MURDER SENSATION IN SYDNEY HOTEL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 85, 11 April 1945, Page 6

MURDER SENSATION IN SYDNEY HOTEL

SHOOTING AFFRAY Two Dead After Quarrel Over Serving Beer N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 2.30 p.m. SYDNEY, this day. Two men were shot dead in the bar of a Surry Hills hotel, Sydney, shortly after six o'clock last evening. Early this morning a large squad of police raided a house in the-district and arrested a middle-aged soldier. A revolver of Japanese manufacture was found in the house. Later the man was charged with having murdered Cecil Miller, 35, ironworker, married, with four children, and Arthur Graham, 31, labourer, married. The tragedy brought the number of shooting victims in ."New South Wales since January 1 to nine. Pour of the shootings have taken place in Surry Hills area. Police investigating the latest shooting were told that a dispute developed about the serving of beer. "A soldier was knocked down in a fight. As he lay on the floor three shots were fired from a revolver, killing Miller and Graham almost instantly. In the confusion the soldier jumped up and ran out of the hotel leaving his hat' and kitbag behind. Thirty police made an arrest at two o'clock this morning. Victim a Veteran of Crete Graham, one of the victims, was himself a returned soldier. He fought with the A.I.F. in Greece and Crete, being captured at Suda Bay but later escaping in a fishing Following the shooting.high.police officers last night again emphasised that they feared the number of unlicensed revolvers and tommy-guns in the possession -of .private individuals in Sydney Would unprecedented crime wave. They described as "totally-inadequate the present penalties for carrying unlicensed guns, declaring that the only real deterrent would be a fiveyear gaol sentence. -.. At a conference with representatives of all branches of the fighting Services in Sydney yesterday, the police.urged stricter control of Service weapons,' hundreds of wnicn were finding their way into hands of notorious criminals, whose armouries included' hand grenades, as well as sub-machineTguns, pistols and revolvers. ./..- '.'. ■-'