The Sun. — 1844-05-18 (London, England)

CONFESSION OF A MURDER COQ"  MITTED NINE YEARS AGO. (From the Essex Standard.) A report having been circulated in Colchester that a eetir:. of Polstead, at present in the East Indies, had been alto hended for having committed a murder nine or ten to. back, and for which an innocent man was hung, we ascertained the following particulars : of On Monday morning last, Sir Josh- R ' Bar.  tg tasL, Joshua ~owlet', —,,A;vek Stoke-by-Nayland, received a communication from L't. Dear, of the 21st Regiment of Fusiliers, stationed in the 1'87,8 Indies, with the copy of the Court of Inquiry on a e A which has caused a great sensation in that regiment,•„o short time back a young man of the name of Wl"' 0,1 Towns, a native of Polstead, whilst on guard, ineutitia to one of his comrades that he was most miserable or wretched, and was determined on committee suicide, a else (pointing to a filo of guns which were piled toget,„,ll it opposite them) he must shoot one of his officers, or NO"' t , tha some deed in order that he might be hung, and t justice might be satisfied. His comrade advised Ini°,,,jot get consolation from the minister of his persuasion ' ;pri at this period of their conversation three other sld°l7,ii came up and inquired what it was that preyed so bet' be upon his mind. He then told them, that nine years ar;o went out poaching in Hintlesham Wood; that he nuirdelit, the gamekeeper; and that an innocent man was hung ' f°10:0 and he was present at the execution, with James Hill', ° rot same regiment. He added, that he had not been able to for some time ; and also stated that he saw both the 101:434 his dreams, and was haunted by their visions day and 11' till death would be welcome to him in any shape. Air A court of inquiry followed, and the, soldiers severullY.,;ot posed to the confession of the prisoner, who made no atte; f,tl to contradict them. Colonel Dear wrote for informatioics. the subject to Sir Joshua Rowley, who placed the corall.irot tion in the hands of his brother, Charles Rowley, Es'F' ° f tbe Bergholt, as the murder was committed in the division uote, county for which that gentleman is a most active rnegist Thus—  " Murder may pass unpunished for a time, But tardy Justice still o'ertakes the crime; And oft a speedier pain the guilty feels : The hue and cry of Heaven pursues him at his heelo9. It appears that, about nine, years ago, the gamekeeP,ergoe his assistant, in the service of Miss Lloyd, of Ilhitile.;bee Hall, heard a party of poachers in the preserves, ap" ,ip tea they got there, finding only three poachers, they att,e,li-eketi to take them into custody; but they were violently aa'.." bstby the poachers, and Byant Green, the gamekeeper barously murdered, his skull being literally dashed AA by a blow struck with a gun, which was left behind. sod A ward was offered for the discovery of the in ~, urdere:r'wg man of the name of. Chalker, ali reach polisher, ths Ipswich, was apprehended on the charge. At his trio till' gun was distinctly proved to have been his, as ire" hg dog which accompanied the poachers, and it was, °furt ki4 proved that he was seen in the neighbourhood, !lII' up before the fatal affray took place. The evidence, I" „utali.. calculated to throw strong suspicion upon Chalker, wssirdotO of a circumstantial character, and it was a matter 0 tea' whether the Government of he day would allow his.e, see' tion to take place. However, in accordance with 0.1 106 tence, the prisoner suffered the extreme penalty of te!,,tbo at Ipswich, protesting his innocence of the murder f, 01 last, but acknowledging having been one of the Pll.l poachers. We are informed that Green, the keeper, left aWI 004 a large family, as was also the case with Chalker.  goiVertiSeir