ANOTHER LONDON TRAGEDY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19271, 8 September 1924, Page 7

ANOTHER LONDON TRAGEDY.

DEVELOPMENTS PROMISED. A WEALTHY MAN SHOT. FEMALE ASSAILANT SUICIDES, Pinas Association —By holograph — Copyright. LONDON, September 6. (Received Sept. 7, at 5.5 p.m.) The Battersea flat discovery has developed into one of London’s most sensational tragedies. The man has oeen identified as Albert M. Joshua, who resided at 5 Great Cumberland place. At first it was thought that he was a chauffeur there. It is now discovered that he was a wealthy man, and lived there in a huge mansion in a most fashionable quarter. The house was in darkness last night; the windows were shut and barred, and all the servants are at present away. It is understood that Joshua, who is connected with one of the biggest furnishing firms in the West End, kept up a big domestic establishment. He was about 45 years of age, well built, sft lOin in height, and had a light moustache. 'The woman is known as Miss Peggy Mercer, but the Daily Chronicle says the nolice believe she was the wife of Joshua. The couple had been separated for three vcars * The household is on the flat of the first floor of the Prince of Wales Mansions, and consisted of Mr and Mrs M'Murtrie and child, two maids, one named Griffiths, and the other Mercer, who had been in M'Murtrie’s employ for over a year. She is described as a superior type of girl, who appeared to have known better circumstances. She was a slim, pretty brunette, and was regarded by her mistress more as a companion than a servant. She was last - een alive on Tuesday. An examination by the police surgeon revealed that the man had three bullet wounds in the abdomen and one in the head The woman had a wound in the right temple. The room was in confusion, and the girl had evidently committed suicide while on the settee and had slipped off on to the floor. The body of the man was found on the other side of the settee. The police extracted papers from his breast pocket, and afterwards took a flashlight pnotograph of the drawing-room. A later message says that Mercer and Joshua were not husband and wife. Joshua and his wife and family were well-known in society, and were recently members of a shooting party in Scotland. Joshua returned to London a few days ago and arranged for his family to follow A. and N.Z. Cable. September 5. (Received Sept. 7, at 11.30 p.m.) In connection with the Battersea case it is supposed that the woman shot the man and then committed suicide, blowing out her brains. A revolver was still clasped in her hand. The first reports stated that she and a servant were left in charge of the flat three weeks ago, while the tenants were away on a holiday. She had been visited frequently by a man 20 years her senior. —Reuter.