BAFFLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 245, 17 October 1933, Page 8

BAFFLING.

TAXI MURDER CASE.

SCARCITY OF INFORMATION. CONJECTURES PJCENTIFTrL. The murder of James Hunter Blair while seated in his taxi in King's Road, Mount Koskil] early on Sunday morning- is regarded as the most mysterious crime of its kind in the Dominion for

There have boon several murders which the utmost ingenuity has been unable to exp 1 in, because the murderer was never found. The case, which the detectives are now endeavouring to solve is one in which method and motive, time and circumetance, are all equally obscure. It is not merely a case of "Who did it?' , but ''Why was it done?" and "How was it done?"

The police are still in the stage of conjecture. Identification parades have been held at police headquarters, following: interviews with one or two men— who are not even suspects now—but little headway has been made. The police are studying the case from every available angle, interviewing dozens of persons and exploring all possible and impossible solutions, balancing this theory against that.

Again to-day messages both personal and by telephone were reaching the police station, some of the information concerning men seen in the vicinity before and after the crime. Every message or scrap of information has to be sifted thoroughly by the detectives, as even the most unlikely may yield a clue. The police are finding that much of the information received is duplicated. For instance, they are told that "John Smith" saw something. " John Smith "is interviewed and his statement is added to the already large file. Later, another message comes, perhaps, to the effect that tho driver of a taxi has also seen something, or is in possession of information that may be of value. He is seen by detectives, who find that he is no other than the " John Smith" already interviewed.

Movements of Murdered Man. Yesterday afternoon tho car driven by Blair when he was murdered was handed over by the police to its owner, Mr. F. P. C. Collett. Prior to the return of the oar Detective Packman, accompanied by Mr. Collett and Mr. A. E. Parker, manager of Chess Taxicabs, drove in the car from the Belgium Street rank to Mount Eoskill and back to the city for the purpose of determining the distance and the amount of money in fares which was involved on the fatal trip. It is understood that the tests completely confirmed the theory of the police concerning the movements of the cab on the morning of the tragedy.

It has now been established by the police that Blair was last seen on the rank in Belgium Street at 3.45 a.m. To-day detectives were investigating the movements of a man who is alleged to have been driven about the city by another taxi driver early on Sunday morning and not seen again by the driver of the taxi after 3 a.m., when he was in a restaurant not far from Belgium Street.

A coincidence, which of course may be of no consequence, has been reported by an Atta taxi driver who was on the rank in Watliag Street, at the intersection of Mount Eden Road shortly after 4 o'clock on Sunday morning. Watling Street is less than a mile from the scene of the murder in King's Road, and is reached by travelling in a northeasterly direction along Landseupj Road AVest, which joins Mount Eden Road. Tho taxi driver says that he heard voices and saw two men walk down .Mount Eden Road towards the city. It was quite dark at the time, .all the lights in the vicinity being ouc. Thinking that the men might want a taxi, lie switched on his headlights, which shone on the two men on the opposite s.ide of Mount Eden Road. They quickly departed and seemed surprised that they had been seen. At the time the driver thought this peculiar as he was certain that the men were arguing.

From the manner in which the deceased was found in his taxi it is believed certain that he never had a chance with his slayer. The car was found in top gear, and the switch had not been turned off. It is possible that Blair was asked to stop, and did 6o quickly. He would press his left foot on the clutch to throw it out of gear, and his right foot on the brake, stalling the vehicle in top gear. It would then be natural for him to turn the switch key off and stop the engine that way, after having moved the gear-change lever into neutral position. There is no doubt, from the manner in which the mechanism of the car was found, that Blair was struck heavy blows from his passenger behind and was prevented by his injuries from changing into neutral and turning-off the switch.

Finger-prints Taken. The finger-print expert attached to police headquarters has examined and photographed finger-printe found in various places on the car driven by Blair, but it is doubtful if anything of value will result, as numbers of people need the taxi on the day and night before it was found. The car itself came in for close examination for clues. Pieces of bark from, perhaps a piece of teatree, were seen on the rear eeat and on the floor of the car. These could have been in the car prior to the tragedy, or the bark may have come off a piece of wood or stick used by the murderer. But it is doubtful whether a piece of wood or stick would inflict such injuries as Blair received.

Apart from the pool of congealed blood on the floor of the car under the driver's seat, bloodstains and spots of blood were to be seen on the inside of the windscreen and also near the switch by which the light in the interior of the car is turned on. This rather suggests that this light was on when the car stopped and that Blair's attacker turned it off after dealing him the blows. If there was blood upon liis hands the stains would be left when he switched off the ' light before leaving. Judging by the amount of blood on the floor- and on the top of the front seat it is probable that the assailant would have at least a small amount of blood on his clothing. Dead Man's Premonition. "Jimmy Blair always had a premonition and a fear of being struck on the head," said a taxi driver who knew him well. "He told me of this premonition many times and he has told others, including his wifp, the same tiling. I understand that he was injured about the head during the war and since then always was in fear of hurting his head again." ' ,