Man Charged With Murder Of Woman And Taxi Driver

Wanganui Chronicle, 19 December 1950, Page 5

Man Charged With Murder Of Woman And Taxi Driver

SYDNEY, Dec. 18 (Rec. 7.50 pm). —Charged in the Bathhu'rst Court today with murdering Mrs. Edith Hill, in Sydney, on Thursday night, murdering a taxi-driver, Norman Dickso'n, at Penrith yesterday, attempting to murder Constable R. Lowe, near Bathurst -yesterday, and breaking and entering a shop in Haymarket, Sydney, on December 12 t Ronald Newman Cribben, a shearer, aged 21, of Victoria, was remanded without bail. Detective R. Kelly told the court the details of a chase which terminated when the accused was arrested al gunpoi'nt yesterday afternoon after swimming the Macquarie River near Bathurst. The detective alleged that in a statement made after his capture, Cribben said he had hired a taxi for the purpose of holding up the driver. On arriving at Penrith he asked the driver to pull into a side street and then announced: “This is a stick-up.” The driver turned and Kelly immediately shot him, afterwards firing two shots into his head. The weapon used was also employed in the murder of Mrs. Hill and was stolen from HaymarxeL The detective said Cribben admitted that he went to Mrs. Hill’s flat, ransacked it and stole a quantity of jewellery. When Jeaving he was disturbed by Mrs. Hill, who struggled with him, scratching his face. Cribben struck her with a sawn-off rifle, inflicting injuries from which she subsequently died. The police said that the accused has a police record and was released only this year after serving a sentence. WAVED TAXI TO HALT. While patrolling a section of the western highway about eight miles from Bathurst, Senior Constable R. C. Lowe, of the local traffic police, saw a taxi with a Sydney number plate approaching. Wondering why it had no passengers, he waved it to a halt. As he walked towards the stationary car the driver pointed a rifle at him. The constable dived behind a tree and heard a bullet whistle past. He fired lour shots from his revolver as the car drove off at high speed, and then gave chase. Constable Lowe found, however, that his motor-cycle was toa slow to catch the taxi. He rode into Bathurst Io give the alarm. Meanwhile a telephone message was received by the Bathurst police from a dairyman, Mr K. Waddell, living on the northern side of the town Mr Waddoll said that a taxi cab had turned over several times on the road and that a man. who appeared to be dead, was lying in it. The driver staggered from the car, went along the roadway and picked up a rifle which apparently had fallen from the car. Mr Waddell, with a friend, thought the man had been stunned in the crash and ran to him. The man. attempted to use the rifle, but Mr Waddell wrested it from his hands, whereupon the man struggled free and ran towards the river.

A squad of police, assisted by civilian?, immediately began a search of the area on the southern bank of the river. Some time later Sergeants D. Almond and F. Murray were searching about two miles downstream when they saw a man swim across to the northern bank. They followed him into the bush and arrested him at gunpoint. Last night Ronald Newman Cribben. aged 21 year o , shearer, of Victoria, was charged with murdering Dickson. After lhe man had been charged with murder of the taxi-driver, detectives engaged in the luxury flat killing case of last Thursday raced to Bathurst to Interview him. Detectives say Cribben has made a statement in connection with the death of Mrs Edith Hill, a wealthy widow who was found murdered in her flat oi Macquarie Street, Sydney.