MADMAN IN STREET

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 28, 23 June 1939, Page 5

MADMAN IN STREET

LOADED RIFLE SHOTS FTRED IN OPOTIKI COOL ARREST BY POLICE A sensation was created in ,Kelly Street, OpotiUi, on Tuesday evenh'g when a man named John Foy, jnr., aged about o- years, ran amok nenr the Catholic Convent with a loaded rifle, which he discharged several times. Foy was la'ter arrested and the coolness and courage shown by Sergeant J. lsbister who in the face of threats took the rifle off the man } is the subject of comment by all wh« saw the incident. Foy was later medically examined and on certification as insane committed to the Avontlalc Mental Hospital. Foy was first noticed when he visited Mr G. B. Guthr'ie's bakehouse on Main Street and pointed a rifle at Mr Guthrie who walked over and examined the gun, finding it to be loaded. Foy appeared quite apologetic, and sa:d he would go to Mr Collier's blacksmith shop and make a coin-" plaint about the rifle being loaded. IN BLACKSMITHS SHOP. He went to the blacksmith's shop and asked what was wrong with th , .: 'Vifle as he Avas unable to undo the bolt. Mr Tony Walker, who was in the shop, had a look at the rifle ard screwed it apart, returning it to Foy who then went away, but returned! about a quarter of an hour later, j He asked what was wrong with the i rifle and said that the bullet was jamming in it. Mi* Collier looked at the rifle and saw it was loaded, so he took the bullet out and put it in his pocket. Foy did not appear normal, and Mr Collier suggested that he leave the rifle with him, but Foy would not agree and, taking the rifle, he went across the street to the Rev Father C. J. Brady's house. He went on to the and went back again to the street, and along a few, yards, standing in the door of the convent. GUARDING CONVENT. He remained there for a few minutes and Mr Collier in the blacksmith's .shop heard him calling out: "Who is there? , ' Mr Collier went to the door to see what was the matter, and he heard Foy say that the gun was loaded and that he was guarding the convent. Mr Collier went outside the door of hi.s shop and then Foy called out "Where are you going? -, and asked if he was going to the convent. Mr Collier told him he was not and then stood in the alleyway for a while and watched him before returning to the shop to instruct one of the boys to go to the Police Station to tell the police there was something wrong with Foy. SHOT FIRED. Nai Coleman went out through the back door and while he was away Mr Collier went out to the front door and called for Foy to come over. Foy sang out ''Keep out of the light , ' and a few seconds afterwards he fired the rifle, the bullet going wide. Mr Collier moved further into the >hop and within a minute or two Foy fired another shot, the bullet hittin;4 the roof. ,For some minutes Fey was standing guard at the door of the convent until the police came along and when, he saw them npj pioaching he levelled 'the rifle at Sergeant lsbister and said ''Keep back or I will drill a hole through you." The Sergeant and Constable Cooper got'within 50 or 60 yards from the Catholic Convent and there- they could see Foy standing on the footpath just in front of 'the convent door. He was holding a rifle in his hand and a motor car passed him at that time. He levelled the rifle at the c"r and followed it along for .some 'Jis_ tance ? but he did not fire. AIMED AT POLICE. He then looked in the direction of the police and immediately levelled the rifle at Sergeant lsbister and shouted "Stand back, or Til drill a hole through you." The Sergeant walked towards him till he was about ten yards away from him and he had the rifle pointed at him all the timo and called out to him to stand back or he would b< drilled. The sergeant celled out to him and told h'm who he was and he lowered the rifle for a moment and then said, ''Who is that who is with you." and immediate ly levelled the rifle again at Constable Cooper who was some little distance behind. Sergeant lsbister then walked up to him and £.ot hold of the rifle and took it from him. (Continued at foot of nexs column)

Foy was in a highly excited condition and was threatening to shoot anyone who came near the convent. He stated that people had been getting into the convent and that he intended to shoot anyone who came near it, this appearing to be his chief delusion. STRUCK MAN. When Sergeant lsbister had taken, the rifle from him a number of nv.-n who had been hiding in 'the black-* smith shop, right opposite, came up, and Foy rushed at one of the men, Mr Tony Walker, and struck him in the face. All the Avny to the Police Station, Foy was threatening to .shoot an}--onc who came near the convent. The rifle which he had in his possession was one he admitted that he had stolen from a youth named Kuru rangi. He had 29 .22 cartridges ini h's possession when arrested, and two live cartridges and three spent ones were found by the police on the footpath where he had been standing. The rifle was not loaded when he was arrested but it had just recent. lv been fired.