Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-01-20
The MacGregOr
Case
II Indicates the Danger Of Accept
ing CircnmStantial Evidence.
By ETHEL HOLMES


Elizabeth, lived on the outskirts OF
Edinburgh, Scotland. Their nearest
neighbor lived about a quarter of q
mile distant. The MacGregors appear
ed to live happily together till one
evening their neighbour Alexander
Tweedy, heard excited voices coming
| from the direction of their home
| Tweedys wife thought she heard a
third voice once or twice take part in
what was going on trying to calm the
her out In this, and she was not sure.
Finally the quarreling stopped, and
nothing more was heard.
The next morning Tweedy on his
way to Edinburgh, where he worked.
passed the MacGregor home and no.
ticed that 1t seemed to be deserted. A
window pane on the ground floor was
broken, which he had noticed before
and at which he wondered. because the
MacGregors were tidy persons and
kept their home in good order. He
continued his way, not attaching much
importance to what he had seen or
what he had heard the night before.
But when the next morning he pass
ed the house again and saw no one
about he became curious and, going to
the window, looked in. He was shock
ed to see evidences of a struggle.
Everything was in disorder A table
that had stood In the center Of the
room had been overturned, and the
fragments of lamp that had stood
on 1t were scattered over the floor.
Clothing lay about, both mems and
women's.
Tweedy was astonlshed. He had
heard no sounds that would indicate
anything more than a war of words
True his wife had awakened him In
the middle of the night and said that
the MacGregors were quarreling again.
told her that 1t was due to her imagi-
nation and she had better go to sleep
and think no more about the matter
But now appearances tended to prove
that the quarrel had been more serious
than he supposed Putting his arm
through the aperture left by the
broken pane, he raised the window and
entered the house.
There was nothing Of value left in
It except the furniture. 1t looked to
Tweedy as IL either MacGregor had
killed his wife or the wife had killed
her husband and whichever was the
murderer had made of with what
ever could be carried away hastily.
But this was only theory and did
not account for what had been done
with the body Of the victim.
Tweedy was about to leave the prem
Uses when he noticed on the floor
strand of red hair. The hair was long
and evidently woman's. The finder |
Mrs. MacGregor's hair
was red.
Tweedy dropped the strand on the !
floor, where he had found it. got out (
through the window and went on to
Edinburgh to his work. In the even
ing when he returned to his home he I
told his wife that he had seen ex-
cellent evidence that their neighbor |
had murdAyed his wife, disposed in
some way Of the baby and fed with
all the valuables Mrs. Tweedy listen
ed to his recital with horror.
I'm going to the sheriff to tell him
Of the MURDER" said Tweedy.
yen dinna do ony such thing, San
dy." was the reply. "Dinna mix yer
sell up with It. They'll think you had
to do with IT. Let somebody
else find it DOT"
Sandy took his wlfe's advice. Every
he passed the deserted home
on his way to his work and every
evening on his return. His conscience
smote him for not making the tragedy
known. and on several occasions he
told his wife that he would report it,
but she always dissuaded him.
But one day the horror came out
through another source. A man pass
Ing a thicket back Of the MacGregor
home smelled an offensive odor and
thought the dead body of some animal
was there. Prompted by curiosity, he
made an examination and found the
iecaying corpse of a woman. Going
straight into the city. he reported his
ind, and persons were sent out to bring
N the body. The face had been mutt
ated besides being decayed, so that
L was beyond recognition. The hair
was red. The dress was the MacGreg-
Or tartan.
An examination was made of the
MacGregor home. and what Alexander
rweedy had found was carefully noted
wen TO the strand of hair which was
picked up and preserved. There being
10 doubt on the part OF the authorities
hat MacGregor had quarreled with his
wife. murdered her and made of with
he family valuables. a search was in
Itituted for him. He could not be
ound. and the search was about to be
oven up when some one suggested that
n time a murderer win visit the scene
# his crime. A watch was set and,
rue enough, one day MacGregor was
aptured standing before his house
Ooking at It strangely. BE was Inn
nediately arrested