MISTAKEN FOR "BOOKIE"

Evening Post, Issue 122, 25 May 1936, Page 9

MISTAKEN FOR "BOOKIE"

MELBOUBNE POLICE HEAD

SHOTS BY HOLD-UP GANG

MELBOURNE, May 24.' Superintendent John O'Connell Brophy, who began duty as chief of the Victorian Criminal Investigation branch a week ago, was shot in the face and the right arm in some mysterious manner. His condition is not serious. The Police Department was at .first, exceedingly reticent. A Police Press Bureau official declared that Mr. Brophy was accidentally shot in the right arm while handling his own pistol at police headquarters. Newspaper reporters, who are banned at the detective office, however, ascertained that Mr. Brophy was shot by a hold-up gang who mistook him for a prominent Melbourne bookmaker who habitually carries a large sum. of money and resides in Parkville suburb. Subsequently an official police statement declared that Mr. Brophy went to Royal Park on Friday night to try and catch some car bandits who have been operating in that locality, and was himself held up by two armed men who apparently recognised him and fired three shots before Mr. Brophy could manipulate his own revolver, which jammed. One bullet passed through Mr. Brophy's lower jaw, just missing a vital artery, and emerged at the back of his neck. Another broke his right wrist, and a third was deflected from his heart by the buckle of his braces.