MYSTERY SHOOTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 137, 11 June 1936, Page 7

MYSTERY SHOOTING

FIGHT WITH BANDITS SUPERINTENDENT BROPHY’S STORY COMMISSION’S INQUIRY MELBOURNE SENSATION y [By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright] MELBOURNE, June 10. t His encounter with two masked e men at a rendezvous prearranged with a member of the underworld was described by Superintendent B Brophy at the opening of the Royal Commission which is inquiring into the shooting of Brophy 1 and the authenticity of the police statements connected withit. Judge Macindoe is the Royal Commisr sioner. J Mr. L. Stretton, who is assist- ,• ing the Commissioner, said the whole incident was thick with con- . fusion and mystery. Brophy, whose arm was in a sling. . related that on the night of May 22 3 he received a telephone message from s a member of the underworld who of- [.• fered to give information regarding . “gunmen” operating around the city > and Royal Park in the vicinity of , Parkville. Brophy agreed to meet at . a spot arranged by the informer. r Judge Macindoe asked for the man’sI name and Brophy undertook to supply the name privately in order to protect ’ the informer from the vengeance of his , companions. Later that evening Brophy sought , the use of a private car belonging to J Mrs. Orr, wife of the licensee of TatJ tersall’s Hotel, as it was undesirable to use police cars, the numbers of . which the underworld were familiar with. A barman at Tattersail’s Hotel named Maher drove the car and Mrs. Orr was a passenger. The car was stopped at the spot in Royal Park arranged by the informer, when suddenly Mrs. Orr exclaimed to Maher: “There’s a man alongside the car. Billy.” Brophy said that at that moment he noticed a man on each side of the car, one of whom was masked. The other flashed a torch into the car and called out: Z/ Hands up! Keep quiet!” He also exclaimed; “It’s Brophy! ” Brophy adcFcJ: “I dived for my , pistol, which is a small-calibre one, and ' the man shouted: Won’t shoot’* I did not hesitate. I fired and the man fired 1 back, the bullet shattering my wrist. I fired again and am practically cer- , tain that I wounded him. He continued firing, four bullets striking me. The other man disappeared.” Judge Macindoe: “Were they both shooting?” Brophy: “Yes. One shot and punctured a tyre.” Brophy explained that the men sped away in a car. Maher pursued them until compelled to stop by a flat tyre. First Incorrect Account .Brophy explained that the reason why he gave an incorrect account of the shooting in the first place was that he did not want to Mrs Orr and another womani friend of Mrs Orr’s ; nor did he want his own wife and daughter, who are practically invalids, to hear he had been shot by bandits. Brophy said he was convinced that the informer was not associated with the shooting. Mr Stretton asked: “Didn’t it occur to you it was unusual for a man of your rank to go out on ordinary du„y?” Brophy; “I do ordinary dutv if necessary. It is done in other States ” Mr Stretton; Didn’t it occur to you that there was a certain amount of danger that night? Brophy: “If I thought there was the slightest danger I would no' have taken the two ladies. 1 believe jt was as big a surprise to the criminals as to me.” Afr Stretton: “Could yuu not have picked a trusted policeman to drive your car?” Brophy: “I would not tr-ist brother detectives in a case like this.” Brophy added “It was no use calling tho local police or patrol to search for my attackers as they would not know who to search for. I thought I was doomed as I was unable to g;vc them information. ” Mr Wilbur Ham, K.C., wno is appearing for the Melbourne Herald’and their reporters, said he was g-rno to suggest that the original accident theory was a subterfuge to hide the tact that Brophy was out with women. Brophy interjected: “There was nothing sinister. I was not in the car with one but two women.” He said he w«as not responsible for the accident story told to the reporters, and he had no intention of deliberately deceiving the police chief. Sir Thomas Blarney. Mr Ham suggested that Biophy did ■ everything to help his a>sailanls, to which Brophy replied that it he had given full information his assailants ceuld have been in Hongkong before he was aware of their movements. There had been several hold-ups in Royal Park, added Brophy, but some were not reported in the interests of women whose reputations were at 1 stake. The story told at police headquarters that he accidentally shot himself with his own pistol was a stop-gap 1 excuse and a pure fabrication. It was realised the real truth would have to come out, but not necessarily for the public. The inquiry was adjourned. Superintendent John O’Connell j Brophy was shot in the face and the . right arm in some mysterious manner. The Police Department was at first exceedingly reticent. A Police Press Bureau official 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 ascertained, however, 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. Subsequently an official police statement declared that Mr. Brophy tried to catch some car bandits', and was himself held \ up by two armed men, who apparently ( recognised him, and fired three shots t before Mr. Brophy could manipulate c his own revolver, which jammed. One 1 bullet passed through Mr. Brophy’s s lower jaw, just missing a vital artery, s and emerged at the back of his neck, f Another broke his right wrist, and a a third was deflected from his heart by t the buckle of his braces. s