The Shooting of Inspector Brophy

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 140, 16 June 1936, Page 7

The Shooting of Inspector Brophy

POLICE METHODS "UNDER, EIRE. United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph.—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 accidental, but later Detective Carey told witness he had seen Brophy at the hospital and ascertained that it was not accidental. Sir Thomas Blarney, Chief Commissioner, then instructed witness to correct the accident story and give the newspapers the true tacts. Mr Stretton, assisting the Royal Commissioner, asked witness: “If an informer rang you in order to make an appointment to tell you about a pros- • pectivu bank hold-up, would you meet him right, on the steps of that bank? Detective McKerral: l’robably no. Mr Stretton: Would you, as Brophy purports to have done, meet the informer right iu the centre of the area where the motor bandits were operating? 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 Hint he saw.nothing wrong in what Biophv 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 11. Carey detailed the efforts he made to iiud out the facts about the Brophy shooting. He said Brophy was doubtful whether he could identify his assailants, but lie hoped to pick up an informer who might help. Detective Carey added that as a result of his investigations h- 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.