WOMEN GIVE EVIDENCE

Southland Times, Issue 22915, 13 June 1936, Page 7

WOMEN GIVE EVIDENCE

MELBOURNE POLICE INQUIRY REASONS GIVEN FOR RETICENCE (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 9.10 p.m.) Melbourne, June 12. The Royal Commission which is inquiring into the shooting of Superintendent John O’Connell Brophy (chief of the Victorian Criminal Investigation Branch) continued its session today. Judge Macindoe is the commissioner, and Mr L. Stretton is assisting him. Mrs Madeline Orr, widow, licensee of Tattersall’s Hotel, near the detective headquarters, gave evidence that she had known the Brophy family for years and often visited it. Witness corroborated the story of the shooting, and during cross-examination by Mr Stretton said the car lights were switched off while it was parked at Royal Park. Mr Stretton: Did it not seem a mysterious way for an old friend like Mr Brophy to act? Witness: No. What did you do?—Have a pleasant chat in the dark?—We did not have time. It was only a matter of minutes when the bandits appeared. You passed the police station after Mr Brophy was injured. Why didn’t you give information?—We were acting under Mr Brophy’s instructions, which were to save us women. Mr Brophy asked us to leave it to him. Merely An Employee. Mr Stanley Lewis, who is appearing for The Melbourne 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 of the car, but when it stopped Mrs Phillips changed places with Mr Brophy. What was the reason? Witness: There was no particular reason. Witness added that Mr Brophy’s last words were: “You leave this to me. I think they have got me. lam 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 shots fired, nor did Mrs Orr. Mrs Phillips’s husband then entered the witness box. He declared that he was still on good terms with his wife and there was no dissension as a result of the car incident. William Maher, who is a barman at Mrs Orr’s hotel, detailed a conversation when Mi - Brophy asked for the use of Mrs Orr’s car on the night of May 22. Maher said that Mrs Orr and Mrs Phillips on the same evening wanted to be driven to Clifton Hall, whereupon Maher told them Mr Brophy wanted the car. Mrs Orr exclaimed: “Oh, dash it!” Maher then related the happenings in Royal Park. “Leaving Everything To Brophy” Maher added that he had not reported the shooting to the police because he “was leaving everything to Brophy.” Altogether about 10 shots were fired, he said. Detective W. R. R. Boulton, who was subjected to a searching crossexamination why the police did not immediately make inquiries into the shooting, said that soon after the affair he saw Mr Brophy in hospital, when Mr Brophy told him that the wounds were accidental. Mr Lewis: Was it not perfectly clear to you that Mr Brophy had not been accidentally shot.—No. Mr Lewis: You are a detective, and your powers of observation as a detective should have enabled you to decide whether it was accidental.—Mr Brophy told me that it was accidental, and I believed him. Mi’ Lewis: Was it a fact that Mr Brophy, your superior officer, prevented you from making inquiries?— Inquiries have been made. The inquiry was adjourned.