The Press. — 1858-09-11 (London, England)

SHOCKING TRAGEDY.  A SHOCKING tragedy has just been brought to light by the apprehension of a young man, named W. Liam Reid, in Glasgow, by Mr. Shaw, the superinten• dent of the Falkirk district of the county police, on the charge of being concerned in the murder of a young woman, named Ann Taylor. So far as the particulars are known, it appears that the servant. girl of Reid's mother, who resides near Polmont, had become pregnant by him, and that on Sunday last he had operated upon her with instruments, assisted by a young medical man named Girdwood, with the view of procuring abortion. In consequence of the injuries she sustained she died on Monday evening. Reid fled immediately thereafter to Glasgow, where he took his residence in the first instance in the North British Hotel, under the name of Hardie, in. tending, it is believed, to pursue his flight next morning. The superintendent of the police followed him, however, by the night luggage-train, and apprehended him before he had time to make a start. He was removed to Falkirk-gaol in the course of the evening. This case has led to another deplorable affair. So soon as the young medical man, Girdwood, ascertained that the girl was dead, he hired a cab under the pretext of carrying him on business to Linlithgow, but while in the vehicle lie swallowed a large quantity of laudanum, and when the cab was opened at its destination he was found either in a dying state or dead. The lifeless body was brought back to Falkirk. From the statements of the mother of the deceased girl and the medical man, the follow ing particulars have been collected. She was taken violently ill on Sunday afternoon, and becoming gradually worse during the rest of that day, was visited by Dr. Myrtle, who had been sent for on Monday forenoon. From what she could be got to tell as to what was the matter with her, Dr. Myrtle concluded it was only an ordinary case of bodily derangement, and treated it accordingly. The girl, however, appeared to get gradually worse, and would in all probability have died without disclosing the real cause of her illness, had it not been for one of those extraordinary incidents which, occurring as they do in circumstances like the present, almost stagger belief, and make truth seem stranger and less crediblo than fiction. The girl's mother, a widow, living in the suburbs of Linlithgow, was disturbed on Sunday night by a dream that her daughter was at times suffering intense agony from some cause or other. So deep an impression did this dream make upon her mind, that though entirely ignorant of the condition in which the poor girl was, she started etl for Smallburn the next forenoon, and arrived there to find her fears only too completely confirmed—for her daughter was by this time raked by excruciating pains, and fast sinking boyond the hope of recovery. The doctor was at a loss to account for the aggravated symptoms of the case, and but little information could be elicited from the girl herself. Atone time she spoke to a young woman who was attending her in a way that led her to believe she had some.: thing of importance to communicate; but William Reid her mistress's son, entering the room at that moment, she remained silent. When her mother came, however, she made, according to the old woman's story a clean breast of the whole affair; confessed that she i was enciente by Reid, and described the treatment she hail been subjected to in order to procure ahoy' Lion. Dr. Myrtle having been immediately inforiaeeet of these disclosures, found that she had b L operated upon as she had stated, and delivered bets