New-York tribune., 1920-07-04
Killed a Chauffeur


The man-hunt just concluded be-
gan April "a. That evening TopGs
shot and killed Sidn y George Spicer,
taxi driver, while riding in his car
near Andover, Hampshire. At the
time Toplis was wanted for deser-
tion from the army and for thefts
of several automobiles. This par
ticular crime possibly, although not
positively, his first murder-was FOR
money, or its equivalent, the taxi.
From that day until he was killed
Toplis roamed at large, hated and
a hunted man, ever on the move,
changing from one name and one
disguise to another; always with d
loaded revolver in his pocket, ready
10 take a life rather than face cap
ture.
Toplis. dead. can never tell Of
that murder. But soldier pal,
whom he picked up and took for
Joy ride just after the crime, related
how lie sat with his revolver on the
seat beside him, shivering with fear
at the prospect Of being captured
and meeting a murderer's fate.
However, Toplis soon rcgained his
scif-possession and, abandoning lne
machine and his friend, disappeared
into the solitude of the country and
the crowds of cities For days moth
ing definite was discovered as to his
Whereabouts. Every railway a
ton and port in the British Isies
through which it was thought ne
might pass was watched by police
and detectives, but he slipped
through the meshes of the net.
Dozens Of persons in all parts of
the country were detained or arrest
ed as answering to the description
Of Ioplis. 1t became a standing
joke to those who read Of the Incl
dents and an unpleasant experience
for those who were wrongly SIS
pected. The affair of mls-arlests
reached a farcical climax when an
official of the Home Office, the GOV
clnment department responsible for
Toplis's capture, was picked up for
the murderer.
ilept a Diary
Fortunately foI the police and
public interest, Tophs, through one
of those queer, unaccountable
Streaks in his character, did SOME
thing which a criminal seldom in
dulgcs in. He kept diary, which
was found on him when he was
killed. The first encry was January
l2, and up to the day of the muruur,
April "a, when he recorded his pres
ence at Bulford, near where the ia,
driver was found dead, he srrote Of
being in eigh cen different towns. He
Was even reckless enough to note
that ne stole $100 On February 9.
Apparently Toplis figured that either
he would never be taken alive or
that he would be able to DESTROY this
lncriminating document before his
capture.
The entry he had made on April
18th, the day after the murder, was
rubbed out, a rather foolish precau-
ton in view Of the rest Of the diary
From then on to June 5 he kept {
partial record Of his movements, and
also his growing interest in the
search and his fear Of capture He
did not, however, indicate by what
route he reached Edinburgh, as en-
tered in the diary of April 20 4Afte,
that date he wrote Of having beer
~ Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and
q number Of other smaller Scottish
towns.
here We're several very human
and interesting comments written
down in this record of a criminals
light. For instance, on april so, at
Dundee, ho first learned that Enc
Iish newspapers were publishing III
pictures and accordingly wrote
Photographs, worse luck He next
noted the release of "Iarry," The
man to whom he gave a taxi ride
jest after the murder, and who was
under arrest for some days as a pos
sire accomplice. On May "a, at a..
plsce, he wrote, Hunt ir
Wost Wales; some hopes" Here is
shown TopIis, then in Scotland, be