The Sun. — 1852-10-26 (London, England)

ATROCIOUS MURDERS IN STAFFORD.  SHIRE.  One of the most tragical murders which has been committed in Staffordshire for many years, was perpetrated early on Monday morning, near the county town, owners theof v lande r a l field Stafford. The place where it occurred is situate about three miles from Stufford,on the road toWolverhampton, several down a narrow and secluded lane. The house was occupied by an aged couple named Blaekband, who, in addition o e to sandbs of land.uilding N s a atoraljwy of a ere also t h wpenurious turn, and imagining the safest place for his wealth to be on his own person, he invariably carried about with him a large quantity of gold, and it is supposed to have been the knowledge of this fact which induced some person or persons to conceive and perpetrate the horrid idea of murdering the old man and woman for the purpose of possessing their wealth. About 8 o'clock, a.m , information was sent to Stafford that a cottage at Moss Pit was on fire, and engines were immediately dispatched to extinguish the devouring element. On breaking open the door of the house, the fire was discovered to have originated in one of the bedrooms, but the smoke and flames prevented any one from ascending the staircase. Ladders were immediately procured and holes made in the roof of the building, and the fire engines having subsequently arrived, the flames were extinguished. On ascending the stairs, the old man and woman were discovered at the further end of the room on a bedstead, still burning. Upon examination, it was discovered that the head of Blackband had been cloven with some heavy weapon, the frontal bone being completely smashed, and the back of the head opened. The body was reduced almost to a cinder with the exception of the head and one of the legs. Across the bottom of the bed lay the burnt trunk of his wife's body, arms, and legs being entirely gone. She had received a heavy blow over the right eye. For many years the old couple, through infirmities, had slept apart in different rooms in the house. The stairs to the old man's room ascending from the house-place, and those to his wife's bed room at a distant part of the dwelling from the pantry. At the bottom of the pantry stairs is a large pool of blood ; and it is supposed that, after the murderer had dispatched the old man, ho proceeded to the other part of the house, where his second victim was descending the stairs, when ho immediately dealt the fatal blow which deprived her of life. Having committed this twofold deed of guilt, ho must have carried her through the house to the bedroom of her husband, and placing her on his bed, have sot fire to the clothes, intending to destroy every vestige or mark which would tend to his detection by burning the house and all that it contained, and thus lead to the supposition ' that the fire was one of accident. The dog, which was kept in the house, was found in the well opposite the door, a heavy blow on the head having, no doubt, previously deprived it of the power of making any alarm. The murder must have been perpetrated after daylight. At half-past seven o'clock a gentleman passed the house, when there was no sign of fire, but he observed a man walking through the adjoining field, as if leaving the house. No clue, however, has at present arisen as to whom the guilt of this barbarous transaction attaches ; but it is supposed that the murderer could not have completed the deed without having marks of blood upon some parts of his body or clothes, which may load to his apprehension.