WOUNDED BY REVOLVER

Shannon News, 21 January 1927, Page 3

WOUNDED BY REVOLVER

POSTAL OFFICIALS SHOT DISMISSED EMPLOYEE’S ACT SUICIDE BY ASSAILANT. SYDNEY, Dec. 24. Once the larger capitals of Australia —Sydney and Melbourne —had almost a monopoly of violent crimes, but in the last few years, the other State capitals, Brisbane, Adclaids, Perth, and Hobart, have provided similar tragedies—perhaps evidence of their giowth to large cityhood. Nothing 'more sensational has ever been recorded in either Sydney or Melbourne, than the mid-day shooting of two high-placed post offioe officiali in Adelaide. bv n dismissed clerk, and the latter’s, suicide before the horrified gazo of scores- of people. The shooting occurred shortly before one o’clock last Friday. The victim*; were Mr. James Mason, head of the postal department in South Australia, who was critically wounded, and Mr. E. J. Dobel, head costing clerk, who was also seriously wounded. Their assailant wav James Hannigan, who had been formerly a temporary clerk. Hannigan had been employed for about two years in. the engineer’s department. About eight months ago, ho threatened Mr. Dobel and a woman employee with a rcvelver and was then transferred to the department’s workshops. On Thursday,, he assaulted a boy apprentice, and on being reprimanded. / kicked the sectional ■ officer. For this he was dismissed, Mr. Mason sending confirmation of the sectional officer’s action by telephone. Hannigan was told to call for the pay due to him on Friday, and early that morning ho interviewed Mr. Dobel. Ho called again about half-past eleven, and was told to return later for his pay. Hannigan Produces a Revolver Shortly before one o’clock, Hannigan returned and received portion of his money, and was advised to go to the cashier’s branch for the remainder. A minute or two later he reappeared on tlio' landing outside the office where a large number of clerks of both sexes were working. Approaching Mr. Dobel, Hannigan pulled out a servictK revolver . and fired two shots point blank at him, both taking effect. Aghast at the occurence, the occupants of the room saw* Hannigan make aggressively toward another officer’s room, and failing to open the door, fired through the frosted glass portion of the door, in the direction of the official’s chair. Fortunately, the official was absent. Otherwise, subsequent investigations showed, he would have been sitting directly in the path of tho bullet. With two undischarged cartridges still in his revolver, Hannigan ran quickly out of the office, down a flight of stairs, and along the corridor approaching tho gallery running round the main hall of tho post office, on to which Mr. Mason’s i;oom opened. Mr. Mason, was at that moment leaving his office for lunch. Hannigan fired at him and tho bullet took effect over the heart. Mr. Mason collapsed. Hannigan continued to tho ground floor, and was about to leave the building, when Mr. John Beare, tho State wirelss inspector, flung himself on him, and with great courage, pinioned his arms, although ho was much smaller than Hannigan. The alarm had already been sent to tha police, but before the latter arrived Hannigan jerked his revolver upward and shot himself through tho head from below the jaw. He fell dead before the horrified gazo of scores of passersby. Mr. Mason’s Long Career

Mr. Mason, who is 64 years of ago, and was duo to retire next year, was made Deputy—Postmaster General in South Australia last year, and before Fiat ho had 47 years’ service with the post office in Victoria. Hannigan was about 38 years of age. He had been in Adelaide about four years. Before the war, he was a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary, and afterwards had service in China. Ho served with British forces during the war. He was a member of the Adelaide polico force before enteidng the post office, and is said to havo suffered from shell shock. He was of an erratic and at times nature. A powerful man, : %o took a prominent part in athletics a year or so ago.