The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-24


inc goes long way toward verifying this
saving. A crime has been committed by an
unknown assassin, within short distance OF
the PRINCIPAL streets of this great city, and IS
surrounded by an impenetrable mystery.
Indeed. from the nature of the crime itself,
the Mace where it was committed, and the
fact that the assassin has escaped wlthout
leaving trace behind him, it would seem as
thourh the case itself had been taken bodily
ont OF one Of Gaboreau's novels, and that his
famous detective Lecocq only would he able
tn unrayel it. The facts OF the case are
simply these:
ION the eth day of July, at the hour 81
twenty minutes to 2 o'clock IN the morning,
a hanson cab drove up to the police station,
In Grey street, st. Kinda, and tho driver
made the startling statement that his cab
contained tho body Of a man whom he had
reason to believe had been murdered.
"Being taken into the presence OF the in
spector, tho cabman, who gave his name as
Malcolm Royston, related the following
strange story:
Eat the hour of l o'clock in the morn
ing. he was driving down Collins street East
when rs no was passing the Burke and Wills
monument he was hailed 10y a gentleman
standing at tho corner by the Scotch church.
He Immediately drove up, and saw that the
gentleman who hailed him was supporting
tho deceased. who appeared TO be very IN
toxicated Both wero in evening dress, but
the deceased had no overcoat on, while the
other wore q short covert coat of "A light
fawn color, which was open. As Royston
drove up, the gentleman in tho light coat
said, Look here, cabby, here's some fellow
awfulfy tight, you'd better take him homer
"Royston then asked him if the drunken
man was his friend, but this the other denied,
saying that he had just picked him up from
che foot path, and did not know him from
Adam. At this moment the deceased
turned his face up to the Light of the
lamp under which both were standing,
and the other seemed to recognize him,
for he recoiled pace, letting the
drunken man fall in heap on the pavement,
and gasping out Your he turned on his heel,
and walked rapidly away down Russell
street in the direction of Bourke street.
"Royston was staring after him, and Won
dering at his strange conduct, when he was
recalled to himself by the voice of the de
CtsIcS1, WHO ntl W hio iteNi "hN
was holding on to the lamp post, swaying TO
and fro. Il wan gone he said III a thick
voice, st. kilda.' He then tried to get into
the cab, but Eas too drunk to do so, and
finally sat down again Oil the pavement.
Seeing this, Royston got down, and lifting
him up, helped him into the cab with some
considerable difficulty The deceased fell
back into the cab, and seemed to drop Off 10
sleep, SO, after closing the door, Rovston
turned to remount his driving seat when he
found the gentleman III tho light coat whom
he had seen holding up the deceased, close to
his elbow. Royston said, On, you've come
back and the other answered, Yes, I've
changed my mind, AMI will see him home )
As no said this he opened the door of the cab,
stepped in beside the deceased, and told Roy
ston to drive down to st. Kilda Royston,
who was glad that the friend of the deceased
had come to look after him, drove as he had
been directed, but near the Church Of Eng
land Grammar school, on the St Kilda road
the gentleman in the light coat called out to
him to stop. He did SO, and the gentleman
got out Of the cab, closing the door after him.
"'He won't let me take him home, he said
so I'll just walk back to the city, and you
can drive him to st. Kilda'
"'What street, sirf asked RoystOn.
"'Grey street, fancy said the other, but
my friend will direct you when you get TO
tho Junction
"'Ain't he too much on, sirf said Royston
obviously.
"'Oh, TO; think he'll be able to tell you
where he lives. It's Grey street or Ackland
I Epn u,,,b, oh
"He then opened the door OF the cab and
looked in. Good night, old man. he said
Tho other apparently did not answer, for the
gentleman in the light coat, Struggling his
shoulders and muttering 'sulky brute, closed
the door again. He then gave Royston half
q sovereign, lit cigarette, and after max
ing few remarks about the beauty of the
night walked Off quickly in the direction Of
Melbourne. RoystOn drove down to the
Junction, and having stopped there, accord
ing to his instructions, he asked his fare sew
eral times where he was to drive him 10. Re
'.ceiving no answer, and thinking that the
deceased was too drunk to answer, he
got down from his seat, opened the
door OF the cab, and found the deceased
living back in tho corner with q handkerchief
ocfVS us HOutu no pun out HIS usiilu viii
tho intention of rousing him, thinking that
he had gone to sleep, when Oh touching hun
the deceased fell forward, and on examina-
ton, to his horror, no found that he was
quito dead. Alarmed at what had taken
place, and suspecting the gentleman in the
light coat, he drove to the police station at
st. Kilda, and there made the above report.
The body Of the deceased was taken out Of
the cab and brought into the station, a doctor
being sent for at once. On his arrival, how
ever, he found that life was quite extinct,
and also discovered that tho handkerchief
which was tied lightly over the mouth was
saturated with chloroform. He hau no hest
tation in stating that from the way in which
the handkerchief was placed, and the
presence of chloroform, murder had
been committed, and from all appearances
tho deceased died easily and without a
struggle. The deceased Is slender man, of
medium height, with dark complexion, and
Is dressed in evening dress, which will render
identification difficult, as it il costume