WIFE MURDER ALLEGATIONS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 90, 4 July 1930, Page 4

WIFE MURDER ALLEGATIONS

YOUNG HUSBAND AND ANOTHER GIRL. CHILDHOOD FRIEND. LONDON. A remarkable story of the murder of a girl aged twenty-one two months alter her marriage was told at. Romford Police Court, when the husband. Archibald McTaggart, aged twenty-two, was committed for trial charged with murdering her. Mi-. Pashley, prosecuting, said that about 7.55 on the morning of April 7, McTaggart gape himself up to tho police, saying ‘"I wish to give myself under arrest for tho murder of my wife”. Policemen went to his house and iu the back bedroom saw the body of his wife, who had been brutally murdered. Tho injuries to Mrs. McTaggurt’s head had undoubtedly been caused by a. hatchet found under tho bod.

FIRST MEETING. Me Taggart first met his wife iu August 15)29. and they were married on February 22 this year. It was found at the post-mortem that she was iri a certain condition. McTaggart formerly lived at Gates, head, when he had been walking out witli a girl named Ada, MaePherson. wlmm he had known since childhood, as far hack as February 1.920, and continuing until October 1.925, when lie left Gateshead to conie lo London. ‘There is no douhi, as regards the girl iroin Gateshead”, said Mr. Pashloy, “that they were undoubtedly a. loving couple. 1 have in my possession letters of the deepest af-

faction written by the? girl. I have no letter written by McTaggart. They have been destroyed. The last time Ada visited Romford was in the beginning of 'September 1929, and it was after that the courting of Lira. McTaggart began. Up to the time.he married he used to write to Ada about three times a week, and she used to write to him. ■(WHY HAVE YOU MARRIED?" When Ada called on Mrs. Battershell Mrs. McTaggart’s mother, on March 27, she said to McTaggart, “Why have you married? Has she any claim on you?’’ McTaggart did not answer. Ada said, “Why did you not act like a man and tell me you have married this 'girl. Ft would have saved me the trouble of coming here”. Again he did not answer. Mrs. Battershell said to McTaggart in the presence of his wife, after Ada had gone, “Is there going to be an end to this girl Ada? Are you going to bo true to Hilda.? McTaggert said, “I love Hilda, otherwise I would not have married her”. The last time Ada saw McTaggart was on March 29. She asked him whether he thought he had played the game in throwing her over. He then told her of his wife’s oonSilt. ion, and said that was the reason he married her. Miss Ada MaoPherson, of Salt-meadows-terrace, Gateshead, gave evidence.