The Sun. — 1823-04-10 (London, England)

HALL.—Yesterilay the Magistrates of this Office received a communication from Mr. Franks, the Vestry-clerk of Clapham parish, describing a most inhuman murder that was committed the preceding night on the body of Mrs, Eliza. beth Richards, a widow Lady between 70 and 80 years of age, who lived within two doors of the Ebenezer Baptiii, Chapel, Clapham-common. The unfortunate lady had resided in the above house for the last thirty years, where she was well known and respected by all the neighbourhood. Her husband had been a pin-maker in the city, and since his death she and another female occupied the house in which she• was so cruelly inurdered. It appeared that Mrs. Bell, the lady who lived with the deceased, went out on the night in question about seven o'clock; -.faille purpose of attending a meeting. house, and left the deceased at home. At a few minutes after 8 o'clock, she returned and knocked at the door, which was not opened to her ; she repeated her knocks twice ; the third time the door opened, and Mrs. Bell walked into the passage; she repeatedly called out "Mrs. Richards," no answer was given, neither was there any light to be seen. She advanced to. wards'the kitchen, and just at the entrance she stumbled over something that was lying on the floor, she became exceedingly alarmed, and ran out of the house immediately to call for as. sistance, She obtained assistance, and lightslwere brought, when a poker, which did not belong to the house, was observed lying outside the hall-door. Upon going into the house, the body of Mrs. Richards was discovered lying stretched on the floor, near the entrance into the kitchen ; an apron was thrown over the face,' and the greater part of it was thrust into the deceased's mouth ; a mark of violence was also visible on the right side of her throat. From her advanced age and infirmities, she was not. enabled to make resistance against her murderers. It has occurred to Mrs. Bell since the murder, that a per. son passed out of the house from behind the door, at the time she entered it. The pockets of the deceased appear to have been violently torn from her aide ; a caddy, which had contained a little money, lay near the deceased's head, empty; a silver watch was taken, together with a half dozen of spoons. There was considerable property in the house up stairs, but it was left untouched, es no doubt the murderers had been disturbed in their work of plunder. Hall, chief constable, and Glannon, most active officers, have been sent to Clapham, in order to trace this most attrocious murder. They found in the kitchen of the house a piece of brown paper, folded up in the form of a ester, and tied with a piece of cord, which had the following address written on the back of it: " Mrs. Bell, hat Mrs. Rich. arils's, Clapham-common," in very illegible characters. It is supposed that the murderer gained ailmittithce into the deceased's house on pretence of having this letter to deliver to Mrs. Bell. Upon the discovery of the appalling circumstance, a vestry. meeting was called, and a reward of 50!. offered for the apprehension and conviction of the perpretator or perpretators This sum, however, was not considered sufficient for the purpose, and another Meeting was therefore held ye,rterday evening, by which the reward was unanimously increased to 200 guineas ; and a resolution passed to communicate all the particulars of this dreadful crime, and the proceedings of the parish in conse. quence of it, to the Secretary of State for the Home DeTart, silent, leaving it to his discretion to take what steps towards et" fecting the discovery of the guilty he may think proper. 'rho inhabitants of the neighbourhood are in a state of indiscribable dismay ever since the horrible occurrence took place ; and one of the Magistrates, in addressing the Meeting on the subject last night, stated that one individual in particular, rich was the hold that the dread of murder had taken of his imagination, had been nearly altogether deprived of the use of his senses.— A Coroner's Inquest will be held on the body this day.