BURGLAR'S CRIME

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 29, 26 September 1931, Page 4

BURGLAR'S CRIME

MELBOURNE MAN SHOT MURDERER FIRES SHOT AND MAKES HASTY GET AWAY POSSIBILITY OF IDENTIFICATION MELBOURNE, Saturday. Interrupted while attempting to break into a house in Rowe Street, Clifton Hill, las.t week, a burglar murdered Arthur Brennan, of 26 Rowe Street, in cold blood, at his front gate. The murderer darted down a side lane and escaped. The man, who was bareheaded and wore a thick overcoat, was disturbed at the door of the house adjoining that of Brennan, an'd when Brennan opened his gate to intercept him, the stranger drew a revolver from his pocket and shot him through the heart. Brennan died in a few minutes, and, although several people who saw the murderer dart down a side lane, gave chase, he disappeared into the darkness. Window Forced. The house first visited by the intrud.er is occupied by a Miss Power, her brother and a niece. Miss Power, who was home alone at the time, was reading a newspaper when she heard a ring at the front aoorbell. The ring was not the usual one given by those living in the house, and warily going to front door she peeped through the side glass panels and saw a tall man walking away from the door towards a window. The next moment she heard the noise of the window being forced open. Becoming alarmed, she went to the rear of the house and knocked on the wall next to the Brennan kitchen, where Brennan was sitting talking to his three sisters. Knock of Death Miss Power's knock was a prearranged signal for Brennan or anyono else in the house to go to the front door, and hearing the door in Brennan's house open she opened her own door and, confronting the man, asked him what he wanted: He muttered a reply. Meanwhile Brennan had gone to the iron railing separating the two hcuses, and leaning over, asked the man what his business \fras. The

intruder replied, softly, "I haven't done anything," but Miss Power had gone to the window and called out that there were marks where it had been forced. The man made a move to rush out of the Power gate, and Brennan, opening his own gate, rushed out to intercept him. Quick Escape He seized the man who, all this time, had kept his hands in his overcoat pocket, but now he suddenly whipped one out and pointing a revolver above Brennan's heart fired. Brennan collapsed, and the man dashed into the street and disappeared down a side lane. Miss Power, who had witnessed the whole of the incident, which had taken only a few seconds, screamed for help. Brennan f ell and lapsed into unconsciousness, and was dead on the arrival of the doctor. Apparently the murderer had been watching Power's home for some time, and had noticed that Mr. Power and one of the women occupants had left about an hour earlier. Brennan was 43 years of age, ana had been unemployed for some time. One of his sisters is a ntm in a Roman Catholic convent in Sydney. Miss Power said late to-night thar she thought she would be able to identify the murderer.