BATTERSEA CRIME

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 10 September 1924, Page 9

BATTERSEA CRIME

JXTRA EDITION.

VERDICT OF MURDER

ay cabi,*— press association—copyright

Received Sept-. 10, 12.35 p.m. . LONDON, Sept. 9. At the 'inquest on the Battersea tragedy a verdict was returned that Albert M. Joshua met his death at the hands of Miss Mercer, • who then committed suicide while of unsound unnd, owing to Joshua’s action toward; The •Coroner’s Court was crowded, mounted police preserving order in the crowd outside. The hist witness was Mrs Joshua, who was heavily veiled, and in a voice scarcely audible said she married Joshua in 1896. She last saw her husband oh August 13, when she left him to gci to. Scotland. There had never been any unhappiness between herself and husband and no talk of divorce, but her husband drove a motor-car himself, and was often away at week-ends.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable At mi. . The wife added that, she had never heard of the dead woman, Miss Mercer. ‘ ;

A sister of the deceased woman identified the body of Joshua as that of Basil whom her sister had introduced under that name. The coroner read a letter from deceased toher sister. The letter which was found in the flat and enclosed a marriage ring said: “Forgive my cowact, but I have decided to end •tL* -L 1 married Joshua in June. He ■Sid'd then that he had divorced his wife, and only Jived with.’ her for his daughter’s sake. He deceived me. I destroyed my marriage lines so that nobody should know, but I still love him, and lie loves me, otherwise 1 would not have taken this great risk. I am afraid every day someone is coming for .me.” - The sister broke down, and was led sobbing from the court. The coroner said that the. dead girls’ diary showed that she had been with Joshua every Sunday and Tuesday from January to August, going to theatres and' playing golf, and motoring. •Doctors gave evidence that'the. girl was not with child.

The coroner added that if the girl’s last letter was true Joshua’s conduct was most discreditable. He had overcome . a ..virtuous woman by a bigamous marriage, but the letter might be the invention of a woman who did extraordinary things. Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.