PARK HOLD-UP

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19911, 13 June 1936, Page 7

PARK HOLD-UP

INQUIRY IN MELBOURNE

i SHOOTING 0F SUPERINTENDENT. \VOMAN PASSENGER‘S EVIDENCE. United Press Assn—Elec. 'l'el. Copyright. MELBOURNE, June 12. The Royal Commission which is inquiring into the shooting oi" Super—intendent .l. Brophy, ot' the Victorian Criminal investigation Department, in Royal Park, near Parkville, on May ‘22 sat again to—day. Mr Justice Macindoe presided. The Chief of Police, Sir Thomas Biamcy stated that when the shooting was originally reported to be accij dental he did not ask Mr Ilrophy how he came to he wounded all over the body. Mr \Vill‘Jur liam, K.C., counsel for the Sydney Morning Herald and its reporters: Did not you think it strange“! Sir Thomas: Yes. Mrs Madeline iUi‘i', widow of the late licensee of 'l‘attersall‘s Hotel, which is near the detective headquarters. gave evidence that she had known Mr Bro-phy and his family for years and often visited them. Story of the Shooting. \Yitness corroborated the story of the shooting. Cross—examined by Mr L. Strctton. who is assisting the Commissioner, she said the lights of the car were switched off while it was parked in Royal Park. Mr StrEiton: Did not it seem a mys—terious way for an old friend like Mr Brophy to act? \Vitness: No. \Vhat did you do? Did you have a pleasant chat in the dark?—\\'e did not have time. it was only a matter of minutes when the bandits appeared. You passed the police station after Mr Brophy had been injured. Why did not. you give ini‘ormatlou‘.’—\Ve were acting under Mr Brophy's instructions, which were to save us women. Mr Brophy asked us to leave it to him. Mr Stanley Lewis, who is also appearing for the Sydney Morning llcrald, asked Mrs Urr whether she treated the barman Mailer, who was driving the car, more as a friend than an employec. Witness replied: lie is merely an employee in my liar. Riddled With Bullets. You amt Mrs Phillips were in the back seat of the car. hut when it stopped Mrs Phillips changed places with Mr Brophy. “hat was the reason‘l—Tliere was no particular reason. .\ir Brophy‘s last words were: “You leave this to me. I think they have got me. I am riddled with bullets." Mrs Elsie Phillips, of Middle Park, gave similar evidence. She added that when the firing fibegan Maher cried to tier: “Bob down," and pushed her head down. \\'itncss said she did not scream when she heard the shots fired, nor did Mrs Orr. Mrs Phlliips' husband then entered the witness—box. lie said he was still on good terms with his wife and there was no dissension us the result of the cur incident. “on, Dash It.” William Maher related a conversa—tion when Mr Brophy asked for the use of Mrs Orr‘s car on the night of May 22. He said that Mesdames Orr and Phillips on the same evening wanted to be driven to Clifton Hill, whereupon witness told them Mr ilrophy wanted the ear. .\irs Orr exclaimed: ”Oh, dash it." Mailer then described the happenings in Roya. Park. . Maher said he had not reported the shooting to the police because he was “leaving everything to Mr Bx‘ophy," Altogether, about 10 shots were tired, .he said. } Detective W. R. Boulton, who was subjected to a searching cross—exam—ilnation as to why the police did not im‘mevdiaiely make inquiries into the shooting, said that soon after the affair .he saw Mr Brophy in hospital, when he ‘told witness his wounds were accidental. i Mr Lewis: \Vas not it perfectly clear ’to you that Mr Brophy had not been accidentally shot? \Vitness: No. You are a detective, and your powers of observation as a detective should have enabled you to decide whether it was accldental.—Mr Brophy told me it was an accident and I believed him. “'as it the fact that Mr Brophy is your superior otlicer that prevented [you making inquiries ?—lnquiries have been made. L The hearing was adjourned. Era;