MILITARY DESERTER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3168, 20 August 1917, Page 6

MILITARY DESERTER

WOUNDED BY A POLICEMAN. The arrest of Samuel Gould, an alleged deserter from the Australian Infantry Forces, was effected in exciting circumstances nt Carlton. Gould ha<l been in camp at Broadnieadows, which he deserted on March 31, and a warrant had been issued for his arrest. The police were informed of his whereabouts by his wife, who rushed to Russell Street Police Station, and said that her husband had threatened to shoot lor. Plain-clothes Constables E. Cummins and J. Sutton accompanied the woman to her hom« in Cardigan Street, Onriton, and on th'eir arrival they found M:e premises locked. Sutton pushed up t>)e frontroom window, and «iw Gould, with a revolver in his hand, standing behind the door. Gonld pointed the revolver at the constable, who stepped aside. 'At this juncture Constables Dorninn and. Durnan, of Carlton, arrived, and, as' there then -n-as no sign of Gould, the four policemen entered the house by the windo/ , , and ascended a Unirc-aso leading to the second story of the building. Sntton knocked on the door of a bedroom, arid then opsned it slightly. Gould made Ins appearance, and Sutton paid:—"Como on, what aro you going to do?" Gould replied: "I am going to do the same as you," at the same time pointing his revolver at the. constable. Anticipating Gould's intention. Sutton fired his revolver, . and shot the man in the arm, just below the elbow. Though wounded, Gould attempted fo discharge his weapon, but he was quietly seized and handcuffed by Constable Dnrman. Gould was taken to the Melbourne Hospital, where the bullet was afterwards extracted. The police allege that the revolver, which is a seven-cham-bered one, and which was found to be fully loaded when Gould wis overpowered, had been stolen from the shop of Mr. .T. ifues, gunsmith, of Little Bourke Street, and that a quantity of cartridges similar to those found in the revolver ■had also been stolen from Mr. Mues's shop. An examination, of th» revolver showed that each of the seven cartridges had misfired, owing, it is stated, to their not being suitable to the construction of tho weapon. Whilst outside the house, Plain-clothes Constable Sutton heard the clicking of the revolver, and it is assumed that Gould had either attempted to shoot himself or to.wound the constables standing outside.