POLICE ENQUIRY IN MELBOURNE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21812, 18 June 1936, Page 11

POLICE ENQUIRY IN MELBOURNE

CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS OF SHOOTING REPORTERS GIVE EVIDENCE (Received June 17, 10.10 p.m.) MELBOURNE, June 17. The Royal Commission which is enquiring into the shooting of Superintendent John O’Connell Brophy (chief of the Victorian Criminal Investigation Branch) continued its session to-day. Judge Macindoe is the commissioner and Mr L. Stretton is assisting him. . To-day’s witnesses were rnamly reporters of the “Argus “Herald,” and “Sun News-Pictorial, who gave evidence of conflicting stories told at police headquarters after the shooting of Brophy. Earl Robinson, of the Sun NewsPictorial,” and Laurence Whitehead, of the “Herald,” both said that the statement produced at the enquiry was not the one they had seen at the police press bureau. The handwriting and phrasing were different. Lionel Luxton, of the “Argus, explained that he and another reporter interviewed Brophy at the hospital. He referred them to Detective McKerrall, who issued a corrected statement about Brophy’s injuries and the manner in which they were caused. Later in the evening one of the broadcasting stations put over the air still another and more detailed version of the incident.

’ McKerrall was called on the telephone and when told about it he insisted that both the press and the broadcasting statement were the same, but if the latter were different, then somebody had coloured it. Harold Austin, a reporter on the “Age,” said when Sir Thomas Blarney was asked by reporters whether the usual methods were being taken to apprehend Brophy’s attackers, Sir Thomas Blarney replied; “No. What can we do? The men were masked, and a torch was flashed in Brophy’s face. There is no way of identifying them.” Mr O’Bryan, who is appearing for the police, interposed: “What did you take that to mean?” Austin: That there was little likelihood of the offenders being apprehended. Judge Macindoe; Does it not mean that there is no likelihood on earth of their being apprehended, and that investigations had ceased? Austin: Yes. The enquiry was adjourned, —■ = !