AMAZING STORY

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 November 1930, Page 10

AMAZING STORY

SHOOTING AT AUBURN.

SYDNEY, November 11.

William Moxley, a well-dressed carpenter, who was wearing a pad on his head, stated at the Parramatta Court yesterday that two men held him down while a third tried to shoot him in the head. Robert Duncan, 34, and Ernest Devine, 27, labourers, were charged with having shot at Moxley, at Auburn, on October 11, with intent to murder him.

William Cyril Moxley said that on October 11 he was driving his car through Newton, when Devine hailed him. He stopped, and Devine asked him to drive him and a man named Kellow to some hotels. He did so, and afterwards they told him to drive them to Drummoyne. Here they alighted from the car for a few minutes, and returned, saying, “It would be no good down there.” Next Devine asked him to drive them to Auburn, and he did so, and there, after Devine ahd Kellow had had some drink, they met Duncan, who returned with them to the car.

They next asked witness to drive them to a vacant block of land near the Locomotive Hotel. On the way Devine was trying to fix a revolver he had, and witness fixed it for him, and then at Devine’s request loaded it. Near the hotel Devine said, “I’m going to go over and stick up a Dutchman at the-hotel as soon as the bar lights go out.” Moxley said “If that’s the case I do not want to be in it.’’ “You are getting the wind up,” retorted Devine, and Moxley replied, “No, but it is my car, and I don’t want anything to do with it. ’ Devine then said to witness, “Well, Snowy, I am going to shoot you.” “I though he was joking,” said Moxley, “and then he said ‘You are a friend of Detective Bowie.’ I said ‘I am not.’ Devine then got out with the revolver still in his hand, and he came round to the driving side. I heard a crash in my ear, and it knocked me across the seat. Kellow said ‘Did you get him?” and Devine replied ‘Yes, I think I got him.’ I sat up then and asked them why they had shot me, and Kellow said ‘You told the police that we were going to Sutherland, to rob the bank that night.’ I said ‘I did not,’ and Kellow said ‘You did, and you are a friend of Bowie’s.’

“Devine then said ‘l’m going to shoot you again. I’m going to put this bullet right down your neck.’ Duncan grabbed me by the legs and Kellow by the jersey, so that I was held to the seat, and Devine aimed the revolver at my head a few inches off. Then he pulled the trigger but the gun misfired. Devine said ‘I can’t get this gun to go.’ I kicked myself free from Duncan, and pulled away from Kellow and jumped out of the car and ran away. I met a car, and the driver took me to hospital,” said Moxley. He asserted that a specialist had told him that several pieces of lead were still in his head, and he would have to undergo a serious’operation to have them removed.

Devine: Why did you leave hospital before the medical officers allowed you to do so?

Mr Flynn, S.M.: What has that to do with you? Arthur Mitchell, a taxi driver, of Auburn, gave evidence of having driven Duncan, Devine, and Kellow to Redfern at 8.30 p.m. on October 11. Constable Skeehan said when he arrested Duncan on the night of the shooting he was -wearing a bloodstained shirt.

Mr Flynn, S.M., 1 committed defendants for trial at the Central Criminal Court, which is now sitting. He refused to grant bail, saying that the case made out against them was too serious.