SHOTS FIRED

Auckland Star, 12 May 1941, Page 3

SHOTS FIRED

DETECTIVES HURT CONSPIRACY CHARGE SYDNEY, May 10. Three shots were fired and two detectives wounded when they went to a homestead at Blaxland, near Dalby, in Queensland, to execute conspiracy charge warrants. The police officers, Detective-Sergeant Purcell and Detective Madsen were approaching the homestead when a shotgun was fired, the charge wounding Purcell in the leg. Madsen fired a shot in the air from his revolver, but it then jammed. A second gun shot was fired and Madsen was wounded by pellets in the head and neck.

Two men then jumped into a utility truck and drove off. The detectives chased them in the police car, but could not catch up and went back to the homestead to attend to their wounds and call police reinforcements from Toowoomba. Later two men were arrested at the homestead and one at Buridaberg.

In Toowoomba, Frank Bach, senior and junior, were charged with having conspired to obtain money from Patrick Joseph O'Shea. F. Bach, a well-known station owner, and the racehorse Daylate were disqualified for life by\ the Queensland Turf Club stewards on January 20. The stewards found that Daylate was identical with Brulad, formerly one of the State's best two-year-olds, which was raced by Bach. The stewards said they "were satisfied that Bach adopted fraudulent practices in nominating the horse for Dundamba races on November 20 and December 11, and for Ascot on December 26 and January 4, in the name of J. Jackson.