A DRAMA OF JEALOUSY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 141, 13 June 1908, Page 15

A DRAMA OF JEALOUSY.

SPIRITUALIST MEDIUM'S GHASTLY END. Plttsburg (U.S.A.) witnessed the final act of a grim tragedy on Tuesday, April 28. when William McLeod McDonald, a chemist, formerly of Portsmouth, England, was hanged at Allegheny County Gaol for the murder of Mrs Bessie Ilyslop, a spiritualist medium, with whom, after deserting his wife and six children, McDonald eloped from Portsmouth in the summer of 1906.

In June of. the year mentioned McDonald was sentenced to a term of imprisonment in Portsmouth for failing to contribute to the maintenance of his family. Thereupon, Mrs Hyslop, who had met the chemist at a seance, and was deeply infatuated with him, procured his release by paying off arrears out of her own pocket, and satisfying the demands of the law.

She then rejected an honourable offer ol marriage from a man who had for some time been, courting her, and eloped with McDonald to New York, taking with her her little son. The eloping pair travelled as Mr and Mrs W. Smith, and under this name eventually settled down In Ptttsburg, where they seemed to live happily with each other. "THE ONE BRIGHT STAB." On September 18th last McDonald found in the house a letter to Mrs Hyslop from her rejected suitor In England, renewing his protestations of love, and styling her "The one bright star of my life."

McDonald, a Jealous and passionate man, upbraided her furiously, and then, suddenly producing a razor, forced the nnhappy woman on to her knees, and cut her throat in the presence of her eight-year-old child.

The latter was the chief witness at McDonald's trial, which lasted some eight hours, and ended with the death sentence. The date for carrying out the latter was fixed for March 14th. but strenuous efforts were made at the Instance of the deserted wife In England to have McDonald committed to a lunatic asylum, and a reprieve was granted.

McDonald, who was quite resigned, spent his last night writing letters, among them being one addressed to his wife, Mrs Madge McDonald, at Gosport, in which he asked for forgiveness. '■