THE TAXI CAR MURDER

Evening Star, Issue 21544, 17 October 1933, Page 8

THE TAXI CAR MURDER

WHOLE AUCKLAND FORCE AT WORK NEITHER CLUE NOR KNOWN MOTIVE |Fsi* United Frees Association.] AUCKLAND, October 17. Practically every detective and constable in Auckland is engaged on the search for the murderer of James Hunter Blair, the taxi-driver, who was found dying on Sunday morning. It is regarded as the most mysterious murder in the dominion for many years. There is no clue to the identity of the murderer and no motive for the crime, and the circumstances in which it was committed are by no means certainly known. Much information is being given to the police, but so far it has not been fruitful. October 18. Information flooded into the Central Police Station throughout the day, and there is every indication of intense public concern over the extraordinary crime. Much of which was divulged to the police had to do with men seen in the vicinity at varying times. The consequence was that the detectives and constables were given tremendous scope for inquiry. Great hope is held out by the investigators as a result of the examination of fingerprints on the vehicle. A remarkably thorough search was made, and numbers of fingerprints, especially on the doors of the car, were recorded. The car was also examined thoroughly for other possible clues. There were indications of tree bark in the back of the vehicle, suggesting that a piece of timber could have been employed as the lethal weapon. The bark, however, could easily have been in the cab for a considerable time.