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ROY BRUHN FREED
Nona Ryan Detained By
Judge's Order
FITZROY SHOOTING CASE
After giving her evidence in
the Criminal 'Court today, in the
case of Rov Rrubn, Mona Ryan,
who was shot in a house in
Nicholson Street, Fitzroy, on
January 21, was piaccu in custody by
Mr Justlco Macfnrlan. . .
As tho only cvldcnco for the Crown
was a certain admission by Brulm, his
Honor directed the Jury to acquit
Brnhn on the charge of shooting Mona
Ryan with intent to do her grievous
bodily harm. \
Ryan, in evidence today, said she
did not remember quarreling with
Bruhn on tho night she was shot.
Sho was warned by Mr Justlco
f farlnn, who ordered her to bo
treated as a hostile witness. Ryan
said threo strange men came to her
room, and, during a quarrel between
them she was shot.
In a provioU9 statement which tho
Crown Prosecutor (Mr Book) read,
sho had said Bruhn fired tho shot.
In outlining the Crown ease. Mr
Book said that tho accused and tho
girl Ryan had been very friendly for
some time preceding the shooting.
Ryan was living with Mrs Genova,
Bruhn'o sister, and on the morning
of January 21 thoro was a quarrel,
between tho accused and Ryan.
ALMOST FATATj WOUXI)
In tho evening, Bruhn went to hor
bedroom, and later a taxi driver who
was passing, was. hailed by a man
carrying a girl. They wore'drlvon to
St. Vincent's IToapitnV.
Two operations wero performed on
tho girl Ryan for a bullet wound
which had almost fatal results. ,
Bruhn was arrested by detectives,
and later interviewed nt tho Metro
politan Gaol.
At first -Bruhn refused to make any
statoment until ho had seen a solici
tor. but later ho admitted that he
shot the girl during a struggle.
Bruhn said: "There was only one
shot fired. I was sitting on the bed at
the time. she rushed at mo and
during the struggle tho revolver went
off.!'
Bruhn said that aftor tho shooting
ho threw tho revolver on the bed. Ho
refused to make a written statement
Sydney Gray, a Yellow Cab driver,
said that he was driving along Nichol
son Street when he was hailed by a
man who later carried a woman into
his cab and they went to St. Vincent's
Hospital. Ho could not Identify Bruhn
as tho man.
QUARREL ABOUT SHOES
Senior Detective Lynch, said that
ho told Bruhn at Co burg that tho gU'l
had said that thoy had quarrelled
over a pair of shoes which Bruhn had
given hor £5 to purchase. Under
cross-examination by Air \V. H.
Jones (for Bruhn) ho admitted that
Bruhn was first arrested on tho hold-
lag charge of vagrancy.
Detective Leigh corroborated this,
but he denied a suggestion mado by
Mr Jones (for tlio defence) that the
police had gone to the gaol authori
ties and had asked them to mako it
hard for Bruhn to get ball.
Mono Ryan, who appeared in the
tur coat, showed clearly her reluct
ance to give evidence which would in
criminate Bruhn.
She. Bald that she -had been keep
ing company with Bruhn for about
nine months prior to the evening she
was shot.. .She did not remember hav
ing -quarrelled with him on January
21. Thoro was no trouble when she
saw him in tho evening. Sho remem
bered being at the hospital.
WARNED BY JUDGE
Mr Justice Macfarlan warned her,
and then allowed Mr Book to cross-
examine her as a hostile witness.
In answer to Mr Book, she said that
during the afternoon of January 21,
sho was In a hotel with Mrs Genova.
and they met three men. These men,
whom she did not know, camo to her
room, and during a quarrel between
the men she was shot. She could not
remember what was said prior to tho
shooting.
Mr Book then read a statement she
had made to tho police when she was
In a critical condition.
In It she had "given a detailed ac
count qt the events of the day. She
had stated that she and Bruhn had
quarrelled, and ho had . come to her
room. They continued to have words
and he had gone to a duchesse table
and got an automatic pistol. After
he had fired it she said, "Roy, don't
do that." She fell on the floor and
he bent down and kissed her.
"DON'T TELL ANYONE"
Before leaving her at tho hospital
Bruhn had said; "Don't tell anyone
I shot you." 'She promised she would
not.
Mr Book: When you made that
statement did you think you might
die?
Ryan: No.
Is that statement true? — No.
Was tho accused Bruhn present in
the room when you were shot? — No.
His Honor again warned the girl
that the court had wide powers to
deal with witnesses on oath.
"CROWN CASE WEAK"
Mr Book: Did you want to get rid
of Bruhn at tho timo?-
Ryan: No.
You remember having an Interview
with me yesterday? — Yes.
' . Did you not tell me that you did
not wish to have anything more to do
with Bruhn at tho time when the
shooting took place?- — I don't- re
member.
Or anything to that effect?— No.
After directing the police to -take
Ryan in custody His Honor gave a
short direction to the jury pointing
out the weakness of the Crown case,
end directing them to acquit.
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