The Mystery of a Hansom Cab | Page 6

when he was recalled to himself by the voice of the deceased, who had
struggled to his feet, and was holding on to the lamp-post, swaying to
and fro. 'I wan' g'ome,' he said in a thick voice, 'St. Kilda.' He then tried
to get into the cab, but was too drunk to do so, and finally sat down
again on the pavement. Seeing this, Royston got down, and lifting him
up, helped him into the cab with some considerable difficulty. The
deceased fell back into the cab, and seemed to drop off to sleep; so,
after closing the door, Royston turned to remount his driving-seat,
when he found the gentleman in the light coat whom he had seen
holding up the deceased, close to his elbow. Royston said, 'Oh, you've
come back,' and the other answered, 'Yes, I've changed my mind, and
will see him home.' As he said this he opened the door of the cab,
stepped in beside the deceased, and told Royston to drive down to St.
Kilda. Royston, who was glad that the friend of the deceased had come

to look after him, drove as he had been directed, but near the Church of
England Grammar School, on the St. Kilda Road, the gentleman in the
light coat called out to him to stop. He did so, and the gentleman got
out of the cab, closing the door after him.
"'He won't let me take him home,' he said, 'so I'll just walk back to the
city, and you can drive him to St. Kilda.'
"'What street, sir?' asked Royston.
"'Grey Street, I fancy,' said the other, 'but my friend will direct you
when you get to the Junction.' "'Ain't he too much on, sir?' said Royston,
dubiously.
"'Oh, no! I think he'll be able to tell you where he lives--it's Grey Street
or Ackland Street, I fancy. I don't know which.'
"He then opened the door of the cab and looked in. 'Good night, old
man,' he said--the other apparently did not answer, for the gentleman in
the light coat, shrugging his shoulders, and muttering 'sulky brute,'
closed the door again. He then gave Royston half-a-sovereign, lit a
cigarette, and after making a few remarks about the beauty of the night,
walked off quickly in the direction of Melbourne. Royston drove down
to the Junction, and having stopped there, according to his instructions
he asked his 'fare' several times where he was to drive him to.
Receiving no response and thinking that the deceased was too drunk to
answer, he got down from his seat, opened the door of the cab, and
found the deceased lying back in the corner with a handkerchief across
his mouth. He put out his hand with the intention of rousing him,
thinking that he had gone to sleep. But on touching him the deceased
fell forward, and on examination, to his horror, he found that he was
quite dead. Alarmed at what had taken place, and suspecting the
gentleman in the light coat, he drove to the police station at St. Kilda,
and there made the above report. The body of the deceased was taken
out of the cab and brought into the station, a doctor being sent for at
once. On his arrival, however, he found that life was quite extinct, and
also discovered that the handkerchief which was tied lightly over the
mouth was saturated with chloroform. He had no hesitation in stating

that from the way in which the handkerchief was placed, and the
presence of chloroform, that a murder had been committed, and from
all appearances the deceased died easily, and without a struggle. The
deceased is a slender man, of medium height, with a dark complexion,
and is dressed in evening dress, which will render identification
difficult, as it is a costume which has no distinctive mark to render it
noticeable. There were no papers or cards found on the deceased from
which his name could be discovered, and the clothing was not marked
in any way. The handkerchief, however, which was tied across his
mouth, was of white silk, and marked in one of the corners with the
letters 'O.W.' in red silk. The assassin, of course, may have used his
own handkerchief to commit the crime, so that if the initials are those
of his name they may ultimately lead to his detection. There will be an
inquest held on the body of the deceased this morning, when, no doubt,
some evidence may be elicited which may solve the mystery."
In Monday morning's issue of the ARGUS the following article
appeared with reference to the matter:--
"The following additional evidence which has been obtained may
throw some light on the mysterious murder in a hansom cab of which
we gave a full description