SHOOTING IN LANE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 109, 10 May 1943, Page 5

SHOOTING IN LANE

MAN MORTALLY WOUNDED KILLER'S NAME WITHHELD (0.C.) SYDNEY, May 4. "Give us a kiss; I might die. If I don't, I'll get square," said William Borley, 33, to his mate, Henry George Hodder, after he had been mortally shot in the city on December 9. Borley, alias Baldy Mason, a wharf labourer, died in Sydney Hospital on December 13, steadfastly refusing to reveal the name of his killer. He had wounds in the. abdomen and a leg. An offer of £300 for information leading to the arrest of the person who shot him produced no results. At the inquest, Hodder, also a wharf labourer, said he and Borley, whom he called Mason, were drinking beer in a lane about 7 p.m. on December 9, when three men came running along the street. "The first fellow had a 'gat.' in his hand, and said to Mason: 'I heard you were crook on me.' He then fired two shots, and the three men ran off along Cathedral Street as fast as they had come,", said Hodder - . He asked Borley: "Did they get you?" and Borley answered, "Yes." It was as Borley was being placed in the ambulance that he asked Hodder to kiss him.

Detective-Sergeant Millgate said that in the Sydney Hospital casualty room he asked Borley what had happened. Borley replied: "I don't want to be rude, but it's no concern of yours. I will fix this myself." The city coroner (Mr. Oram) found that Borley was murdered by persons unknown.