THE WAY IT IS DOME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 27 October 1928, Page 14

THE WAY IT IS DOME

COURT FARCE IN SHOOTING CASE WOUNDED MAN LAUGHS AND DENIES HE WAS SHOT SYDNEY, 19th October. Some idea of the vexation caused the police in their inquiries regarding battles in which members of certain classes in Sydney are concerned was obtained this weok, when a man named James Hearn was charged with maliciously shooting William Gillam with intent to murder him. Tlic case arose out of one of those encounters which have been all too frequent in -Sydney in the past few years, incidents in which men have been wounded in the streets, arid then have refused to tell the police anything concerning, their assailants. Gillam was wdlking along Foveaux Street, Sydney, on 6th October, when a stranger jumped out of a, taxicab and fired two shots into his body. Gillam went to hospital, and Hearn was arrested soon afterwards. A dramatic development, incidentally, was the subsequent arrest of Gillam on a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Ilearn, who was allegedly slashed with a razor before ho shot Gillam. Detective Sergeant Sherringbam, giving evidence in the case in which Hearn is charged, said that soon after the affray lie went to Hearn’s home at Glebe. Hearn bad a bandage around bis neck and a recent scar under his chin. Sherringham said to him: “A man with a bandage round his neck got out of a taxi-cab in Foveaux street, Surry Hills, to-night, and fired two shots at Gillam. Both shots took effect, and Gillam is now in hospital. Do you know anything about it?” “No, I was too drunk,” was Hearn’s reply. Ilearn was taken to the police station and thero lined up with a number cf other men and identified by Henry Simpson ,a taxi-driver. Dr. Malcolm Murray, of Sydney Hospital, said that Gillam was admitted with a bullet wound near the nose and another in the chest. Simpson, the taxi-driver, said that on 6th October ho drove Hearn from Elizabeth Street, City, to Glebe, and then to Surry Hills. While waiting outside a hotel at the intersection of Riley and Foveaux streets he heard someone say, “Take him to the hospital.” A few minutes later Hearn returned with his neck bleeding, and Simpson drove him to St. Vincent’s Hospital. Hater ho picked up six or seven men, one of whom was Hearn, in Foveaux street. Arthur Percy Carrington said that he saw a man alight from a taxicab in Foveaux street and fire at another man who was walking along the footpath. He staggered and the man with the revolver fired) again and said, “Now 'l’ve got you.” The aggressor got into the taxi and was driven away. 4:i : - Carrington said he could not identify

the man who fired the shots, and ho had net time to notice whether ho had a ‘bandage on his throat. • ' A doctor from St. Vincent s Hospital gave evidence that lie put five stitches into the throat of a man who gavo his , name as Hearn. The not unexpected but nevertheless surprising feature of the case was the evidence given by Gillam himself.' lie said he was a licensed collector, and, describing the shooting, said ho thought a cracker had been thrown at him. Ho knew the man who threw the “cracker,” but he did not belong to this State. The next tiling he remembered was that two policemen were standing over him. He heard one say: “He’s coming to, and we’ll get his story before lie goes to hospital.” . To tjie Police Prosecutor: I dunno if I was shot. I ain’t seen nothing of it. I’ve got a couple of marks on me, one in me face, another in me ribs. But I could a’ got ’em failin’. Defending Counsel: D'id this man Hearn, before the Court, shoot you? Witness (laughing): No, the feller was nothin’ like ’im. Defending counsel-said there was no evidence to 1 connect Hearn with the shooting* No one could identify him, and even Gillam himself said that Hearn was not the man. The magistrate; who said he had a doubt in his mind regarding some of the evidence, refused to take on himself to discharge Hearn, and committed him for trial. Bail Was allowed. Police -believe, incidentally, that had Gillam not been charged also, they would have found difficulty'in locating him to give evidence against Hearn.