POLICE INQUIRY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12887, 13 June 1936, Page 5

POLICE INQUIRY

WOUNDING OF SU PER INTEND’ENT BROPHY WHAT HAPPENED IN ROYAL PARK WOMEN WHO WERE IN CAR TEST! I'V <n.P.A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright). (Roccdvcd Juno 12, 9.5 p m.) MELBOURNE, June 12. At the police inquiry to-day, Mrs. Aladedine Orr, widow, and license© oil Tattersalls Hotel, near the -detective headquarters, gave evidence that .she had- known the Brophy family for yea’ s and had often visited them. Witness corroborated tho story of Ihe shooting - and, during cross examination by Mr Strcttou, said the cur lights wore switched off while it was parked, at Royal Park. Mif St rot-ton : “Did it not seem a .mysterious way for an old friend like Brophy to act Witness: “Yes.” Mr St ret ton : “What did you do—have a pleasant chat in the dark?”— Witness : “No ; we did not have time. It. wrL only a matter of minutes when tho banditsi appeared.” Mr Stretton : “Yon passed the police station alter Brophy was injured. Why didn’t you g : vc information?” —Witness; “We were acting under Brophy’s instructions, which were to isave us women. Brophy asked uk to leave it to him.” Mr Stanley Lewis, who was appearing for the Herald, asked Mrs Orr whether she treated Maher raoi-e as ni friend than an employee, to which Wra replied : “He is merely an employee in my bar.” Air Lewis: “You and Airs Pit'llips were in the hack soat of the car hut, when it- stopped. Mss Phillips chang-, ed, places with Brophy. What was (the reason?”—Witness: “There was no particular reason.” Witness addicd that Brophv’s last word’, were: I “You leave- this to me. I think they j have got me. I am r doled w;th lvul- ! lets.” j Mrs Elsie Phillips, o: Middle Park, : gave e-im-'-lair evidence. Shg- added that when the filing began, Maher crie to her: “Boh down” and pushed l -her head down. i Airs Phillips added that she did not scream when she heard the shots , fired, nor did Airs Orr. Mrs Phillips’ husband then enterI ed the witness box. He declared that he was still: onf good terms with his ; wife and there was no dissension as : tho result of the ear incident, i VdliVem Mah«?r, who is a barman I at- Mrs Orr's hotel, detailed a conversation when Brophy asked for the use of Airs Orris ear on the night of Alay i 22. Maher -said that AI it Orr and j Airs Phillips on the same evening i wanted to he driven to Clifton Hill. | whereupon A[a her told them that i Brophy wanted -he car. Mrs Orr exi claimed: “Oh. dash it!” Alahc-r ; then related the happenings in the j Royal Park 1 Ala-her added that ho had not reported the shooting to the police, beI cause he “was leaving everything to , Brophy." Altogether about ten shots were fre-cl.

DETECTIVE IN THE BON A SEARCHING CROSS-EXAAITXA-TION Detective W. R. Boulton, who was subjected to a search ng cross-exam-ination -J;S to 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 . Air Lewis asked: “Was it not prrleetly clear to you Brophy had not been accidentally shot?”—Boulton: •‘No.” Air Lewis: “You are a detective and your power?, of observation as a (Elective should have enabled you to decide whether the shooting was accidental ?” —Boulton : “Brophy told me it was an accident and I believed ihim.”

Air Lewis: “Was it a fact that Brophy, your superior officer, prevented you from making inquiries?”—Boulton: “Inquiries have been made.” The inquiry was adjourned.