CALLOUS CRIME.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 402, 19 April 1932, Page 5

CALLOUS CRIME.

Old Man Shot Dead in Home. (Special to the “ Star.’’) SYDNEY, April 12. The murder of Charles Whelan, aged sixty-three, waterside worker, who was shot by two men at his house in Harrington Street, Hobart, is one of the most callous crimes that have taken place in Hobart for many years. An amazing feature of the case is that Mr H. Smith, a next-door neighbour, listened to the demands of the two men for £lO, which they believed Whelan to have had—demands which led to the shooting. “ You have a tenner here. We want your money,” is one of the first statements that drew Mr Smith’s attention when he was in an outhouse at his own residence. He listened, and the reply was: “ No, I have only a few bob. You can have that if you like.” The men, said Mr Smith, bade Whelan to “ Stick up your hands and keep them up ”. A scuffling sound, as of trunks and boxes being opened, overturned and ransacked, ensued, followed by an exclamation, in a heated tone; “You’ve got it all right and we want it.” Whelan replied: “ There is my bank book. Look at that.” The two men abused Whelan and called him “ every name they could lay their tongues to ”. Whelan kept repeating, “ I have got nothing.” Mr Smith stated that Whelan offered them drink, but was told to keep his hands up. Shot Fired. Mr Smith considers that the part of the conversation which he overheard was of from ten to fifteen minutes’ duration, and on this reckoning he thinks it was about 10.10 p.m. that he heard a revolver shot, after one of the men had said: “Take that, you old A thud was followed by a heavy groan. Upon hearing the shot, Mr Smith rushed through his house into Harrington Street, just in time to see the men running fuil speed down Harrington Street in the direction of the wharves. Turning into Patrick Street, they ran on towards Murray Street, with Smith still in pursuit. As he was unarmed, and feared that the men would shoot him, he gave up the chase. Shortly before the men turned into Patrick Street, he said he heard one of

the men say: “ What did you shoot him for?” The other replied: “Oh, good enough for the old .” Taps on Wall. Mrs Smith, who had been in bed. was awakened by a series of ever-weak-ening taps on the wall of Whelan s cottage. She snatched up a coat and ran in. Whelan was lying on his back with his arms folded on his chest, and with blood pouring from his mouth. He was still breathing, but did not speak or reply to her questions. She bathed his face and placed a pillow beneath his head. There were no blankets on the bed, and the mattress was disordered and splashed with blood. She awaited the arrival of the police with her husband. Whelan’s pockets and clothing generally had plainly been searched. The overturned mattress and blankets gave evidence of a hurried search. The appearance of the room was such that it could not possibly have been taken to have belonged to anyone but a person in straitened and even penurious circumstances. The police made a minute examination of the house. A number of persons were interviewed at police headquarters, and afterwards the police car left with plain clothes men in an endeavour to follow up certain clues. Despite clues in the possession of the police, there is no direct identification of the men.