TAXI DRIVER BEATEN, THEN THROWN OUT
Item
- Title
- TAXI DRIVER BEATEN, THEN THROWN OUT
- Source
- Evening Journal (DE)
- Date
- 7/1/20
- page
- 1
- Identifier
- https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85042354/1920-07-01/ed-1/?sp=1&st=image&r=-0.082,0.144,0.524,0.315,0
- Crime
- Assault
- Subject
- criminal assault, car, weapon
- Gender of alleged offender
- male alleged offenders
- Gender of alleged victim
- male alleged victim
- Law enforcement involved
- Police crew
- Stage of the Legal System
- Arrested
- Location
- In state, Wilmington DE
- Length of story
- 759
- Description
-
TAXI DRIVER BEATEN,THEN THROWN OUT
Two Alleged Passengers Arrested Charged With Brutal Assault
CRIME COMMITTED ON PH1LA. PIKE
Ralph Mustard, a driver for the I X I. Taxi Company is In the Delaware Hospital, suffering with serious wounds about the head received shortly after midnight, and his alleged assailants Charles O'Neil and John Bowers, charged with assault with intent to commit murder, were held under $1.500 bail each in Municipal Court this morning, to await the result of his injuries.
Shortly before midnight the proprietor of the Annex Hotel at Fourth and Spruce streets at the request of the two men telephoned to the I X I Taxi Company for a taxi to go to Chester. Mustard was sent in response to the call with a touring car. Arriving at the hotel, according to Mustard's statements made to Detective James C Riley, he found one man waiting on the sidewalk which
he later identified as Charles O'Neil, and his companion later identified as John Bowers he said, was in the hotel, but upon the arrival of the machine came out. The two men he said got into the automobile and he started west on Fourth street, with Bowers seated beside him and O’Neil on the rear seat. Soon after starting Mustard asked them where they wished to go in Chester and
was told "the 1700 block." Both men he said, had evidently been drinking and their indefinite reply was attributed to that fact by Mustard.
They had only gone a short distance when the men began inquiring about the make of the car and the manner in which it was operated. Mustard says he became suspicious then and at first thought of running to the station and picking up an extra man.
Continued on Page Eight.
Continued From First Page.
To make the run with him, but finally decided that he was unduly alarmed. All went well, Mustard stated, until they were near Bellevue, on the Philadelphia pike, the men chatting and occasionally slapping him on the back and asking some question as to the operation of the car.
Suddenly, according to Mustard’s statement to the police, he was struck on the head and knocked unconscious. His last recollection was that of being dumped from the car.
When he recovered consciousness, he managed to crawl to a nearby house and telephoned to James Carr, superintendent of the taxi company. Mr. Carr, accompanied by several machines and a number of taxi drivers, wen to the scene of the crime. Mr. Carr returned to this city at once with the injured man, who was taken to the Delaware Hospital.
The police were notified about 2 o’clock and Captain Wardle detailed City Detective James A. Riley and Special Officer John McAteer on the case.
The taxi drivers, following the finding of Mustard injured, determined to capture his assailants and at once started toward Chester. The machine driven by Mustard was found ditched but not greatly damaged and was brought to this city under its own power. A short distance north of Bellevue they met two men walking toward this city. They stopped and questioned them regarding the assault on Mustard. Both men expressed surprise and declared they knew nothing of the crime as they had just come from Marcus Hook and were walking to Wilmington. They were invited to join in the hunt and the party proceeded to Chester. On starting back toward Wilmington, the strangers insisted on remaining in Chester, but were forced to return with the taxi drivers.
They were met on the Philadelphia pike by Detective Riley and Special Officer McAteer and the two strangers arrested. After considerable difficulty, during which some of the taxi men, it is said, feeling that the officers were mistaken, attempted to rescue the prisoners. The officers finally secured their men and brought them to the police station, this city.
Detective Riley, who made a search of the premises surrounding the ditched car, found a blunt iron coupling pin, weighing eight pounds and measuring about 14 inches long, covered with blood and patches of hair, which is believed to have been the weapon which was used on Mustard.
Both O’Neil and Bowers were taken to the Delaware Hospital and identified by Mustard as his passengers. They were also taken to the Annex Hotel and identified as the men who had the taxi ordered and who left with Mustard shortly after midnight.
While Mustard’s injuries are serious, it is not thought they will prove fatal, although the hospital authorities have declined to make any statement.
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