The Sun. — 1841-09-20 (London, England)

SUN, LONDON, MONDAY. 5 E PTEMIER 20, 1841.  DREADYCL - MURDER AT ESKDALESIDE, NEAR WHITBY.  (From the York Herald of Si: turday.) It has never before been our painful du.tv to record so foul and atrocious a murder, committed witi2in the above quiet and peaceful d istr ict, as the one which Was perpe trated at the dwelline- of Mr. William Rubinson, yeoman, at Eskdale%ide, on the forenoon of Tuesday las:. Mr. Robinson, it appear: ;, left his house on the morning of that day, for the purr ose of attending Egton Fair, and his servants for the he rvest field, leaving Mrs. Robinson alone to manage the d omestic concerns of the house. At about ten o'ck ick, Mr. Hill, miller, of Thura dale, made his usual call for orders, when he found Mrs. Robinson cheerfully pursuing her avocations. and apparently in frarfect health, wishing him good morning when he took his departure. On the return of the servants, however, to dinner at noon, a scene the most- horrifying presented itself--they discovered their mistress lying upon her face on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. After they had in som e degree recovered from their alarm, they raised the body and discovercd her head nearly severed from the trunk, and in a rigid state. The kitchen floor on which the deed of darkness was coma pitted appeared to be in confusion, and, on a closer examination, they found that the drawers, &c., had been broken open and ransacked, the murderers leaving traces of their guilt on the various articles of furniture which they had touched during their pilfer. Messengers were immediately despatched to Mr. Robinson, at Egton, and to the police at Whitby. We will not attempt to describe the agony of the bereaved husband. Mr. Wilkinson, the head of the Whitby police, accompanied by two vigilant officers, promptly attended, and after examinig the premises, and obtaining all the information relative to the foul crime which those around were able to atrord, commenced a pursuit after two suspicious characters, who had been seen near the house during the morning.. Some clue to their supposed destination was furnished by the finding of a pocketbook, which was identified by one of Mr. Robinson's servants, and which had been left in safety in his box in the morning. Mr. Wilkinson, having discovered that the men had taken the road leading to Lyth, immediately proceeded to that village, and succeeded in capturing them. They proved to be two Irish reapers, travelling in search of employment. On searching them, not any evidence of their participation in the crime could be found on their :persons. They stated they were going to the neighbourhood of Mickf,lby for work, at which place they had been engaged last autumn. Mr. W. felt justified in Weir detention, and removed them to Whitby, where they Underwent an examination before C. Richardson and J. Chapman, Esqs., and were remanded until after the Coroner's inquest, which was then sitting at the Tunnel Inn, which, after a lengthened investigation, was adjourned until Thursday morning, at nine o'clock. During the whole of Wednesday the town of Whitby and the surrounding neighbourhood were in a state of the greatest possible excitement. The police and the neighbouring farmers were unremitting in their exertions to discover the assassin ; rumour upon rumour was greedily received as fact by the multitude, and we regret that one name was most unjustly connected with this mysterious affair. Unfortunately at a late hour no information could be gained of the murderer. On Thursday morning the adjourned inquest met, the Coroner (John Buchanan, Esq.) being accompanied by the Whitby bench of Magistrates.. The Irishmen were removed to the Tunnel Inn, for the purpose of being present at the investigation. We much doubt if any evidence can be adduced to criminate them. They were recognised by several farmers, and from their testimony we judge them to be quiet and inoffensive men. The deceased was the wife of a very highly respected farmer, and aged about sixty-one years. Though the transaction of the tragedy is as mysterious as it is alarming, we fancy we should deceive ourselves were we to imagine that it had been committed by the hands of a perfect stranger. It is supposed that the deed had been done with a shoemaker's knife, one having been found in the fire with the handle burnt off it. There is no doubt but booty alone has led to the crime,_ although we have not as yet ascertained that more than 321. in gold is missing up to the time that our account left Whitby. The Jury were still sitting, and we, therefore, are unable to give the result of their patient inquiry.