A TRAIL OF BLOOD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23004, 6 October 1936, Page 10

A TRAIL OF BLOOD

MAN FOUND UNCONSCIOUS CUT BY BROKEN BOTTLE (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. 5. With his clothing saturated in blood and blood oozin from bis shoes a young man staggered up to a taxi driver in Boulcott street in the early nours o. this morning and demanded to be driven to his home. Such was nis condition that the taxi driver refused to let him enter the vehicle. Telling the driver to say nothing about the ccurrence the injured man disappeared, leaving a trail of bloodstained footsteps behind him. Later, at 1.45 a.m., William Cox, a taxi ' driver, reported to a constable whom he met on the -corner of John and Riddiford streets that he had seen a man lying on the footpath in Adelaide road close to Hall street. In the meantime the Taranaki street police had been investigating the trail of bloodstained footsteps and h. ing traced them for a considerable distance handed the inquiry over to the Mount Cook police. Investigating Cox't. report, the constable found James M'Lennan Duffy, of 6 Liverpool street, Miramar, lying in a pool of blood, having apparently walked about three miles before losing consciousness through loss of blood. He was able to stand up. but immediately collapsed and was taken in a taxi tc the hospital. Later inquiries revealed that in the vicinity of Boulcott street or the Terrace he fell somewhere near Plimmer's steps and broke a bottle in his*hip pocket. He received a deep wound two inches long which bled freely and he had already lost a considerable amount of blood when he approached the taxi driver •in Boulcott street. At the hospital three stitches were inserted in the wound, but afterwards he was allowed to go home.