Battersea Flat Murder

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 234, 10 September 1924, Page 5

Battersea Flat Murder

An attractive inquest. CROWDS AT THE COURT. (Received 10, 12.35 p.m.) London, Sept. 9. At the inquest on the Battersea tragedy, a verdict was returned that Joshua met his death at the hands of Peggy Mercer, who then committed suicide while of unsound mind owing to Joshua’s action towards her. The coroner’s court wag crowded, and mounted police were preserving order in the crowd outside. The first witness was Mrs. Joshua, who was heavily veiled and in a voice scarcely audible said that she married Joshua in 1896. She last saw her husband on August 13th, when she left him to go to Scotland. There had never been any unhappiness between herself and her husband and no talk of divorce, but her husband drove his motor car himself and was often away at week-ends.—(A. and N.Z.) 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 Montague, whom her sister had introduced under that name. THE DEAD WOMAN’S LETTER. The Coroner read a letter from the deceased to her sister. The letter, which was found in the flat and enclosed a marriage ring, said:—“Forgive niy cowardly act, but I have decided to end it. I married Joshua in June. He said then he had a divorced wile. He only lived with her for his daughter’s sake. He deceived me and destroyed the marriage lines so that nobody should know, but I still love him and he loves nte. otherwise I would not have taken thig 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 girl’s diary showed she had been with Joshua every Sunday and Tuesday from January to August, going to theatres, 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 an invention. Women did extraordinary things.— (A. and N.Z.)