TWO CONSTABLES SHOT IN STREERT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 56, 28 October 1931, Page 4

TWO CONSTABLES SHOT IN STREERT

SERIPUSLY WQUNDED OEEICERS ATTACRED RY " MAN WITH 1 RIFEE/ NEWGASTLE SENSAIIQH NEWCASTLE, Sat All Newcastle has been stirred bj the 'sehsati'ohal shob'ting' bf •ConSfahk H. Eenhy, the terroh* of**locrar' S: P hhokmake'rs, and" Constable '''Smith, hfs 'lieutendnf lh mahy' raids. r '?, 'r ' IVithbht '' the sllghtest * "warning, both con^tables Were'slibt dbwh' anb seriousjy wounded by a 'mkh with 'a ^epeatirig ri|e yyho fihed af 'Smith'at thb hach dodr b| a sh'6'p in istayatah; ahd theh rii^hin'g to 'ihe "froht dobr, shot Hehny" in',thet'mcrtith.t M ' * ! N'pt 'a 'wbrd wa'S'sgbk^h by the man who fmed' at the" coBst'abMs. trhmbved by the approach of people froni ail sides, lyho' ' ruSlied fo'aid'fhe wounded police, the 'man fired a'third shof af the police car '$r iveii by G'ohstaible Barnett. * * ' ' " *"" " ! | "Thfe bullet" chopped a hole jn the meta| at the rear ' o£ "the car,* ^iit miss'ed Barnett. 'A man who was arrested later by a posse 'o'f ' police has been charged with having shot at the" cpnstkhleS with; inteht to liitirder. ' J' ' '* ' ' ' ' J ' Time after time plans of S.R. bookmakers and tiiew •cRents' itate "beeii spoi|e(| by the "energy "of 'Qohstable Kenny. Md mah '|ri t,he Newcasfble district who made illegal ' hets'"felt safe. " But as the terror of Kenny jncreased am'ong fhe S.R. men, 'se Was li"is freedom' bf movemen't hampered. Scouts watched him and by a queer and efficient system of "mulga wireless" news of" his coming was flashed to those whb l'aid starting price odds. " •

Bad Feeling. Since Strehgth won the Metropolitah there has' been ' a "fLutter aniong BP. men, aiid those who invest hipney with them- in the Newcastle suBurbs. Men who' backed Strehgth at" 56 td 1 alleged that one S'.P. rhan had paid the'nioney 26 to 1: * There was "'mtrch gnashing of teeth and threats of "tophihg 'oif:" It was' while" the whole S.P. world wak seething over this 'disputed point that neWB filtered* to police1 ' headquarters. The ' "tip" was Worth follO'wirig up, and the'trail led Eenny'anh Sihith through heVera'l suhurbs. Av ih'ari had rfoche ' liiterviewed in Waratah 'tcf eohiplete hrhat the polide considered- to'he ar chain of evidence ori 'which they "proposbd to act. "" Didn't Expect ^|vots. It was ibbut1 4.'20 p'.m., when the police car drew up In ^tationrstreet, Warhtah". Constaple Barbett reiflained at the Wh'ebf,whiler! Behhy and Smith got out. * All three were in plain clqthes. Their objectiye was a tihy shop'conducfed! as a ml'xe'd fruiterers and stationers. It consisted of only th'e one roohi, ahd a" harrow laneway at its side led to another lane in the rear. Constable Smith walked casually to the backyard, and approachb'd4' the back dobr." Arih'ed oppositfon to the interview that they kbd^ht 'WaS fUlr remote from the''"thohglits of eithef Smitk" or Itenny. 4 ? Smith 'pushed open the back door, wbich" was ajar, and steppgd" ixisicjel

No Time t'o Draw Unknowiiigly he almost thrust himself agafnst the barrel of a Winchester repeater ' rifle', ' which a man had levelled af ' him: ' Befbre Smith cbtdd' make*a" mbve' to draw his revolver, the man had fired. * Smith reeled back With a huRet in'the rteck,' and stumbled through the yard. Bl'ood streamed hetween 'hfs fiiigers as he clutched ' at his thrdat. 'Dizzy from paiii and Shock, he tottered into the yard bf a private dwelliiig. ' There 'he dropped in'a heap'on a Verandah. " Rullet in Mouth. Kenny waS just about to enter the front' Jobr* oi "the* s|ibp 'when the shol; ecnoed from the rear. ' Ife hiirried mside, but "was confronted 'by' a man who "raised "a rifl'e' to his''shoplder and |ired. The bullet ' struck Kenny near the mouth, 'and apparently took an"upwar|' course to the ear. Blood ghshed' from,' the cohstable^s mouth as he f'oftered back, seeking frenziedly with oue hand: to stanch t|ie* |qw/ With ihe pther he waved a frarific warning to Barnett in'the car. Then, spinning rpund, he crashpn his face 'on the fpotpath. The spund of tfie shots emptipd the' crowded Ibar of a riearhy hotel. Men raced across to the shop, where Kenny lay on the grbund, his vest' and-sh'irt soaked with blood. "He has shot me, boysj I'm hleeding to death j" the constable gasped to' those who sought to raise him. to" his feet.

In the midst of this hubbub a man strode' intP fhe road. He raised' a rifle to his shoulder and fired af ihe police car, the bufiet bitiilg through th'e* upholstery of fhe redr seat, tmt missin'g Barnett. New Raid on Shop. Nobody ^lse' ih"the ""'cro'wd was mehaced ' witlr the * gtm and in the ^eridra;r exlfeiteme'rii thb' n?anv disaphekred.- • A 7telephbne* ckli hrouj|ht police reinforcemeiits from'Nei^castle hbadquarfPrs." ; SergearitM'Hinbheyi' leda 'AhW' raid on "the- sh:op 'ahd" 4^44 was taken into custody. "Tell my wlfe ' ilys' nothing," said Kenny as they were taking off his blood-stained' ' clo'th'es 'af'iEe Newcastle "Hospital. "J will get over it, all right. Tell her it's only a scratch." Not a Scratcfi. ||e trjed io smjle p|uckily |hrough a fiiask of |)Idbd' ' ihat' hafi* spreaci dver 'Bis ihce. ' 'But Kenny*s wbuhci fhbu^i 4 "'stopd ' ' up" " || |ike " a Spartan, "was*' by" no" ikeaias "a scrdteli. The bulleV'%fi'' 'plbfigliefi ilp^ard through' 't|ie"irJaw 'fibm fhe Mfie !o i the mouth;** "Sell' ini^ T^fe''' 3 she musth^i" worry. |t wfll'be 'ajt'right^ hW'repeatehf 'while* a' A'pctor "exkmined the^wbuhfil' 5a '* ' ''' l> ' ' " 1 Constable Smith was equally courageous. He'was pale'and drawn, h4t madb "4 g'allaihrefiorf tq 'sMfie. In Disguise. So-widely did Kerihy become known in 'NeVcastle ' -'ah4 sub4rbk'"ih* such riaidl that' • fo . enable hinr to" carry oh' his*work;'he rdsdrtefi 'to all kinds of diSguises and' a" few w'eek's " ago he ' diktinguished "himself' ' in' a remarkable ''rai4.'' " ! "* ' WeH"'disguised, Kenny hid in a Af, 1.7.'-

packing case which was carried atro'tlhd .on'a dilahidaied* motor lorr^: " The lorry -fras ' parked 'rtear ' " the preiiiisek ' to' he raided. ' " ' ' r Lifting the lict of the case, Kenny was able io' folloW ihe taik' and' at thfe' prpper' momeht he Sprang out among 'the Si.B.r,4hettdrs. * i . . € ... r