The Sun. — 1845-03-04 (London, England)

LATE MURDER AT HAMPSTEAD  ADJOURNED CORONER'S INQUEST.  (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The prisoners had no questions to ask this witness, and the jury were, at their own request, permitted to retire for ten minutes. After the jurymen had re-assembled, the father, wno appeared very much afflicted, was brought in. The prisoner's fortitude again forsook him, and a second time during the proceedings he wept unrestrainedly. Thos. Hecker, of Charles-street, Portland-town, sworn—l am a ladies' shoemaker. I never saw Delarue, but have heard his name mentioned by my son Thomas perhaps fifty times. I had a misgiving of the person who had caused the murder when my son told me that he had taken a watch out of pledge. He told me so on Saturday evening, while we were walking from our house to Marylebone-lane. I saw the watch again on Sunday, when he said he had taken it out of pledge. I was present when my son came to get a pair of boots on the morning when he was taken into custody. (The trousers and waistcoat were shown to the witness.) To tee best of my belief these are my son's. This ring I found on Friday last, and gave to the officers. I found it amongst the cuttings of the leather for burning. I was taking a handful to burn, when I found the ring amongst them. The cuttings were rolled together on the floor beneath one of the windows. I had never seen the ring before. I never had heard of the ring before. Thomas left his home at halfpast six or a quarter to seven o'clock on the Friday week. He had dined and taken tea at home, with his mother, myself, and brother. We took tea about four, and after that he was occupied in reading and a conversation with us. Ido not recollect that he took anything with him. It must have been fully half-past six when he left. .lames was working until twenty minutes after eight that night, then he changed his clothes and washed himself before he left the house. That would take him twenty minutes longer. The brothers hardly ever went together. Thomas was in the habit of using a very large stick which he said he had lost three weeks ago. He had brought it from Sheffield some two years before that time. My son had no watch or ring before last week. He had not worn a ring before I found that among the cnttingi. He, represented to me for some time back that some kind friend was going to lend him some money, and he told me that he had received a note from Mrs. Edwards, stating that she would lend him some money on Sunday night, but he said he should go on Friday night, and he hoped he should get it. I said she must be a great friend to lend a stranger ten pounds. I never knew Mrs. Edwards before this affair. Before he went out he said that if he were successful in getting the money, he would return home earlier. I saw him again on Saturday morning at ten o'clock. That was his usual hour of corning to breakfast. He seemed, as visual, eheerful, and after he came into the room he pulled money out of his pocket. I understood he had got 12 guineas, and I congratulated him, and said, " I hope you'll be careful with it." On that night, going tem Marvlebone-lane, he said he had got a watch out of pledge; I said, better keep your money in your pockets, or it will slip through your fingers. The