The Sun. — 1845-02-26 (London, England)

THE MURDER AT HAMPSTEAD.  Considerable sensation was created at Hampstead yesterday by the arrival of a mounted messenger in the early part of the day, who inquired for Bynell, the postman, for the purpose, it was understood, of accompanying him to town in order to identify a man, said to be in custody, answering the description of one of the three men who had accosted him on the night of the murder of Mr. Delarue, and wished him to buy a razor hone. The circumstance which led to the above-mentioned occurrence, and which induced a general belief that the capture of at least one of the murderers had been effected, was as follows :—Shortly before twelve o'clock on Monday night Inspector Martin, of the City police, received information at the station-house in Smithfield, that there was a man in a state of intoxication at the bar of the Cross Keys, in St. John-street, who was exhibiting hones for sale, and who, in other respects, resembled the description given of one of the supposed murderers. He instantly dispatched some of his men to that place, and the man in question was taken into custody, and at once conveyed to the station, where he was detained till evidence was procured from Hampstead. Suffice it to say, that he was not identified as one of the party alluded to, and his whereabout having been accurately ascertained, he was permitted to depart. It appears that Mr. Hilton, baker, who first heard the cries of murder whilst on Haverstock-terrace, was greatly mistaken in the statement he made before the jury, that the place where the body was found was distant half a mile from where he stood when those cries reached him. The ground has been accurately measured, and the distance of the spot where the body was found from Haverstock-terrace i 3 460 yards, whilst the exact distance of the place from the Swiss Cottage is 640 yards. Upon a minute examination of the marks of blood alluded to at the inquest, found upon the second rail of the stile near which the body was discovered, it appears that the marks are those of the fingers of a man's left hand. When Mr. Delarue was found he had his glove on his left hand, but no marks of blood were visible upon it. Those persons who have already been announced as coming forward to prove that they encountered three men answering the description of the supposed murderers are not the only ones who were stopped in the vicinity of Hampstead on the night of Friday last. Yesterday afternoon a gentleman on horseback went to the Yorkshire Grey, and informed Mr. Neal, the landlord, that lie had been stopped, and had had money demanded of him by three men in the Finchley-road on the evening of Friday last. The name of this gentleman, who is a medical man, and who left his card with Mr. Neal, stating that ho should be ready to give evidence upon the point, is Mr. Creforne, of No. 5, lleury-street, Avenueroad.  The body of the unfortunate man still remains in the cottage where it wrs first placed, and where it was viewed by the jury ; and it is stated by Mr. Neal, the landlord of the Yorkshire Grey, that it will not be removed until the funeral takes place, which will be from his house. Inspectors Shackel and Haines, of the detective police, are still pursuing their inquiries, aided by Inspector Grey, and although it is beyond doubt that a good clue to the perpetrators of the deed has been obtained, up to a late hour last evening their apprehension had not been effected.