A POLICEMAN SHOT BY A BURGLAR. THE VICTIM A NEW ZEALANDER. MURDER IN SYDNEY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 377, 15 June 1889, Page 4

A POLICEMAN SHOT BY A BURGLAR. THE VICTIM A NEW ZEALANDER.

MURDER IN SYDNEY.

Conrtaiili3 David Sutherland was murdered at a quarter to threo on the morning of the sfch in Macleay-streeb, Pobbs Point. He died in tho execution of his duty, courageously sticking to his assailant until he fell back senseless from loss of blood. The capturo of the murderer "was purely accidental, bub it was happ;ly accomplished, and he stands confos&cd as James Morrison, a companion of criminals and himself believed to bo a burglar. The murdeied constable had been on night duby 111 and around Wyle-sbreeb, and was stauding opposito " Chatsworth," near the 'bus stand in Macloay-street, when he saw a man oncer the yard of the almost adjoining house, " Pomeroy," the residence of Mr Rundle, M.L.C. A minuto later there was a violent baiking of dogs heard and tho man ran out of the yard and crowed the high road with a hesitating gait. His eyo tell upon tho constable and ho began bo shuflle do^ n the road towards Uarlinghur.-jt. Sutherland hurried alter him with "Good morning, old fellow; you're up early this morning." Tho man still huriicd on and the constable then came up with him and said, "Wait a minute; what were you doing in bhat place?" Sutherland immediately after getting no leply, sci/ed his man and they wrestled until both fell to the ground, Sutherland boing uppermost. The constable's dying depositions state thao Morrison then drew his revolver from his trousers pocket and hred. The bullet entered the constable's groin, and he retaliated by dealing his prisoner a heavy blow on the forehead with his baton. Morrison ab tho same moment fired a second shot, which entered Sutherland's body in the same < place, and tho unfortunate lellow had only just time to wrench the pistol from the murderor'3 grasp when he fell back half-senseless from loss of b'ood. There weio no eye-witnesses of this tragic struggle, bub there is other evidence than the identification of Morrison by the dying man which points bo the veiy strong probabilities of his suit. Morrison was caught red-handed at the top of William-street outside the Five Roads Hotel. Senior-sergeant Robinson and Sergeant Hogan were having a quiet chat ere at 3.10 a.m., preparatory to coming off duty, when Moriison, slinking rapidly along from Victoria-street north, walked right into their arms. With the blood pouring from a wound over the lelt temple, and his clothes saburabed with bhe blood which had llowed from poor Sutherland in floods, sbaining him from the chest to bhe knees, the officers made a simultaneous move1 menb forwaid to arrest him tor inquiry. Morrison said, " I had a row ; '' but his extreme excitement and ghastly appearance spoke volumes, and the officers had the handcuffs in their hands when a second figure appeared on the scene running rapidly towards them from Alberto-terrace. This was Mr John McElhone, jun. His futher's house, at the corner of Kockwallstreet, is about 50 yards nearer Sydney than thegscene of the murder. Miss McElhone was the first in that house to hear the unusual noise in the stieet. She roused her mother, and until the fir.st report of a pistol was heaid both were inclined to attribute the sounds to the uneasiness of their collie dogs, one of which was often restless at night with distemper. Whilst they were alarming the house the second shot was heard. By this time the whole neighbourhood was on the gui vire, the report of firearms, the bhouting, scuffilng and subsequent groaning having penetrated as far as Billyard Avenue. Mr Benjamin Backhouse (President of the City Improvement Board) was absolutely the first on the scene. The first shot roused him, the second brought him out of bed and at the sound of pattering footstep 3 his head was out of the window in time to see the muiderer run down Rockwallstreet and scale a fence near its foot. Ab the same moment loud cries for " Help ! Help !" mingled with heart-rending groans, smote his ear, and without a moment's hesitation he roused his sons and daughter (Mrs Herbert McCulloch), hurried on a few clothes, and dashed out of the house. Constable Sutherland was lying on his side in the gutter, bleeding profusely. The signs of a sanguinary struggle aie still evident there. The pavement is bloodsbained, and near the gutter in -which the wounded man lay longest the macadamised road was yesterday in a state whirh suggested the previous butchery of a horse rather than of a human being. Mr Blockhouse raif-ed the poor fellow's head with his arm, and was appealed to piteously for " water," " Water, water; I'm dying, oh, Tin dying," cried Sutherland. He had no recollection whatever of anything that occurred between the firing of the second shot and his recovery of complete consciousness in the hospital, where he died bhe same day. Sutherland «a? 25 yeaz\s of age, a single man and a native of Canterbury, New Zealand, where he has left a widowed mother, three sisters and four or five brother*. He had £32 in the bank, and his lite was insured for £250. Sir Henry Parkes has sent the following letter bo the Inspector-General of Police with reference to the late Constable David Sutherland: — "Sir, — You will be good enough to convey to the members of the police force the expression of my deep regret for the loss which the Government has susstained by the murder of Constable David Sutherland. The highest conduct of man in any station of lifo consists of the fulfilment of trust and tho performance oi duty. David Sutherland did his duty to the very death. His steady sense of obligation, and his heroic effort to perform his part when hig life-blood was ebbing away, furnish an example which could hardly be excelled in front of the enemy on the battle-field. His conduct in life and death reflects the highest credit upon the force of which he was a member, and will make his memory respected by all good men." In accordance with the request of the Premier the letter 'has, under the direction of tho InspectorGeneral of Police, been recorded in the Orders, and read on parade at the various stations bo all of the mebropoliban police force, and was published in Ihe " Police Gazette " for the information of the police generally.