The San Bernadino Daily Sun, MONDAY MORNING, FEBR [ARY]
Beauty, Torn by Duty to Mate And Love for Man, Kills Self
Fatal Shot climax of Gay Party Ending In Ontario Hotel.
Torn between duty to her husband and her fierce love for her newly met sweetheart, Mrs. Margaret Riddle, 22-year-old blonde beauty, shot and killed herself early yesteday in an Ontario hotel room, where she had registered with Boyd Alan Taylor, young Los Angeles attorney.
Just half an hour after she and Taylor had registered at the Hotel Ontario as man and wife, the young beauty fired the fatal shot through her chest with an automatic pistol she had taken from her companion's pocket, according to Coroner R. E. Williams, of San Bernadino county, who investigated, along with James L. Loch, chief of the Ontario police department.
She committed her desperate act at 4:30 a.m., while Taylor, member of a wealthy and socially prominent family in Eagle Rock was taking a bath in the adjoining bathroom. Hearing the crack of the shot and her gasping cry of "Boyd, Boyd!" he rushed into the room, but she died almost instantly.
Her husband, said Coroner Williams, is Ralph Riddle, a law student at the Hastings College of Law in San Francisco.
It was a case of love at first sight between 29-year-old attorney and the attractive blonde, said Coroner Williams after long questioning of Taylor.
Only a week ago Mrs. Riddle had been introduced to Taylor by her sister. Mrs. Florence Hedges, with whom Mrs. Riddle had resided at 908 Plymouth avenue, Los Angeles.
Since then they had been together almost constantly, said Coroner Williams, and it had been their plan to obtain didvorces so they could be married, the coroner was told.
The girl's suicide was the climax to a gay party in Los Angeles. It was stated. At it's conclusion Taylor and Mrs. Riddle started on a motor trip which was designed to end at Tijauna, the coroner said.
Taylor told Coroner Williams that Mrs. Riddle had been greatly worried over her sister's opposition to her new friendship. She was fond of her husband, and remorse may have made her despondent, said the coroner.
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[Caption to picture] - Mrs. Margaret Riddle, 22 years old, who killed herself in an Ontario hotel room yesterday after registering with boyd Alan Taylor, Los Angeles attorney. Her husband is a San Francisco law student.
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The pistol was Taylor's, and he had a permit to carry it. As they entered their room, he removed the cartridge clip from the weapon, placing the clip in the coat of his suit and the gun itself in his topcoat.
It was then that he retired to the bathroom for his bath. When Mrs. Riddle shot herself she was standing in the clothes closet where he had hung his coats. She fell out of the closet and across the floor of the bedroom. Dr. E. H.-----(Continued on page Two)
BEAUTY SLAYS SELF IN HOTEL ---
(Continued from Page One)
Abbott was called and pronounced her dead.
Taylor resided at 2385 Hill drive, Eagle Rock. He had been separated from his wife for two years. His father, the late Jesse H. Taylor, was formerly a city councilman of the Los Angeles suburb.
Coroner Williams and Chief Loch ordered removal of the body to the Draper mortuary in Ontario after questioning of Taylor was completed. It is doubtful whether there will be an inquest, said the coroner, as the facts of the case seem plainly evident.
Taylor told Coroner Williams Mrs. Riddle had written her husband from Los Angeles saturday night. The coroner will contact Riddle to determine if the letter casts any additional light on her act.
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