A FATAL BLOW

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1933, Page 6

A FATAL BLOW

SYDNEY STREET MURDER. FATE OF A AVAR HERO. SYDNEY, September 1. One.minute he was an ordinary thief, engaged in robbing clothes-lines—a “i/now,dropper,’’to use the lainiliaf term applied by the police—and the next lie was a-- murderer, sought for high aiul low in the city• of Sydney. Such is. the summary of one of the most amazing crimes in Sydney’s history—a crime in which fate played the queerest of hands. . A colourful hero of the Great War, Jules Boccy, who, as captain in a crack Italian regiment, bore a charmed life on’ tiie battlefields, is dead as the result of a. chance blow on the jluv, received while lie was engaged in a chase. He was a Frenchman by birth, but lie bad lived most of his life in Italy. Just after midnight last Monday. Mrs Boecy, who is of Italian parents, but horn in New Caledonia, noticed that several articles had disappeared from the line - in the yard of her' home. Then she saw a man leaning over the wall and reaching out toward the clothes.that were drying. She called her husband, who ran out and confronted'the thief. “I wasu t doing anything,” said the man, “I was only looking over the wall. ’ - Mr Boccy then said he would call tlie: police, and the stranger fled. In a second *Boccy had-vaulted the., wall and dashed after him..-. The'.two had not raced far when the fugitive realised that he had lithe'chance of escape. He turned and struck a blow which caught Mr Boecy under the jaw. Mr Bqccy became' unconscious and was found in that state by bis wife a few minutes later. He was taken to hospital. Mrs Boccy is a particularly attractive woman and she collapsed when, she was told of her husband’s death. The couple, who were devoted to one another, were married in Sidney about eight years ago. Mr Boecy was an accomplished linguist, and lie enlisted with the Italian Army soon after war had been declared. He had a distinguished career as a soldier against the Austrians, and reached the rank of captain- After the war he carne to Australia, hut the fates were not over kind to him and for some time he had been out- of employment. In his willingness to do any kind of work he became a waiter, but only casual .employment came his way! He used to tell his wife .hot to worry and that everything would, come right soon.