VICTORIAN POLICE

Evening Star, Issue 22364, 13 June 1936, Page 15

VICTORIAN POLICE

WOUNDING OF SUPERINTENDENT EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright MELBOURNE, Juno 12. At the police inquiry Mrs Madeline Orr, a widow and licensee of Tattersail’s Hotel, near tho detective headquarters, gave evidence that she had known tho Brophy family for years and often visited them. Witness corroborated tho story of the shooting, and during cross-examination by Mr Stretton said the car lights were switched off while the car was parked at Royal Park. Air Stretton : Did it not seem a mysterious way for an old 1 friend like Superintendent Brophy to act? Witness; No. Air Stretton : What did you do —have a pleasant chat in the dark? Witness: We did not have time. It was only a matter of minutes when the bandits appeared. Air Stretton: You passed the police station after Brophy was injured. Why didn’t you give information? Witness; We were acting under Brophy’s instructions, which were to save ns women. Brophy asked us to leave it to him. Air Stanley Lewis, who is appearing for tho ‘ Herald,’ asked Airs, Orr whether she treated Maher more as a friend than an employee, to which she replied: “Ho is merely an employee in my bar.” Air Lewis: You and Airs Phillips were in the back scat of the car, but when it stopped Airs Phillips changed places with Brophy. What was the reason? Witness; There was no particular reason. Witness added that Brophy’s Hast words were: “ You leave this to me. 1 think they have got me. I am riddled with bullets.” Mrs Elsie Phillips, of Aliddle Park, gave similar evidence. She added that when the firing began Maher cried to her, “ Bob down,” and pushed her head down. Airs Phillips added that she did not scream when she heard the shots fired, nor did Airs Orr. Airs Phillips’s husband then entered the witness box and declared that he was still on good terms with his wife, and there was no dissention as the result of the car incident. William Maher, who is barman at Airs Orr’s hotel, detailed a conversation when Brophy asked for the use of Airs Orr’s car on the night of Alay 22. Maher said Airs Orr and Airs Phillips on the same evening wanted to be driven to Clifton Hill, whereupon Alaher told them Brophy wanted the car. Airs Orr exclaimed: “Oh, dash it.”

Maher then related the happenings in Royal Park. Maher added that he had not reported the shooting to the police because he was “ leaving everything to Brophy.” Altogether about 10 shots were fired, he said. Detective W. R. R. Boulton, who was subjected to a searching cross-examina-tion concerning why the police did not immediately make inquiries into the shooting, said that soon after the affair he saw Brophy in hospital, when Brophy told him the wounds were accidental. Mr Lewis asked: “ Was it not perfectly clear to you that Brophy had not been accidentally shot?” Boulton : No. Mr Lewis: You are a detective, and your powers of observation as a detective should have enabled you to decide whether it was accidental. Boulton : Brophy told me it was an accident, and I believed him. Mr Lewis: Did the fact that Brophy was your superior officer prevent you from making inquiries? Boulton: Inquiries have been made. The commission adjourned.