The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-06-28
TMMnDER, MYSTERY .

Al a'fii -
THEMURDEk' MYSTERY =
Just, ten years ago, on the 7th of las
April, the Cosmopolitan community @
San Francisco was aroused and; bewilder
ei by the commission of foul crime,
the perpeEatpnof which haa not only
,scaped, but bad SO skillfu1ly covered
up his tracks that discovery seemed
impossible. A recept disclosure, made
under singular circumstances, as will be
seen from this parritiye, having brought
to light this once impenetrable mystery,
brief. sketch, Of The tragedy and its
victim may not be out of place. i4s III
Billy the Cabman Was character we'll
known in those days, especially to the
men about town who, either for pleasure
or business, found his cab swift and
convenient mode of locomotion, and
his inquiring " Coupe, sirf'' familiar
sound TO all who often passed his accus-
toned place.
Much of Billy's custom was of the
after.dTrtkind, md itvus not tusn ally
until sJtfncon that. bis CAB could abe
found inthe fsnkf, although it was not
an uncommon thing TO find it there
long after midnight. It was therefore
matter of considerable astonishment
10 his mates when policeman Siffier,
whose beat lay amoAg the SIND hills,
enacting the unusual ro6 of driver,
brought thescab to- the Chief e. Office
early one bright A Apfilmornine, With the
news that he, had. found it, without
driver or passenger, being hopelessly
and aimlesslydrayp abspt the streets
by its hungry and tired horse.
Inquiry being made among his fellow
driverA one Of tbem was foundW Who had
been Oh the stand with BIilS the night
before, or rather early ii the morning.
who stated that lbo1t3 O'Clock in' the
morning, as 10 and Billy wAe discuss.
ing the probs biiiSy4of another fare and
the propriety of going home, q man and
awoman had turned the corner and
called for a cab. Billy got the mans
attention first and secured the fare. He
had not motto ID apyshing unusual about
the coub1esx&pe INT after She woman
or girl, as she appeared to be-who was
evidently quite. young, land, as far ,as q
momentary glance could decide, quite
prettyzthe e man had, taken Billy aside,
and talked tohim in a low tone Of voice
for few minutes, and then getting
into the cab had driven of, but returned
in about ten minutes, driving at rapid
pace, and commenced to search for a
part Of an ear ring which the lady was
sure she dropped just as she gotibto the
Billy and the man, assisted by the
sbman whogave thisinformation had
searched high andAow for the jewelzy,
burning matched, lighting pieces Of
paper, and finally obtaiping > candle TO
assist in the search, bat without avail.
The girl remained i6the cxb and seelned
anxious that tke c1e phonld Be fonnd.
The man - 80 lDcFp auxsous,
The seard q q u shando rOundly
cursed the iucs of losing It, md olIered
fsbulo,is sums TO whoever would find it
but without success. They had finally
tore-eptef the cab, and had been driven
of in the same direction as before.
Billy's stable, cab house, and the room
which he occupied, were all contained
IN one frame shanty, upon a lot which
Billy claimed by virtue of squatteI
sovereignty; and as no useful end could
be attaiaed by keeping the tired horse
down town. the friendly cab-driveY
volunteered his services to put the ami.
nal up and attend to its wants, were
accepted, and mounting the box he
Grove of, only, however, to return in q
short time with breathless haste, and
lace blanched with terror, to report that
Billy had been murdered in his room.
A detail of policemen, two or three
divers, and the inevitable and ubiquit.
Gus reporters, hastencd TO the place, to
md ascene of horror which the pen can
make but a feeble effort to describe.
There had evidently been a struggle oi
me most terrible nature. The body oi
t.e murdered cabman lay in one corner
Of the little apartment, amid the debri,
Of broken chairs and tables, the stove
overturned, the bedstead broken, a,
thouehs one tef the posts . had been
mrenched from it to supply a weapon,
while the walls, door, and even the cell
iing were splashed in all directions with
hood. q, .Ttt1 '''''
The light drifting sand about the doc,
hadobiiteraied any footprints that nigh
have been left there, aud in the house
beyond 4IrAble esidecces of { terribl,
struggle, there was nothing to indicat,
by whom the a.rocious sosime was CON
mItted.
After The ingenuity of the police fore
and dsteetivss bad been exhausted i
irultless efforts TO unrayel the myster,
the matter was suffered TO die out, an
The case became historic as one of th
undiscovered crimes Of the city. Near
while the bruised corpse of POOR Billy
mulhted and battered out OF almost a
.e@blance Of humanity, was buried, hi
enectA disposed or, and his existenc
;a.is Smost iofgotten, except by his compar
some weeks since one of the turns @
Me Eead'miA Of daily newspaper Lii
,uired should visit q rumber Z
~sns and villages, part of the perform
sace of which required few days sta
:. 'ne city OF San jose, Cal, and on
Sfrnlng, while enioying the corn forfs .