The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-01-18 00:00:00

THE ASSAULT AT THE BARRACKS.

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Eward Keenan, a private of the 39th Brigade, was
again brought up at the Borough Police-court on
Monday morning on a charge of cutting and wounding
Frank Carroll with intent to du gre%ious bodily harm.
—The injured man was sufficiently recovered to
appear. He is still suffering from the effects of the
assault, however, and is in a very weak and critical
condition.—Carroll said he belonged to the 3llth
Brigade. On the night of the 314 December he left
the barracks between five and -(ix o'clock with John
Beef us. They returned at half-past nine, and went to
the barrack-room to answer his name. Nearly all the
men in his company were present. Keenan was
amongst them. There was some porter in a bucket on
the flour, and some of the men in the room said it
belonged to the company. He said "If it belongs to
the company we'll drink it." He then went to get
the bucket, but Private Keenan said it belonged to
him. He (witness) took the bucket and ran round the
table with it. Keenan took hold of the handle of the
bucket, and tried to pull it away. While pulling it
away some of the porter went over his straps. Private
Beef us dipped a Wain full from the bucket, and it was
banded to him. He was going to take it when the
prisoner snatched it away and threw the porter in his
face, and as witness put on his hand he threw the
basin in his face, striking him in the forehead over
the right eye. He fell down and he did not recollect
what happened after that. He had been in the
hcapital ever since, and had not seen the prisoner since
the night of the aciault.—Prisoner You and I belong
to the same company? —Witness: Yes—Prisoner:
Have we ever had any misunderstanding or any bad
feeling since we joined 7—Witness :No.—ln answer to
further questions, witness admitted that prisoner told
him he had bought the porter himself and paid for it.
This was after the men had said it belonged to the
company.—Prisoner: He said "I don't care who paid
for it, we'll drink it. : I said "The men say
It belongs to the company and we'll drink it."—Private
Beef us confirmed the evidence at former hearings.—
Private Regan said he was present at the time of
the assault. He saw a group of men round the
prisoner trying to get the porter away from him.
He saw Carroll run away with the porter, and
Keenan went after him. In the struggle a portion
of the liquor went over his belt. He took it
sway and put it down by the side of his bed again.
Beef us took a basin full of the liquor out of the bucket
and gave It to witness. He then handed it to Carroll,
Keenan made a snatch at the basin and a portion of it
Mate his straps. What was left in the basin he
tlerew in his face, and afterwards threw the basin at
ja hit him in the forehead, and in falling on the
floorir was broken. Carroll put his hands to his face
and in a few seconds fell backwards.—ln reply to the
Mayor, he could not speak with certainty whether the
basin broke when it struck his forehead or when it fell
on the floor.—Witneas further stated prisoner made a
rush towards Carroll after he threw the basin, but he
Was pulled away.--Surgeon-Major Anderson said he
was in medical charge of the 39th Brigade Depet. He
was called to barracks on the night of the 31st
December, about quarter to 10. They were just
bringing Carroll out of the infantry barracks, for the
purpose of bringing him to the hospital. He examined
tarn on the spot, and found him perfectly insensible,
almost pulaslees, and icy cold. The case was very
urgent, and he thought it was doubtful if he would
reach the hospital alive, and he at once used means to
restore respiration. He had ascertained he had lost
ever a pint of blood, and it was then flowing from
wounds on the face. His teeth was clenched and his
mouth full of froth. He was suicequently removed to
the hospital, where he had been under his care ever
since. When taken to the hospital he remained
Insensible for some hours, the wounds were severe and
deep over the right eye, and down the nose, and would
be such wounds as would be caused by a basin. There
was no fracture. His state had been such as to case a
great deal of apprehension, but he had done remark-
able well, although at one time erysipelas was feared.
He warn now, convalescent, but there might be still
ground for serious apprehension, although not at the
present moment, as the wounds were healed.—
Prisoner (to Dr. Anderson): Would his being the
worse for drink affect his return to consciousness after
he was struck.—Dr. Anderson did not think that
would make much difference. —Private Regan said they
were both the worse for liquor. Prisoner said:
—I o=2o years and four months • soldier to-morrow; I
don't recollect ever having any rows before, either in
barracks or in the town—l never had in fact. I was
never before • court-inartial since I enlisted. I was
never convicted by civil power since I enlisted or in
my life, and I was never before a magistrate before. I
have only eight months to go to-morrow for a life
pension, and this may be a very serious injury to me.
—He was then formally committed for trial at the
sodas.