SUPERINTENDENT’S STORY.

Wairarapa Age, 11 June 1936, Page 5

SUPERINTENDENT’S STORY.

ENCOUNTER WITH MASKED MEN, AT RENDEZVOUS PREARRANGED BY INFORMER. EVIDENCE BEFORE ROYAL COMMISSION. (Received Wednesday; 8.35 p.m.) . Melbourne, ■ June 10. His encounter with , two masked men at a rendezvous prearranged ■, with a member of the underworld was described by Superintendent Brophy at the opening of the Royal Commission which is inquiring into the shooting of Superintendent BropEy and the authenticity of police statements, connected with - it. Mr. Justice Macindoe is the Royal Commissioner. Mr. L. Stretton, who is assisting the Commissioner, said the whole incident was thick with confusion and mystery. Superintendent Brophy, whose arm is in a sling, related that on the night of May 22 he received a telephone message from a member of the underworld, who offered to give information regarding “gunmen” operating around the eity and Royal Park, in the vicinity of Parkville. Superintendent Brophy agreed to meet at the spot arranged by the informer. Judge Macindoe asked for the man’s name. Superintendent Brophy undertook, to supply the name privately in order to protect the informer from the vengeance of his companions. Later that evening Superintendent Brophy sought the use of a private car belonging to Mrs. Orr, wife of the licensee of Tattersall’s Hotel, as it was undesirable to use police cars, the numbers of which the underworld were familiar with. A barman at Tattersall’s Hotel named Maher drove the car and Mrs. Orr was a passenger. The car was stopped at a spot in Royal Park arranged by the informer, when suddenly Mrs. Orr exclaimed to Maher: “There’s a man alongside the car, Billy.” Superintendent Brophy said that at that moment he noticed a man on each side of the car, one of whom was masked and -the other flashed a torch into the car and called out, “Hands up! Keep quiet.” He also exclaimed, “ It’s Brophy. ’ Superintendent Brohpy added, “I dived for my pistol, which is a small calibre one, and a man shouted, ‘Don’t shoot.’ I did not hesitate. I fired and the man fired back, the bullet shattering my Wrist. I fired again. I am practically certain I wounded him. He continued firing, four bullets striking me. The other man disappeared.”

Judge Macindoe: “Were they both shooting?” Superintendent Brophy: “Yes. One shot punctured a tyre.” Superintendent Brophy explained -that the men sped away in a car. Maher pursued them until he was compelled to stop t>y s flat tyre.