“YOU LEAVE THIS TO ME”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLI, Issue 20443, 13 June 1936, Page 17 (Supplement)

“YOU LEAVE THIS TO ME”

SEQUEL TO ATTACK ON POLICE WOMAN’S INTERESTING EVIDENCE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received June 12, 9.5 p.m.) MELBOURNE, June 12. The Royal Commission which is inquiring into the shooting of Superintendent John Brophy, Chief of the Victorian Criminal Investigation Department, and the authenticity of police statements connected with it, continued its sitting to-day. Mr Justice Macindoe is the Royal Commissioner and Mr L. Stretton is assisting him. Mrs Madeline Orr, a widow, licensee of Tattersail’s Hotel, which is near the detective headquarters, gave evidence that she had known Brophy and his 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 while they 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 did you not give information? Witness: We were acting under Brophy’s instructions, which were to save us women. Brophy asked us to leave it to him. Mr Stanley Lewis, who is appearing for “The Melbourne Herald” asked Mrs Orr whether she had treated Maher more as a friend than an employee, to which she replied: He is merely an employee in my bar. Mrs Lewis: You and Mrs Phillips were in the back seat of the car, but when it stopped Mrs Phillips changed places with Brophy. What was the reason?

Witness: There was no particular reason. Witness 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 to bob down and pushed her head down. “Oh, Dash It” Mrs Phillips added that she did not scream when he heard the shots fired nor did .Mrs Orr. Mrs Phillips’s husband then entered the witness box. He declared he was still on good terms with his wife, and there had been no dissension as a result of the car incident. : William Maher, Who is a barman at Mrs Orr’s hotel, detailed the conversation when 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 Hill, whereupon Maher told them that Brophy wanted the car, Mrs Orr exclaimed: “Oh, dash it.” Maher then related the happenings in Royal Park. Ten Shots Fired. Maher added that he had not reported the shooting to the police because he was “leaving everything to Brophy.” Altogether about ten shots were fired, he said. Detective W. R. R. Boulton, who was subjected to a searching cross-examina-tion as to 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 that the wounds were accidental. Mr Lewis asked: Was it not perfectly clear to you that Brophy had not been accidentally shot Boulton: 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?

Boulton: Brophy told me it was an accident. I believed him.

Mr Lewis: Did the fact that Brophy was your superior officer prevent you making inquiries. Boulton: Inquiries have been made. The Commission adjourned.