appeared to proceed from the vicinity of the footpath leading to Bellsize Park. At this juncture he perceived a gentleman, who turns out to be Mr. Kilburn, junior, the son of a gentleman residing at Haver stock-terrace, coming from the direction of the Swiss Cottage, who was about to take the path from the road in the same turning as the noise appeared to proceed from. Mr. Hilton immediately told Mr. Kilburn what he had heard, and added, " Sir, if you will see about it, I will at once drive to the Swiss Cottage, and follow yea." .Mr. Kilburn then went fo: ward. lipon arriving at the end of the field he was horror-stricken at seeing the body of a man lying on the ground, on the we-tern side of the stile. In alarm he ran back to, wards the spot from whence he had started, crying, "Murder," and " police!" His cries reached the ears of Sergeant Fletcher, of the S. division, who, accompanied by Police: constable :Abbott, hastened in the direction of the cries, and shortly after were joined by several other persons from the Swiss-cottage. They then found the body of a very respectably-dressed man, about three yards on the Hainp,tead side of the stile, lying on his face in a pool of blood. He was quite deal, but warm, and the blond was running frtan a frightful gash, which had, to all appearances, been inflicted by some sharp instrument over the right eye and temple, ' and from the back of the skull, which was literally dashed in, causing 'the brain to protrude. The body was, without a moment's loss of time, conveyed on a stretcher to the Yorkshire Grey Tavern. It was there examined, when the pockets of deceased were found some of them turned inside out, and it was evident, from the appearance •of the wei4eotit left hand pocket, that the unfortunate deceased had been in the.' habit of wearing a watch, which had been taken away. Nothing whatever was found on his person, with the exception of an envelope with the superscription, " J. CdOper, Esq., Hampstead-road." Near to where: the body was discovered was found one of the deceased's gloves (a black kill one), the other being • still upon his hand. His hat was discovered some few yards from :he spot where the body lay, in the narrow ditch passing along the outside of the wall of Bellsize Park—it is of beaver, nearly new, and bearing the name on. the inside, " Massey, maker, Hampstead-road." The wounds at the back of the head were probably inflicted by some blunt instrument, whilst the injuries over the right eye and ymple have been done with the sharp edge of a shovel, or some weapon of a similar description.  No clue has been obtained likely to lead to a discovery of the murderers, nor has the body bt en as yet identified. The following is an accurate description of the person of the unfortunate gentleman :—He was of fair complexion, sandy curly hair, about five feet six inches high, and rather inclined to corpulency. The features appear much swollen and covered with blood. The go neral opinion is that he was not more than twenty. six or twenty-seven years of age. His attire consisted of a black beaver hat, brown wrapper of fine cloth, with brown velvet facings ; black body coat with velvetcollar, black kerseymere trousers, and a dark blue singlebreasted vest (valencia), with a small red flower and sprigs • Wellington boots, and his linen, which is of the very finest fabric, is marked " D" with indelible ink.