Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-03
Mystery Shrouds
Violent Death
OF axi Driuer

After twenty-four hours of inves'
LEGATION by city police, county police
and F.. c. Bryant and his employees
the mystery of the death of Charles
Dorsey, driver for the Bryant Taxi
cab company, appears to be no nearer
a solution than it was at O'clock
Tuesday morning. when his lifeless
body was found slumped in the front
seat of his taXicab at a lonely spot
on South Boulevard. between Grant
Park and the federal prison.
The two big questions botherin5
the police are: Whom did Dorsey
pick up at Glenwood and Cherokee
avenues about o'clock-did anyone
see them, or did anyone hear the tel~
ephone CALI made?" Second, what
became of Dorsey's slayer or slayers
after the killing-Which direction did
they take. and did anyone in tho
Aeighborhood see the slayer after
Ward?'
Thus far neither Officers Stegalt
and Chaffin. of tlye city police, or
the county officers working on the
case have been able to throw any
light on these questions, despite dill
gent search Of the neighborhood OF
Cherokee and Glenwood, and the
neighborhood of the murder
Only two facts appear to have been
definitely Observation-Disclosures, that Dor
sey was killed early Monday night,
probably within an hour after he left
the Bryant taXicab stand at the Ans
ley hotel to answer call for y
passenger touring car at the corner
of GLenwood avenue and Cherokea
avenue about a mile from the spot
where his body was found; second,
that he was killed by some one in the
back seat of his car who shot him IN
the back of the neck while the car
was moving and then leaped onto
the front seat as Dorsey pitched to
one side and wheeled the car to the
right as it stopped from choked
engine.
Slayer Still at Large
AS to the identity of this slayer,
the police appear to be at sea. Two
girls and a man were arrested on
suspicion that they knew something
about the killing because they We're
out riding Monday night and admit
ted having a boisterous time in the
course of which there was a fight
and one girl kicked the glass out of
the automobile. But they tell
straight stories. which the police are
inclined to accept, that would show
they were not near the scene of the
murder and did not start their ride
until hours after Dorsey was killed.
Evidence as to the time Dorsey
was killed is offered by the state
ments of Mr. and Mrs. G. l.. Stud
dard, of S91 Grant street, that ~they
passed the Packard taXtcab standing
on South Boulevard with lights
burning at 7:4O o'clock; by the state
ments of Mr.. and Mrs. G.. G. Dough-
try, of 245 Lucille avenue, that they
passed the Packard at the same spot
at $3.50 o'clock; and the statement
of j. M. Anderson, of 1904 DeKalb
avenue, and G. f. Hall, of 29S At
1anta avenue, that they passed the
Packard shortly after o'clock willis
they were walking toward the fed
eral prison from the bottom of the
hill, where Mr.. Andersons car
caught fire and burned up between
and 9 o'clock. All of these wit
nesses saw the Packard and noticed
it because there appeared to be no
occupants. None saw the body in
the front seat, but they admit it
might have been there, not visible
because it was slumped against the
right side.
Shot From Behind
The manner in which Dorsey was
shot was reconstructed at the UNDER
taking chapel of Awtrey & Lowndes
Wednesday morning by an examina-
ton Of the body by DR.. w. C. Bland
ford. This examination showed
three bullet holes--one in the back
of the neck, one in the front of tbs
neck, under the right jaw, and one
in the chin. The bullet hole in the
back of the neck was where bull
let had entered; the bullet hole in
the front of the neck, under the jaw,
bullet is believed to have lodged iii
the brain.
There was a bruise on the forehead
of Dorsey which policemen thoughl
at first was a bullet hole. Close eN-
animation showed it was not, that
it was probably caused by the blow
when Dorsey fell against the side or
the car, striking his forehead on tho
door
The rear of Dorsey's coat collar had
been s1nged by the bullet entering
the back Of his neck, the direction
of the threads in the coat showing
the bullet was coming from behind
him into his neck. DR.. Blandford be-
lieVed this bullet severed his spinal
cord and came out in the front Of
his neck. under his jaw
Probably the man who fired this
shot was riding in the rear OF the
car" said Dr. Blandford. Probably
he shot Dorsey in the back of the
neck while the car was moving; then
jumped up and leaped onto the front
seat where the tWo-heel-marks, as
Dorsey,s body pitched to the right
side. Probably the slayer seized the
steering wheel and swung the car
to the right side Of the road The
car was still in gear when it was
found. but the engine was choked.
Probably the slayer then jumped out
IF the car and fired again, shooting
Dorsey through the chin"
Inquest Continued
An inquest over Dorsey's body was
begun a $3.50 o'clock Wednesday
morning at Awtry & Lowndes'
tcont1nuea on Page 8. Column q,