Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-05
HELD UP IN TAX|CAB.
Woman Is Choked and Robbed
by Chauffeurs.
MONEY IN STOCKING TAKEN
Victim Left in Central Park, Where
Samaritans Pick Her Up.
PRISONERS CONFESS CRIME
While One Held Her the Other
Searched Her-Differ as to
Amount Of Loot.
PRISONERS CONFESS CRIME

| CurZon. chauffeur employed by the New
| York TaNicab Company, is prisoner al
police headquarters charged with chok-
| ing and robbing Mrs. Irene Wright while
she was a passenger in his cab.
William H. Young, a taXicab driver IN
the employ of the same company, is ac-
cused of aiding Curzon in the robbery.
Young, the police assert, confessed to
having share in the assault and i'm
plicated Curzon, who when confronted
with the others statement broke down
and admitted virtually all Of Mrs
Wright's charges, the detectives say.
The woman said she was robbed of $50
The prisoners declare it was only 81
Tuesday night Mrs. Wright went to
visit Mrs. Charles Cain of No. 81 West
36th street, who is i'll. Mrs. Wright in
tended remaining only few hours. but
owing to the condition of her friend she
and Mr. Cain were in constant attendance
upon the patient until nearly O'Clock
yesterday morning.
Despite the entreatieS and advice of Mr.,
Cain Mrs. Wright started for home al
2l3 East 66th street. She went to 9th ave
nue. and 34th street, intending to take a
surface car to her home.
Woman Fought Assailants.
While she was waiting for the car
Curzon, with a man on the seat with him
and another on the running board, APP
peared with his taxicab. He stopped and
offered to take Mrs. Wright home for
80 cents. She declined at first, but final
ly accepted.
She was greatly fatigued with her
nights vigil at the bedside of her sick
friend. A few moments after entering
the cab she fell into "A dOZe
Some time later she does not know
how long. she was aroused by the
swerving of the cab. and, glancing from
the window. saw trees on both sides Il
her. Suddenly she realized she was OH
the west drive of Central Park in the
vicinity of S6th street.
Almost at the same time the cab stop
ped and the three men alighted. Curzon
the engine had become exhausted and
they could go not farther.
With this announcement the man sud
denly turned. opened the door of the
car. seized Mrs. Wright by the throat
and began choking her The woman
fought her assailant. whose grip on her
throat. frightened and she was unable to
cry out. She was fast losing conscious
ness when she felt some one seize her
purse.
She retained hold of it, though, and
in the struggle it was ripped Then
another man began searching her cloth
ing. While this was going on, she says,
one of the men cried harshly to the
other:
why don't you get the money!"
Threw Her Into Roadway.
Finally one of the crew found SO
which Mrs Wright says she had con-
cealed in her stocking.
After finding the money the men
dragged the woman from the machine
and threw her into the roadway. They
jumped into the machine then and hur-
ried away.
AS the machine disappeared she got a
glimpse of the numerals 1897. There was
another numeral, but it was so indistinct
she could not make it out.
Mrs. Wright's hat was torn and her
clothing disarranged. She began to sob.
She was sitting in the roadway when a
touring car occupied by two men and
two women stopped to learn the trouble.
The woman explained her plight, and the
party took her to Tooth street and Cen
trail Park west, where one of the men
gave her ~ cents for car fare.
She told her story to the police.
Yesterday afternoon she and her hus-
band saw Curzon in his cab near the
Hotel Plaza. They followed him to a
restaurant in Columbus avenue and when
he reappeared caused his arrest
In his statement to the police Young
said that he had been to Coney Island
with CurZon and a third man. When
they reached 3ith street and Broadway
he (Young) entered the cab to act as a
stall and remained inside the machine
after Mrs. Wright entered it, he says.
Mrs. Wright says no one occupied the
interior of the car with her.
According to Young, when the car got
just inside the entrance of the park at
5Jth street and the west drive Curzon
stopped the car, and while Curzon throt-
tied the woman Young robbed her. He
says there was only 81 in the roll. of
which he received $1.J0 as his share.
Young says the woman was then thrown
into the road.
Curzon says he was born in Massachu-
sets, and that his family is wealthy, but
that he drifted away. He has sister
living in Colombia and was trying to
raise $3.50 to visit her, he says.
The police say the prisoners were strike
breakers in the recent taxcab trouble.