TAXI-CAB ESCAPADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2716, 22 January 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

TAXI-CAB ESCAPADE.

WONDERFUL RESOURCE OF A RUNAWAY PRISONER.

Bertie James Francis, who achieved notoriety this week as the “taxi-cab fugitive,” was captured in London on Friday morning, December 3, after a series of most amazing exploits. Francis began his series of daring exploits by, escaping on Tuesday, from the Surrey Assizes, where- lie was to have been tried for swindling a landlady of 10s. With other prisoners ho was taken from Brixton Gaol to Guildford, driven in the “Black Maria” to the courthouse, and placed in the cells. Early on Tuesday morning before tlie court had assembled lie made a plausible excuse to- be left alone for a few minutes. The moment the warder’s back was turned*he slipped out into the street. Francis employed his few minutes’ freedom in walking to Stoughton. He marched coolly into the garage and said lie wanted to hire a. taxi-cab to go to Brookwood. His appearance did not suggest his ability to pay taxi-cab hire, but ; he was ready with a plausible story. Ho was an attendant, ho said, at the Brookwood County Asylum, had to be there quickly for a special case, and the oar hire would be- raid at the institution. Air. Crouch let him have the taxi, sending his son to drive it. —A Parting Fraud.— Off thev went to Brookwood bight miles away. Twenty minutes later tlie police found the scent and followed it up with another motor-car. But they did not catch him at Brookwood. When he arrived there he had -entered the institution, inquired for a non-existent nurse, remarked that he was •concerned in a case coming from Kingston, and casually observed to the porter, in the taxi-driver’s hearing that he supposed ho would have to go on. And the taxirdriver took him through Kingston and Wadsworth into Lambeth, and from Lambeth over the water to the AYest End of London. In Rupert-strect, Piccadilly, the fare Had a very plausible suggestion to make. It was two o’clock and a hungry motoring day, and ho thought they hiul better have lunch. They went together into a Rupert-strect restaurant, .ate a good meal, and then the fare left the table for a moment to telephone, and did not return. The taxi was ticking expectantly on, but Air. Bertie James Francis had vanished into the mists of artfulness that hang over the AYest End of London. The only memento of himself which lie had left behind was the bill for the two lunches, which, in duo course, was presented to the chauffeur, who motored sadly back to Guildford, where he was cheerfully welcomed by a large crowd. The fugitive snent Tuesday afternoon and evening in London, and late at night, near the Alansion House, met two young women, whom he invited to go for a ride. They consented, and he forthwith hired a taxi-cab. —Breakfast for Four.— So the adventurous little party drove gaily through the night, and drew up at an hotel at Salisbury early in the morning. Francis nolitelv handed the girls out of the cab and ordered breakfast for all four, the driver not being forgotten in his generosity. Ho got them all seated in the coffee-room, and then, by a plausible excuse, slipped away to a local garage, and hired another car. He was driven to Port-on Station, about five miles away, where lie- booked to Grateley, the next station nearer London. Here he alighted. and, getting a cab. drove to Andover, giving his driver the slip and taking the rugs from the carriage with him. Incidentally he robbed a till at a public house. Kis next calling place was Waltham Cross, in Essex. Here he turned up late on AA’cdnesday night, and went to the neighboring village of Chesliunt over the Hertfordshire border, where the landlord of the George being unable to accommodate him he put up for the 1 night in- a cottage. He told the landlady here that lie was expecting some money by post in the morning. After breakfast the chauffeur sought him at the cottage, but ho had dis-_ appeared. It was three lic-urs before the Cliesliunt police* received any information, and by that time trace of him was hard to find. But that news would shortlv arrive of another motor driver being deluded, and another landlady beguiled, the police wore quite- confident. —His Last Exploit.— His final exploit took- place in London About midnight a man hailed a. F I.A.T. taxi-cab at Alust-er-road, Fulham, and, saying lie was a detective, asked to be driven to Leicester Square, where he invited a woman to outer the cab, and then asked to~be driven back to Munstcr-road. There ho entered a restaurant- and brought- back £f small satchel which he said contained valuable papers. The fare then stood on the meter at 9s, and the man offered his watch umbrella and rug,as security. This was refused, and the man re-entered tlio cab and asked to bo driven to Bloomsbury. After a discussion about the fare, which was then 14s, ho maintained that lie was a detective, and asked the driver to take him to see his manager at tlio garage in St. Panc-ras Road. Ho there again offered his belongings as security, hut this was refused, and lie then, asked to- be driven to Scotland Yard. The driver was suspicious of the man, and drove at a- share pace to prevent him jumping out. This he did attempt to do when the cab reached Whitehall. He fell down, but maintaining his hold on the door was dragged for come yards. The man theji admitted to a constable that he was Francis, and surrendered to the constable. He tvas taken in a cab to Scotland Yard.