MELBOURNE MYSTERY.

Wairarapa Age, 25 May 1936, Page 5

MELBOURNE MYSTERY.

DETECTIVE SUPERINTENDENT SHOT. POLICE DEPARTMENT RETICENT. REPORTED ATTACK BY GANG. (Received Sunday, 6.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, May 22. Superintendent John O ’Connell Brophy, who began duty as Chief of the Victorian Criminal Investigation Branch a week ago, was shot in the face and right arm in some mysterious manner. The Police Department is exceedingly reticent. It is reported that four shots were fired by a gangster from a car, one bullet striking Mr. Brophy’s cheek, another his right arm, a third the back of his neck and a fourth over his heart. This last was deflected by something in his pocket. He is not in a serious condition. A Police Press Bureau official, in a statement, declared that Mr. Brophy was accidentally shot in the right arm while handling his own pistol at Police Headquarters. Newspaper reporters who were banned at the Detective Office, however, ascertained that Mr. Brophy was shot by a hold-up gang who mistook him for a prominent Melbourne bookmaker, who habitually carries a large sum of money and resides in Parkville Suburb.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT. ATTACH BY GANGSTERS. MR. BROPHY BADLY WOUNDED. (Received This Day, 0.28 a.m.) MELBOURNE, May 24. An official police statement declares that Mr. Brophy went to Royal Park on Friday night to try to catch car bandits who were operating in that locality and was himself held up by two- armed men who apparently recognised him and fired three shots before Mr. Brophy could manipulate his own revolver, which jammed. One bullet passed through Mr. Brophy’s lower jaw, just missed a vital artery and emerged at the back of his neck. Another broke his right wrist and a third was deflected from his heart by a braces buckle.