THE POLICE INQUIRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22906, 13 June 1936, Page 13

THE POLICE INQUIRY

SHOOTING OF OFFICER FURTHER EVIDENCE HEARD MELBOURNE, June 12. (Received June 12, at 11.30 p.m.) At the police inquiry Mrs Madeline Orr, a widow and licensee of Tattersall'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 crossexamination by Mr Stretton said the car lights were switched off w'lile 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 do —have 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 { You passed the police station after Brophy was injured. Why didn't you give information ? Witness: We were acting under Brophy's instructions, which were to save us women, Brophy asked ub t© leave it to him. Mr Stanley Lewis, who is appearing for the Herald, asked Mrs Orr whether she treated Maher more as a friend than an employee, to which she replied: "He is merely an employee in my bar." Mr Lewis: You and Mrs Phillips were in the back seat Hf the car, but when it stopped Mrs Phillips changed places with Brophy. What was the reason? Witness: There was no particular reason. Witnees added that Brophy's last words were: " You leave this to me. I think they have got me. I am riddled with bullets." Mrs Elsie Phillips, of Middle Park, gave similar evidence. She added that when the firing began Maher cried to her, "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 was no dissension as the result of the car incident. William Maher, who is barman -at Mrs Orr's hotel, detailed a conversation when Brophy asked for the use of Mrs Orr's car on the night of May 22. Maher said Mrs Orr and Mrs Phillips on the same evening wanted to be driven to Clifton Hill, whereupon Maher told them Brophy wanted the car. Mrs Orr exclaimed: "Oh, dash it." Maher then related the happenings in. Royal Park. Maher added that he had not reported the shooting to the police because he was " leaving everything to Brophy." Altogether about JO shots were fired, he said. Detective W. R. R. Boulton, who was subjected to a searching cross-examina-tion concerning why the police did not immediately make inquiries into the shooting, said that soon after the affair he saw Brophy in hospital, when Brophy told him the wounds were accidental. Mr Lewis asked: " Was it not perfectly clear to you that Brophy had not been accidentally shot?" Boulton: No. Air Lewis: You are a detective, and your powers of observation as a detective should have enabled you to decide whether it was accidental. Boulton: Brophy told me it was an accident, and I believed him. Mr Lewis: Did the fact that Brophy was your superior officer prevent you from making inquiries? - • Boulton: Inquiries,have been made, The commission adjourned.