GRIM TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 274, 15 August 1936, Page 24

GRIM TRAGEDY

Cinema Cashier’s Death

Finding that his love for a pretty girl cinema cashier was unrequited, a suitor took grim revenge. He visited her home to make a last appeal for renewal of their courtship: then shot the girl through the heart and turned a revolver on himself with fatal results.

“If I can’t have her, nobody else will,” was the cry uttered by James Richardson, 22, of Waltham Cross, before firing three bullets at Elsie Abbott, 22, of Rye Park, near Hoddlesdon, Herts. Miss Abbott, who lived with her parents at a little cottage at Rye Park, was employed as cashier at a Waltham Cross cinema.

For about two years she and Richardson had been sweethearts.

They became engaged, but a few weeks ago Miss Abbott broke off the engagement. On the day of the tragedy Richardson, who had appeared heartbroken, did not go to work. He left home saying he was going to call on Miss Abbott and try to effect a reconciliation. When Richardson called at the cottage Miss Abbott came in from the garden, where she had been playing happily with a number of children. The couple met in the kitchen and then went into the front room for a short talk. A few minutes later there was a scream and the sound of three shots. The girl’s mother and her sister,

Mrs. Ivy Bloomfield, rushed into the front room.

They were just in time to see Miss Abbott stagger back, and then, before their horrified eyes, Richardson bent his head down and shot himself.

A graphic description of the scene in the cottage was given by Mrs. E. C. Hoad, another married sister of the dead girl. “My sister, Mrs. Ivy Bloomfield, heard a knock at the door, and found ‘Jimmy,’ as we knew him, there.” declared Mrs. Hoad. “He asked to see Elsie, and then walked through into the kitchen to my mother. “Elsie came in, and when they were in the front room he was heard to ask, ‘Will you come back to me?’ and Elsie replied, ‘No, I don’t think so.’

“There was a pause, and before the shots rang out ‘jimmy was heard to say, ‘lf I can’t have you, nobody else will.’

“Ivy was just in time to catch Elsie as she collapsed. Elsie died in mother’s arms without uttering a word.

“It is terrible. I know ‘Jimmy’ was very upset when Elsie broke off the engagement. “Elsie told me she could not love him any more as he was so jealous of her.

“Elsie was a charming girl. “It is awful that her life should have been cut short like this.”