ARMED HOLD-UP

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19909, 11 June 1936, Page 7

ARMED HOLD-UP

; MELBOURNE SENSATION. l l iPOLIcE SUPERINTENDENT SHOT. i . . . . i PACDIATER \VITII A BANDIT. United Press Assn—Klee. Tel. Copyright. MELBOURNE, June to. An encounter with two masked men at. a rendezvous prearranged with a member of the underworld was de—scribed by SUherintendent John Brophy at the opening sitting to-day of the .Rol'al Commission which is inquiring into the shooting of Mr Brophy and the HUiilE‘H'iCitF of the statements made by the police in connection with the matter. Mr Justice Macindoe is the Roval Commissioner. ‘ Mr L. Stretton. who is assisting the Commission, said the entire incident was “thick with confusion and mystery." Mr Brophy, whose arm was 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 him information about “gunmen" who were operating around the City and the Royal Park in the Vicinity of Parkville. He agreed to meet the man at a spot arranged by the informer. Protecting the Informer. The Commissioner asked for the man‘s name and Mr Brophy undertook to supply it privately in order to pro—feet the informer from the vengeance of his companions. Later that evening. said Mr Brophy, he sought. the use oi a private car helomting to Mrs Orr. wife of the licensee of 'i‘nttersall's Hotel, as it ‘would not have been desirable to use i police cars, with the numbers of which ‘the underworld were familiar. ‘ A barman at ’l‘ntterssii’s liotei ‘named Maher drove the car and Mrs Orr was a passenger. Mr Brophy said the car was stopped at the spot in Royal Park arranged by the informer. Suddenly Mrs Orr exclaimed to .\laher: ”There is a man alongside the car. Billy." At that moment, continued Mr Brophy. 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: “Hands up and keep quiet." He also ex—claimed: “It is Brophy.” “ Do Not. Shoot!" Mr Bropby added: "1 dived for my pistol, which is of small calibre. and the man shouted 'Do not shoot..' I did not hesitate, however, I fired and the man fired back, the bullet shattering my wrist. “I fired again and am practically certain I wounded him. He continued tiring and four more bullets struck me. The other man disappeared." The Commissioner: Were they both shooting? Mr Broph)‘: Yes. One shot punc—tured a tyre. \Viiness said the men sped away in a car. .\laher pursued them until he was compelled by the flat tyre to stop. Mr Brophy explained that the rea—son why he gave an incorrect account of the shooting in the first place was that. he did not want to compromise. Mrs Orr and another woman, a friend of Mrs Orr, nor did he want his own wife and daughter, who were practically invalids, to hear he had been shot. by bandits. lie was convinced that the informer was not associated with the shooting. Did Ordinary Duty. Mr Streiton: Did not it occur to you that, it was unusual for a man of your rank to go out on ordinary duly? Mr Brophy: I do ordinary duty if necessary. it is done in other States. Did not it occur to you that. there was a certain amount of danger that night?—~lf i had thought there was the slightest. danger I would not haw taken the two ladies. I believe it was as big a surprse to tite criminals as to me. Could not you have picked a trusted policeman to drive your car?——-I would not, trust my brother detectives in a case like this. Witness went on to say it was no use calling upon the local police or the petrol to search for the attackers as they did not know who to Search for. “I thought I was doomed as I could not give them information." Mr Wilbur i-lam. K.C., who is appearing for the Sydney Morning Herald and its reporters. said he was going to suggest that. the original accident theory was a subterfuge to hide the fact that Mr Brophy was out with women. Nothing sinister. Mr Brophy inierjecird:’ There was nothing sinister. i was not in the car with one woman but with two. 1 was not responsible for the. accident story told to reporters and I had no inten—tion of deliberately deceiving the Chief of Police, Sir Thomas Blarney. .\ir Ham suggested that Mr Brophy did everything to help his assailants. to which Mr lirophy replied that if he had given full information his assail—ants could have been in liongkong before he was aware of their move—monis. FT: