SHOOTING INQUIRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 165, 13 June 1936, Page 9

SHOOTING INQUIRY.

EVIDENCE BY WOMAN

MELBOURNE, Juno 12

At the continuation of the inquiry into the. shooting of Superintendent Bropliy and the authenticity of police statements connected with it, Mrs Madeline Orr, widow and licensee of Tattersali’s Hotel, near the detective headquarters, gave evidence that she had known the Brophy family for years and often visited them. Witness corroborated the story of the shooting, and during cross-examination by Mr L. Stretton, who is assisting the Royal Commissioner, said that the. car lights were switched off while the car was parked at Royal Park. Mr Stretton: Did it not seem a mysterious way for an old friend like Brophy to act? Witness: No.

Mr Stretton: What did you dohave a pleasant chat in the dark ? Witness: We did not have time. It was only a matter of minutes when the bandits appeared. Mr Stretton : lou passed the police station after Brophy was injured. Why didn’t you give information?” Witness: We were acting under Brophy’s instructions, when were to save us women. Brophy asked us to leave it to him.

Mr Stanley Lewis, who is appearing for the Herald, asked Mrs Orr whether she treated Maher (the ear driver) more as a friend than an employee, to which she replied: “Ho is merely an employee in my bar.’** Mr Lewis: You and Mrs Phillips were in the back seat of the car, but when it stopped Mrs Phillops changed places with Brophy. What was the reason ?

Witness: There was no particular reason.

\\ itness added that Brophy’s last words wore: You leave this to me. I think they have got me. I am riddled with bullets.

Mrs Elsie Phillips. Middle Park, gave similar evidence. She added that when the firing began Maher cried to her to bob down and pushed her head down.

Mrs Phillips added that she did not scream when she heard the shots fired, nor did Mrs Orr. Mrs Phillips’s husband then entered the witness box and declared that he was still on good terms with his wife and there had been no dissension as the result of the car incident. William Maher, who is a barman at Airs Orr’s hotel, detailed the conversation when Brophy asked tor the use of Mrs Orr’s car on the night of Alay 22. Maher said that Airs Orr and Airs Phillips on the same evening wanted to be driven to Clifton Hill, whereupon Maher told them that Brophy wanted the, car Airs Orr exclaimed : “Oh, dash it.” Alaher then related the happenings in Royal Park.