Branch, French Police, was shot and mortally injured when four men, two of them armed with pistols, approached him shortly after 8 a.m. yesterday when he had just left his home at 172 Route de Sieyes and was about to sit down in his private rickshaw on his way to office, and were able to empty their guns at point blank range.
The police officer fell back, seriously injured by two bullets in his chest and another in his neck, whilst an Annamite policeman on duty in the vicinity, rushed to the scene in time to fire at the fleeing thugs, injuring one seriously. letcctive was rushed to the St. Marie's Hospital, where his condition was diagnosed as extremely serious and a blood-transfusion was made scon after admission. He died of his wounds at 4 pin. Meanwhile the gunman was taken to the police ward of the same hospital, he was found suffering from a smashed shoulder and shots in both thighs. After first-aid had been administered to him, detectives were understood to have questioned him and it was believed that the three other members of the gang would be in police custody within a short time.
The reason for the daring attempt is still being investigated but, accord-ling to initial inquiries, it was not believed that a political motive was acted upon.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.