The Sun. — 1844-01-22 (London, England)

THE GADDESBY MURDER AGAIN RE-APPREHENSION OF MESSENGER. (From the Leicestershire Mercury of Saturday.) This atrocious murder, which has been for so long a period veiled in the profoundest mystery, has once more come before the public. It will be recollected by our readers that Timson and Hyman, the waggoner, both in the employ of Messenger, were taken up on suspicion of being concerned in this dreadful tragedy. and were detained to await the result of the inquest on the body. On the second examination, however, there appearing to be nothing which could at all implicate them, and having given what was, to the jury, a satisfactory account of hew they were engaged on the day the murder was committed, they were discharged by the Coroner. Timson and Hyman were subsequently called upon (as our readers will remember) to give evidence against their master, who was, after several examinations, eventually committed to take his trial for the murder at the last Summer Assizes. The grand jury, on finding that there was not enough evidence on which to convict, very wisely threw out the bill—WO say wisely, because by adopting such a step they left the accused in a position to be again proceeded against, in the event of additional evidence being obtained. Phis additional evidence, we believe, will now be supplied, but as the magistrates conceive that the ends of justice will at present best be answered by keeping the examination now holding strictly private, we are not in a position to give the evidence verbatim. However, the following particulars may, we believe, be fully relied upon : Somewhere about the time of Messenger's first apprehension. he discharged 'I imson from his service, and on the latter being unable to find a fork belonging to himself, which he had been in the habit of using on the farm, he told another labourer that he would take one of his master's and keep it till his own vass founii. On Thursday last, as stated under our Loughborough policehead, Messenger charged Timson with stealing the fork and some other tools, and the result was that he was committed for trial. Being defended by Mr. Bell, of Leicester, Timson, by his advice, reserved his defence till his trial, and he was eventually liberated on bail. Subsequently, however, he made such revelations in reference to Messenger's connection with the murder that a warrant was immediately issued and placed in the hands of the chief constable (Mr. Goodyer) who, accompanied by Superintendent Burdett, immediately proceeded to Messenger's residence at Gaddesby-lodge. On the arrival of the officers, they found the object of their search in bed, little dreaming that he was about to be conveyed to gaol for the third time on the same charge of murder ! Of course Messenger was speedily roused, and shortly afterward' was on his way to Leicester, where he arrived in the custody of Mr. Goodyer and his superintendent about eleven o'clock on Thursday night. Timson, we are informed, states that, some time after Garner was missed, Messenger came to him while at work, and said he believed Jem (Garner) was dead, and in the wheat-field. At a subsequent period he said he was dead in the wheat-field. He then offered to give him a sovereign, or, indeed, anything, if he would bury the body. The principal cause, however, which induced the magistrates to issue a warrant for his re-apprehension was the statement made by Mrs• Hodges, which will be found below.