CONSTABLE'S BRAVERY

Evening Star, Issue 19615, 22 July 1927, Page 5

CONSTABLE'S BRAVERY

FOUR MILES UNDER OPEN FIRE. A man who had temporarily lost his reason ran amok at Mortlake, Melbourne, early one nlormng recently. After firing several shots, one point blank at a police officer, and attempting to set alight to a house, he eluded capture for thirteen hours. In the end he committed suicide by shooting himself through the head. Shortly after 3 o’clock Constable Robinson, of Mortlake, received a telephone message to the effect that Lindsay Melville, aged forty-two years, was threatening his sister-in-law, Mrs J. Melville, about three miles from the town. On arrival Iho constable found that a shot from a pea-rifle had been fired through Mrs Melville’s bedroom window, lodging in the wall just above her bed. An attempt bad also been made to set fire to tho house by the lighting of some straw near the back door. The occupants had,however, subdued the flames with water, which was poured through an aperture below tne door. Constable Robinson made a search for Melville, but was unable to locate him in the darkness. He then abandoned the search until daylight. The officer soon met Melville, who was riding a horse and carrying a pearifle, but when he bad approached to within 30yds distance Melville fired point-blank at him, and. turning his norse, galloped away. The shot narrowly missed Constable Robinson, who drew his revolver, but the trigger jammed when be attempted to fire over Melville’s head. A chase then commenced, and Melville was lost in some bush nearby. Robinson located hi.m some time later, and tho chase led for several niiles across paddocks. Melville’s horse became exhausted, aud it was abandoned, the fugitive running through some private property. The constable followed on foot, and. having remedied the defect in his revolver, fired a shot over Melville’s head. Tho man disappeared over a hill.' He was lying among some rocks with a bullet wound through his head when Constable Robinson came upon him. A resident, Mrs J. Kenna, told Robinson that she had, seen Melville shoot himself. He was taken to the hospital, where an operation was performed. He died later. Residents of the locality highly commend Constable Robinson’s bravery in following the maniac, especially for the last four miles of the chase when he was exposed to open fire. The actual chase lasted from 8.30 a.m. until 4.30 p.m.