SHOTS AT POLICE CHIEF

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 June 1936, Page 7

SHOTS AT POLICE CHIEF

“CONFUSION AND MYSTERY”

LIKE EDGAR WALLACE STORY

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

MELBOURNE. June 10

His encounter with two masked men at a rendezvous, which he had prearranged with a member of the underworld, was described by Superintendent Brophy (the new head of the Special Criminal Department' at the opening of the Royal Commission, which is inquiring into the recent shooting of Superintendent Brophy himself, and a.s to the authenticity of the Police statements connected with it. Judge Maclndoe is the Royal Commissioner.

Mr. L. Stretton, who is assisting the Royal Commissioner, said that the whole incident was thick with confusion and mystery.

Superintendent Brophy, whose arm was in a sling, related how. on the night of Friday, May 22, he received a telephone message from a member of tho underworld, who had offered to give information regarding the “gunmen” who had been operating around tho city and at Royal Park, in the vicinity of Parkville. He agreed to meet the informer at a spot that had been arranged by the informer. Judge Maclndoe asked for the man's name.

Superintendent Brophy undertook to supply him with the name privately, in order to protect the informer from the vengeance of companions. Later that evening, Superintendent Brophy stated, he sought the use of a private car belonging to Mrs. Orr, the wife of the licensee of Tattersall’s Hotel, as it was not desirable to use the police cars, the numbers of which the underworld were familiar with. A barman at Tattersall’s Hotel, named Maher, drove the car. Mrs. Orr was a passenger. The car was stopped at a spot at Royal Park, arranged by the informer, when suddenly Mrs. Orr exclaimed to Maher, “There is a man alongside the car, Billy!” Superintendent Brophy said that at that moment, he noticed a man on each side of the car, one of whom was masked. The other man flashed a gun into the car, and called out: "Hands up! Keep quiet!” He also exclaimed: “It’s Brophy!” Superintendent Brophy added: “1 dived for my pistol, which was a small calibre one, and the man shouted, “Don’t shoot!” 1 did not hesitate. I fired. The man fired back a bullet, shattering my wrist. I fired again, i am practically certain that I wounded him. He continued firing, four bullets striking me. The other man disappeared.” Judge Maclndoe: Were they both shooting?

Superintendent Brophy: Yes. One shot punctured a tyre. Superintendent Brophy explained that the men sped away in a car. Maher pursued them until he was compelled to stop by the flat tyre. WOMEN FRIENDS. Superintendent Brophy explained the reason he gave an incorrect account of the shooting in the first place was because he did not want to compromise Mrs. Orr and another woman friend of the Orr’s; nor did he want his own wife and daughter, who were practically invalids, to hear that lie had been shot by bandits.

Superintendent Brophy said that he was convinced that the informer was not associated with the shooting. Mr. Stretton: Didn’t it occur to you that it would be unusual for a man of your rank to go out on ordinary duty? Superintendent Brophy: 1 do ordinary duty, if necessary. It is done in other States.

Mr. Stretton: Didn’t it. occur to you that there was a certain amount of danger that night?

Superintendent Brophy: If I thought that there were the slightest danger, 1 would not have taken the two ladies, i believe that it was as big a surprise to the criminals as it was to me.

Mr. Stretton: Could you not have picked a trusted policeman to drive vour car. Superintendent Brophy: I would not trust brother detectives in a case like this.

Superintendent Brophy added: “It would have been no use in calling on local police or a patrol to search for the attackers, as they would not know whom to search for. I thought that 1 was doomed, as I was unable to give them information.

Mr. Wilburham, K.C.. who is appearing for the “Herald” and their reporters, said that he was going to suggest that the original accident theory was a subterfuge to hide the fact that Superintendent Brophy was out with tho women.

Superintendent Brophy interjected: “There was nothing sinister. i was not in the car with one, but with two women.” He said that he had not been responsible for the accident story that was told to the reporters, and he had had no intention of deliberately deceiving tire Police Chief, Sir Thomas Blaney. Mr. Wilburham suggested that Superintendent Brophy did everything that would help his assailants, to which Superintendent Brophy replied that if he had given full information, his assailants could have been in Hong Kong before any others could have become aware of their movements. There had been several hold-ups in the Royal Park, added Brophy, but some were not reported, in the interests of women, whose reputations were at stake. The story told at police headquarters that he accidentally shot himself with his pistol, was a stop-gap excuse and pure fabrication. It was realised that the real truth would have come out, but not necessarily for the public. The hearing was adjourned.