POLICE ENQUIRY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 155, 12 June 1936, Page 6

POLICE ENQUIRY

VICTORIAN COMMISSION. POINTED QUESTIONS. SEootmg Of Superintendent 8f0p13y. ,: CHIEF OF POLICE IN BOX.

Press Association—Copyright. Melbourne, June 11. Lcngthv examination of Sir Thomas Jlamey, chief of the Victorian police, was a feature of to-day's sitting ol he which is inquiring into tnt funding of Superintendent Brophy. Yesterday Mr. Brophy described how when he went to keep, an appointment with an informer two men approached lis car and shot him. ' Sir Thomas said he saw Mr. Brophy in cospital after the shooting. Mr Brophy old-him he had had an accident with •; own revolver in a car in Royal Park | And that two women and the driver ! Maher were with him. As a result of later investigations bir Thomas had a conference with Detective McKc-rral, when it was agreed to issue a statement to the Press that Mr. Brophy "went to Royal Park in response to a message and while there had been seriously wounded by two bandits. He authorised no other statement. •- On the following day, Monday, he ■*ave an interview to four representatives of the Press, telling them all he knew of the shooting up to that stage. The Age newspaper then said Sir Thomas would not continue investigations into the shooting. That was wrong. "We had important clues and 1 would not divulge them," said Sir Thomas. •'The Chief Secretary later called for a report of the whole circumstances which I supplied." Mr. L. Stretton (who is assisting the commissioner): "Do you think if proper that Mr. Brophy should take two women end a man with him?" Sir Thomas: "I see 4 no impropriety in it. It would have been risky to take a taxi because of the driver and risky to take a policeman in plain clothes. Mr. Brophy would in normal circumstances have taken steps to have his assailants arrested but in this instance he had four bullet wounds."

Asked why he did not supply the names of the women in his report to the Chief Secretary, Sip Thomas said scandalmongering was not the business of the police. Their namej were omitted to shield them because the reports went through many hands. Mr. Stretton: "When asked by newspapermen about the accident did you say you did not know where the report came from and that nobody seemed to knqw anything about it?"—"I said some-, thing to that effect." "If you said it, it.would be an obvious untruth?"—"Yes, if. I said it." Mr. Wilbur HamiiK.C. appearing for the Herald and /. its reporters, asked whether Sir Thomas attempted to stifle information regarding the shooting at the hospital. Sir Thomas: "We were anxious that no wrong reports should be disseminated. We wanted to ensure accuracy." Mr. Ham: "Or to ensure inaccuracy?"

Sir Thomas: "1 replied to the reporters' questions without intending to be candid." "Then your intention was to mislead?"—"No, definitely to parry." Sir Thomas, replying to Mr. Ham, said that when the shooting was originally reported to be accidental he did not ask Mr. Brophy how he came to be wounded all over the body. Mr. Ham: "Didn't you? Strange." Sir Thomas: "Yes."