MURDER REVEALED IN UNUSED GARAGE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6810, 14 January 1929, Page 6

MURDER REVEALED IN UNUSED GARAGE

Southampton Mystery CORRESPONDENCE CODE FOUND WITH EFFECTS TWO MONTHS’ OLD TRAGEDY. United Press Association—By Electri* 1 elegraph—Copyright. Received Sunday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 11. Scotland Yard is investigating the mystery murder of Vivian Messitcr, aged 55, the Southampton manager of an American oil company, whose body was found with a revolver shot through the back of the head. Tho body was found inside a private garage at Southampton—the garage was padlocked on the outside—ten weeks after Messitcr’s disappearance. The police theory is that the murder was committed away from the garage and the body taken there. A post-mortem examination reveals that death took place two months ago. Messitcr was last seen on October 30. Messitcr, who was born in Somerset, had had a lengthy residence in America and on the Continent and was a Major with tho Canadians during the war. It is believed he had a wife in America and was murdered soon after his appointment at Southampton. Woman in the Case FEATHERED DARTS FOUND NEAR BODY. Received Monday, 1 a.m. LONDON, Jan. 13, A fresh development has occurred in the Mcs3iter case by the discovery of ft code among deceased's possessions in his apartments, with which it is believed ho corresponded with a woman in New York. The code was confined to phrases of endearment. The. man’s trunk also contained letters in a woman’s handwriting, bearing neither address nor signature. Another puzzling feature is tho finding of two feathered darts near the body. There is no trace of a bullet and there was no money in his pockets. The police are seeking a man who was known to frequent his company.