GANGSTER SHOOTING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 71, 17 December 1937, Page 11

GANGSTER SHOOTING

Sydney Man Acquitted On * Murder Charge

(Received December 16, 11.40 p.m.)

Sydney, December 16.

At the Criminal Court to-day Gabriel Reilly was acquitted on a charge of murder of Clarence Thomas. The evidence disclosed that Reilly shot Thomas in self-defence after Thomas had attacked his brother. Thomas hitherto had been a notorious gangster. Reilly was discharged. The case was a sequel to a daylight gangster shooting affray in Castle reagh Street in the centre of the day near large department sores on Novem her 18. In the present of crowds of people, Thomas was sho' (dead. This was quickly followed by the arrest of another man holding a smoking revolver.

Thomas was recently before the court on a charge of consorting with criminals. After his release from Long Bay jail his ease was taken up by the Rev. Albe Morris, Methodist jail chaplain, who assailed the police for allegedly persecuting released prisoners. Mr. Morris went to the length of inviting Thomas to tell his story from the pulpit, which was given wide publicity.

Thomas's assailant was standing menacingly over him when a constable on traffic duty, who heard the revolver shot and the screams of fleeing women, swooped down on the alleged culprit, who made no attempt to escape.