MELBOURNE SENSATION

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11410, 5 January 1923, Page 6

MELBOURNE SENSATION

UNDERWORLD VENDETTA WOUNDED MEN REFUSE STATEMENT TO POLICE. ' MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCES. SYDNEY, Deoemher 29. Melbourne is faced with another reign of terror through the uprising of rival underworld factions in the western end of the city. Special detachments of detectives and plain-clothes constables detailed to investigate the shooting incidents at North and West Melbourne have obtained definite evidence of the beginning of a vendetta between two rival gangs of young men. The victims refused to give information which would assist the police in any way. Early in the week, Eric Bruhli, of (TShannasy street, North Melbourne, was taken to the Melbourne HcSpital with a gunshot wound in the thigh. Bruhn refused to give any account of how he received the wound, and the suspicions of the police were aroused, for Bruhn is well known to them.

Further happenings served to confirm their fears —two men were wounded by revolver bullets fired in a billiard-room of the West Melbourne Coffee Palace, Victoria street. They were Charles McLean, aged 30 (bullet wound in mouth), and James Milroy, aged 24, Wood street, North Melbourne (bullet wound in the neck and right biceps). REFUSED TO MAKE STATEMENT. K The man, who gave the name of Charles McLean, was taken to the hospital. He had been shot in the mouth, and the bullet had come out near the hack of the left jaw. The Russell street police were communicated with, and after McLean was treated he was taken to, the plain-clothes office, but refused to make a statement, and would not even give his address. He had hardly left the hospital when the ambulance called at the West Melbourne Coffee Palace to bring in another wounded man. . Constable Barber (North Melbourne), who accompanied Milroy to tha hospital, told a rather dramatic story, although he did not witness the actual shooting. “I was two doors from the Coffee Palace at about 10.47 p.m.,” he said, “when I heard two distinct shots from the direction of that building. Drawing my revolver, I ran backhand entered the place. I was directed to* the biHiard-noom, where I saw hbout a dozen men etandingNabout, talking excitedly. Milroy was Bitting on a form, bleeding freely. “WILL SHOOT FIRST MAN WHO MOVES!*’ ’• 'I will shoot the first man who moveA 1’ I said, covering them with my revolver. _ Someone called out, ‘Here’s a man with a gun!’ There was a shuffling sound at the hack of the room, as if someone was leaving by the back door, but I could not 6ee anything there. / “I did not like to go into the room without - assistance, so I stood at door covering the crowd in a general way with the weapon till another constable arrived. I had not long to wait; We then searched every man in the, room. Not one of them had a weapon of any description. The gun that caused Milroy’s wounds must have been of considerable power, probably a .32 calibre automatic like mine.” The constable said it would have been possible for the man who had done the Bhooting to have escaped by the hack door, even after his arrival. ' THREE MYSTERIOUS MEN.

The connection of the other man with this affair is the times. A motor-car driver stated that earlier in the evening three men came to him on the Lonsdale street rank, and engaged him to drive them to West Melbourne. He did not like their appearance,, but after some hesitation consented to run them up to West Melbourne,''as they desired him to do' He drove them to various houros in West Melbourne, and) then to the West Melbourne Coffee Palace. They arrived there at 10.30 p.m. The three men went inside, asking, the motor driver to wait for them. About ten minutes later he heard what sounded like revolver shooting. He did not know how many shots were fired, and a moment or two later two of the men rushed out and entered the car. McLean) who. was one of them, had a bloodstained' handkerchief pressed to his mouth. The other man directed the driver to take them to the Melbourne Hdspital-aa quickly as possible. When they arrived there the unwounded man said to'the oar driver: “Meet me outside, and I will pay you.” The driver went to the appointed spot, but there was no sign of the man. He then returned, to the hospital and made a statement to the police.