MESSITER MYSTERY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 January 1929, Page 7

MESSITER MYSTERY.

CAUSE OF DEATH

EMINENT PATHOLOGIST. CALLED

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) (Australian Press Association.) Received 1.35 p.m. to-day. LONDON, Jan. 14. Sir Bernard Spilsbury, the eminent pathologist, lias been called in in an attempt to settle the vital question as to whether Alessiter was shot or was killed with a hammer, as alleged in a previous message. Should he prove to he not shot, it will virtually eliminate the theory of a crime carefully planned for revenge. Decomposition is so advanced that even the famous Spilsbury may have a difficulty in deciding.

The police to-day took possession of a letter written and posted by Messiter the day before the crime was supposed to have been committed, which is believed to contain a valuable clue.

A cable message published last week stated:- “Scotland Yard is investigating _ the mystery of the murder of Vivian Alessiter, aged 55. the Southampton manager of an American oil company, whose body was found with a revolver shot through the hack of the head. The body was found inside a private garage at Southampton, padlocked on the outside, 10 weeks after his disappearance. The police theory is that the murder was committed away from the garage and the body taken there. A post mortem reveals that death took place two months a so. Alessiter was last seen on October 30.