ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A CONSTABLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 308, 29 December 1902, Page 3

ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A CONSTABLE.

IN AN ADELAIDE SUBURB.

BY SUSPECTED UTTERERS OF BASE COIN.

THBEE ARRESTS.

ADELAIDE, December 20,

A sensational shooting 1 case, the features of which closely resemble those of the Redfern tragedy last July, when Constable Guilfoyle was killed, occurred at Unley, a suburb of Adelaide, on Saturday evening. For weeks tbe police have been endeavouring to apprehend strange men who have been passing base coin on shopkeepers, and on Saturday the trouble reached a climax when Constable James Murphy, of Unley station, was shot in the breast by one of two supposed offenders be had just arrested.

About 8.30 on the night in question E. C. Davidson, a shopkeeper on the Unley-road, reported to Constable A. Molloy, in charge of the Unley station, that a man was visiting various shops and passing counterfeit halfcrowns, one of which he had taken himself. Molloy immediately proceeded to investigate, and informed Constable Murphy, who was in plain clothes, that one of the suspected men was close at hand, and instructed him to follow the suspect with a view of arresting him without frightening him by his uniform. Murphy went with Davidson, and their suspicions were aroused by two men, who were shortly joined by another. One of them went into a fruit shop and tendered a base half-crown for a pound of cherries. Murphy made hurried arrangements to intercept and arrest the lot, and secured the assistance of several local residents to blockade one or two streets, and himself went down' Cul-vert-street, where he came upon the three men. He laid hold of two of them, one with each hand, and said, "I am a police constable. I arrest you for passing spurious coins." The third man immediately ran away and one of the captured two dealt the constable a blow on the head with his fist. Murphy closed "with bis assailant and then heard a shot. Murphy felt blood trickling down his breast and fell to the ground. The two men scaled a fence and got away.

Nothing was said and tbe incident was over in a minute. The wounded man got up and walked to Dr. A. E. Russell's place, a few hundred yards away. Dr. Eussel was away at the time, but quickly came and removed Murphy's shirt, from which a bullet which is used in Derringers dropped. The doctor found a wound across the constable's left breast two and a half to three inches long and half to threequarters of an inch deep. The bullet, which was apparently fired on a slant, struck the breast bone and came out below the nipple. It was a marvellous escape, for if the bullet had entered straight Murphy would have been killed. Fortunately there is every likelihood of the patient recovering.

Constable Molloy, Detective Fraser and otber police and residents searched tbe district thoroughly till one ,this morning, but without finding the offenders. It is known that tbe men scaled four fences of private residences and made in the direction of Adelaide.

To-day the police found in a private yard through Avhich the offenders passed a packet of tea, a packet of cocoa and sundry other articles, constituting the counterfeiters' purchases of the evening.

Constable Murphy joined the force twenty-one years ago and is much respected by his fellow-officers. He was married only four months ago. The police hold several spurious coins, which are remarkably good imitations of genuine half-crowns, though a little lighter. There is indignation throughout the force that the police are not armed. Murphy told Commander Madley that had be been armed he could have retaliated on his assailant.

Before Murphy left Dr. Russell's place Detective Duncan Fraser obtained from him a full description of bis assailants, and this was circulated throughout the metropolitan stations. On Sunday Corporal Wellington, of Hindmarsh, communicated to the detective office that three suspicious characters bad been occupying a house which he had instructed his men to closely watch. Later on a second message was received stating that the men were at home. Detectives Priest and Fraser and Constables Sullivan and Northridge went down to Hindmarsh and with other police surrounded the cottage. Fraser witb the constables entered tbe back and, pushing back the folding door found, two men in the rooni, one of whom he recognised. They surrendered at the point of tbe revolver and were handcuffed. Corporal Wellington then entered the centre room and found another man, whom he bailed up with a revolver. The three were handcuffed together, and upon being searched a revolver, loaded in every chamber, was found in each man's hip-pocket. Packets of cartridges, counterfeit coins, and a coining plant, also an electric gilding plant, were found in tbe house. Tbe men, who gave the names of Bert Osborn, James Everest and Chas. Williams, were all strangers to tbe Adelaide police. They were taken to the city watchhouse and were charged with uttering counterfeit coin. Tbey will appear before the Pobce Court on Tuesday morning.