INTENT TO MURDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 65, 18 March 1937, Page 7

INTENT TO MURDER

MELBOURNE CHARGE THE BROPHY AFFAIR ALLEGED IDENTIFICATION MELBOURNE, March IT In conection with the shooting affaiP on May 22 last year, Superintendent Brophy appeared in the City Court today and identified Geoffrey Davies, aged 32, as the man who shoe him. Davies, who was charged with naving wounded Superintendent Brupny with intent to murder, was committed for trial.

A Melbourne cable received in May last year stated that Superintendent John O'Connell Brophy, who nad begun duty as chief of the Victorian Criminal Investigation Branch a week previously 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 oiiice, however, ascertained that Mr Brophy was shot by a holdup gang, who mistook him for a prominent Melbourne bookmaker win habitually carries a large sum of money and resides in PaiKvi.le suburb. Subsequently an official police statement declared that Mr Brophy went to the Royal Park to try and catch some car bandits who nad been operating in that locality, ana 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 missing a vital artery, ana emerged at the back of his necK. Another broke his right wrist, and a third was deflected from his heart by the buckle of his braces. Brophy was accompanied by two women. The State Cabinet appointed a Royal Commission to inquire into the affair. Ministers were said to be dissatisfied with the conflicting stories attending Brophy's injuries and the attitude ol the Commissioner, Sir Thomas Blaney. The report of the Commission r«mexonerated Brophy.