MURDER IN SYDNEY

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1933, Page 2

MURDER IN SYDNEY

MAN FATALLY SHOT. ANOTHER MOTOR CRIME. ■'' ' ' i " Mr. John Rowland, a resident of North Bondi, Sydney, was bailed up by two men as he was walking home about midnight on May 15. He-was shot over the heart when fee. refused to give them money. He died in hospital last Thursday. 1 • - The shooting occurred in Old South Head Road. Residents of the locality were awakened by a revolver shot, followed by a scream. A motor-car was heard, as it was driven away down Curlewis Street. Many people rushed out of their homes. They discovered Mr. Rowland lying < on the footpath. He was bleeding from a wound on the left side of his chest. He was in a semiconscious state. Mr- 0. P. Wilding., was . one of ths men who rushed to Mr. Rowland’s 'assistance. He immediately telephoned the police -and an ambulance station. ■ .The police Wireless patrol arrived within a few minutes.’ ... \ Mr. Rowland was rushed to hospital His condition was grave, but he was able to be interviewed briefly by the police. He. said that he was walking home from a meeting of his Masonic lodge. He was in evening, dress, and was carrying a small attache case. He was walking along Old South Head Road toward the golf course, when .a car pulled up alongside him. There were two men in it, • ... One of the men, Mr. Rowland Said, pointed a revolver at him and ordered him to hand over his money. Rowland replied, ‘“Go to the devil,” and immediately the man with the revolver fired. Mr. Rowland felt, a stinging pain in his chest and fell to the footpath. The car moved off and disappeared. The car was afterwards found abandoned. . . The courage shown by Mr. Rowland in defying the bandits has excited admiration, but, the detectives point out, it proved costly. As an attempt to “call their bluff” it was foredoomed to failure, for they were criminals of the most cold-blooded and cowardly type. The bullet entered his chest beside the heart, and penetrated his left lung. ■ . “I look upon this as a very serious form of crime, when a man walking home at night from a function is shot in cold blood,” said the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Childs. “Every effort is being put forth by the whole of the police, particularly the Criminal Investigation* Department, to apprehend his assailants.” „ , A reward of £5OO has been, offered for information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the murderer. Mr. Rowland, who was in business as an indent agent in Sydney, leaves a wife and child. He was 31 years of age. He took an active part in Masonic matters.