Arthur Brennan

Brennan was discovered to be absent without leave on 24 November 1915,[22] and was "struck off strength of [the] Royal Park Camp as a deserter on 30/11/15 — a decision later confirmed by a Court of Inquiry — and a warrant was issued for his arrest.[20] Brennan and a fellow soldier, Private Patrick McGrath (51412),[25] were arrested in November 1918, and put on trial, in France, after they had forcibly entered an estaminet in Saint-Vaast, on the night of 29 October 1918.His sentence was suspended, and he was released from prison on 18 June 1919, under the powers provided by the "Suspension of Sentences" provisions (i.e., Regulations 643A and 643B) of the Australian Military Regulations under the Defence Act 1903–1915 that had come into operation on 7 March 1917,[27][28] and was returned to his regiment and, then, was repatriated (with his regiment) to Australia in the HMAT Port Melbourne A16,[29] leaving England on 5 July 1919, and landing in Melbourne on 20 August 1919.[30] The Brennan household, which consisted of Arthur and five of his sisters, had an arrangement with their immediate neighbour, Norah Power, that, if she was alone and in need of assistance, she would knock on the wall which divided their homes.[31] During the struggle, Brennan was shot in the chest by a small automatic pistol that the intruder had managed to draw from his overcoat with a free arm.[31][40] The police were unable to locate the suspect; and, after three months had elapsed, the City Coroner gave a finding that Brennan had been murdered by a "person unknown".[44] At the time of his death, police stated that "[they were] now certain from information which has come to hand that [Gepp] was the prowler who on September 12 last murdered Arthur Brennan in front of his home in Howe Street, North Fitzroy".[46] On 15 April 1932, Thomas Blamey, the Chief Commissioner of the Victorian Police Force, formally announced that Gepp was no longer considered to be Brennan's murderer.[47] Although just 17½, he was more than 6 foot tall, and was strongly built; and "despite his youth, [he] was described by police [at the time of his death] as being one of the most desperate young criminals who had passed through their hands in recent years"[48] Having previously been convicted of a number of crimes (including firearms offences, and breaking and entering), for which he had (already) served several long terms in detention centres, he was in prison awaiting sentencing, having been found guilty of (a) shooting at a police constable with the intent to murder him,[49] and (b) stealing a motorcycle and sidecar.[10] Prompted by Blamey's emphatic declaration, Barker's mother visited the office of The Herald on the following Monday (18 April 1932),[52] and produced documentary evidence, in the form of a medical report from Dr. Edward James Grieve,[53] the Medical Superintendent of St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne — the veracity of the report's contents were (subsequently) confirmed directly with Dr. Grieve by The Herald.