TAXI—CAB MYSTERY.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2644, 12 May 1923, Page 5

TAXI—CAB MYSTERY.

DRIVER SHOT DEAD. SCOTLAND YARD’S LATEST PROBLEM. BURGLARS SUSPECTED. [By Electric Cable —Copyright] [Aust. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received Friday, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, May 11. Scotland Yard is engaged in investigating a mysterious murder that of a taxi-cab driver, Jacob Dickie, who was shot dead by one of two men who hired a cab in Piccadilly and told him to drive to Brixton.

A girl informed the police that she saw a man alight from a cab. He appeared to be arguing with the driver. Suddenly she a heard a shot, and saw two men running. The driver called out: "Keep back they’re armed” then staggered across the road and fell, saying: "They’ve got me at last.” The men dashed down a dark street, .discarding their revolvers.

Tire police found in the cab a jemmy ,a gold-topped Malacca cane, and a pair of yellow gloves. The theory is that the men were burglars who shot the driver when he threatened to inform the police. The taxi-cab was a Beardmore •’make. It has been discovered that a Beardmore car was seen in the same street at the same hour every night for the past three weeks, but whether it was always Dickie’s is unknown. The question arises was the secret haunt of a gang of burglars near where the car stopped ? It is known that Dickie had associates in East End racing men, among whom the police are making enquiries. Two revolvers wore found near the taxicab, one with six rounds discharged. Another clue is a scrap of paper, on which was the name of a house in the Dulwich district, which was burgled on the same night that the murder was committed. It is considered there is little doubt that the cab was hired by the burglars for a night expedition. Dickie probably refused to go further and threatened to tell the police. The police have Issued ? description of the man who called at a house in the street where the shooting occurred and asked in an agitated voice to be allowed to go through. The' householder refused and he ran away. He was tail, aged about twenty-eight, and spoke with an American accent