Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-12-15


ing, goes a long way toward verifying this
saying 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 place where it was committed, and the
fact cnat the assassin has escaped without
leaving a trace behind him, it would seem as
though the case itself had been taken bodily
out of one of Gaboreaus novels, and that his
famous detective Lecorq only would be able
to unrave it. The facts Of ths case are
simply these:
"On the eth day of July, at the hour of
a hanson cab drove up to the police station,
in Grey street, st. kilda, and the driver
made the startling statement that his cab
contained he body Of a man whom he had
reason to Relieve had been murdered.
being taken into the presence Of the in
spector, the cabman, who gave his name as
Malcolm Royston, related the following
strange story:
.'At the hour Of o'clock in the morn
ing, he was driving down Collins street East,
when as he was passing the Burke and Wills
monument he was hailed by gentleman
oSVeN"
He Immediately drove up, and saw that the
gentleman who hailed him was supporting
the deceased, who appeared to be very in
toxicated Both were in evening dress, but
the deceased had no overcoat on, while the
other wore a short covert coat Of a light
fawn color, which was open. AS Royston
drove up, the gentleman in the light coat
said, Look here, cabby, here's some fellow
awfully 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
the 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 a pace, letting the
drunken man fall in a heap on the pavement,
and gasping out 'Youf 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-
ceased, who had struggled to his feet, and
was holding on to the lamp post, swaying to
and fro. 4 wan g'ome,' he said in thick
voice, st Kilda.' He then tried to get into
the cab, but was too drunk to do SO, and
finally sat down again on 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 of to
sleep; so, after closing the door, Royston
turned to remount his driving seat, when he
found the gentleman in the light coat whom
he had seen holding up the deceased, close to
his elbow. Royston said oh, you've come
back and the other answered, Yes, I've
changed my mind, and will see him home
As he 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 scho 81, 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,
30 III lust walk back to the city, and you
can drive him to st. Kilda.'
"sWhat street, sirP asked Royston.
"'Grey street, fancy said the other, but
my friend will direct you when you get to
the Junction
".Aint he too much on. sirr said Royston.
dubiously.
".Oh, no; think he'll be able to tell you
where he lives It's Grey street or Ackland
street, l fancy. don't know which
'He then opened the door of the cab and
looked In. Good night, old man. he said.
The 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 a cigarette, and after max
ing a 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, be aSked his fare sew
ersl times where he was to drive him TO. Re-
ceiving no answer, and thinking that the
deceased was too drunk to answer, he
cot down from his seat, opened the
door of the cab, and found the deceased
living back in the corner with handkerchief
across his mouth. He put out his hand with
the intention of rousing him, thinking that
he had gone to sleep, when on touching hum