THE SHOOTING OF INSPECTOR BROPHY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 June 1936, Page 7

THE SHOOTING OF INSPECTOR BROPHY.

POLICE METHODS UNDER FIEE. (By Telegraph-Press Assn.-Copyright) Received Monday, 9.15 p.m. MELBOURNE, June 15. At the police inquiry regarding the shooting of Superintendent Brophy, Detective-Inspector., A. T. McKerral, chief of the Criminal Investigation Department, gave evidence regarding the conflicting stories of the wounding of Brophy and the measures adopted to clear the matter up as "the newspapers on the Monday following the shooting published information in which there were discrepancies and departures from fact." The shooting was originally believed to have been acei--dental, but later Detective Carey told witness he had seen Brophy at the hospital and ascertained that it was not accidental. Sir Thomas Blarney, Chief Cofnmissioner, then instructed witness to. correct the accident story and give the newspapers the true facts. Mr Stretton, assisting the Royal -Commissioner, asked witness: ''lf an informer rang you in order to make an appointment to tell you about a prospective bank hold-up, would you meet Mm right on the steps of that bank?/' Detective McKerral: Probably no. Mr Stretton: Would you, as Brophy purports to have done, meet the informer right in the centre of the area where the motor bandits were operating f Detective McKerral: The circumstances are different. You have usually to keep an appointment at the spot named by the informer, otherwise he will not come. Detective McKerral added that he -saw nothing wrong in what Brophy did. It was quite good detective work. The doctor attending Brophy believed the whole thing to have been accidental •despite the fact that the wounds were widely distributed. Detective-Sergeant H. Carey detailed the efforts he made to find out the facts about the Brophy shooting. He said Brophy was doubtful whether he could identify his assailants, but he hoped to pick up an informer who. might help. Detective Carey added that as a result of his investigations lie now planned taking "certain action in. a certain direction, but it is not desirable to divulge what is going on." Mr Stretton: Do you agree with Brophy that the name of the informer in this case is sacred. Detective Carey: I do. Detective O'Keefe is at this moment obtaining information that might be of value.