The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-06 00:00:00

BRUTAL MURDER OF A POLICENIAN.

At the Lambeth Police Court, yesterday, .himcs
M'Elligott, John Berkey Patrick CU', Dennis Har-
rington, John Fahey, Burke, Dennis Shana-
han, and Edward Shnnaikin, coal porters and labourers
at the Gas-works, Vauxhall, were charged with the wilful
murder of Henry Chaplin, a constable in the L division of
police, No. 77, in Vauxhall-walk, on that morning.
Edward Newton, 1219 L, said—At a quarter past one
o'clock this morning I was on duty in Vauxhall-walk, and
heard a great noise a little down the walk, and, on proceed-
ing to the place, Law several men and Policeasinstable
Henry Chaplin, 77 L. was also there, and endeavouring to
persuade them to go home.
Mr. Elliott—What were the men doing at the time?
Witness—They were making a great noise your worship,
and I myself begged of them to go along peaceably and not
make such a noise at such a time in the morning. I saw
Cane Mickey, and McElligott amongst flume present, and
I spoke to the two latter, and told them to desist from hal-
lining. Chaplin addressing the parties said, "Will you go
home quietly, if not I shall lock you up." Five or six of
them then went away, but returned in a few moments
armed with large stones, or what I considered to be then
brickbats, and on coming ucar to Chaplin the prisoner
Hickey flung this stone at hint and struck him un the
mouth. (The witness here produced a clinker, a missile
weighing nearly albs.), and proceeded to say that the effect
of the blow caused the deceased to stagger against a win-
dow shutter, near to which he stood, but lie soon appeared
to recover, and was enabled to draw his staff and strike
Hickey on the forehead, the blow producing the wound
which that prisoner bore. The instant that Chill/lilt struck
Hickey the prisoner Cane came up to him, and struck hint
(Chaplin), a desperate blow with a large flint stone on the left
side of the head, or temple, and at almost the same moment
Another of the party, but who I cannot recognise, also
came up and struck the deceased on the right temple, and
he instantly fell to the foot pavement. 1 instantly rushed
at the prisoner Cane, and laid hold of him for the purpose
of securing him, but at that instant I received a %latent
blow front a stout on the shoulder which knocked me down
on the pavement. I got up again, and laid hold of Cane a
second time, but he knocked me down and got away before
I got up. I then ran along Salamanca-place, springing my
rattle, and immediately after a sergeant and some constables
came up. I returned with them to where Chaplin was and
found him lying on the pavement all in a gore of blood, and
bleeding profusely from the mouth, nose, and some wounds
on his head, and assisted in removing him into the Queen's
Head public-house, be, all the time, remaining in a state of
perfect insensibility. Soon after I accompanied theconstables
to a house in Vauxhall-walk, and knocked at the door several
times before it was opened, and ou entering it I saw the pri-
soner Hickey standing at the kitchen door bleeding front a
wound on his forehead, and his hands were also bloody.
One of the constables who accompanied me charged the pri-
soner with assaulting Chaplin the constable, but Hickey de-
clared he had not been out all the night, and that the blood
upon his hinds hail been occasioned by a bleeding from his
nose. We then took hint into custody, upon which he made
some resistance, hut was ultimately taken to the station
fringe. Soon afterHickey'a minors! from the hour I Saw the
prisoner MeElligott come down Anderson's-walk and into
Vauxhall-walk, and on coming up to the railings of the
house from which Hickey had been removed, he made a full
stop, and I at once recognised him as one of the men I had
Just before seen in Lambeth-walk, and gave him into the
custody of 113 L. We went into the house a second time,
and there found the prisoner Cane coming up stairs front
the cellar or coal-hole, and he attempted to make his escape
by getting out the hack way, but we secured him, and at
that time he was bleeding from a wound oil the
side of the head which I have no doubt 1 gave
him' with my stair while we were struggling, and
1 endeavoured to secure him. I have no doubt he is the
man who struck Chaplin with the stone on the lett side of
the head or temple, and that he is also the Mail I endea-
voured to secure. When we took him into custody he asked
what it was for, awl upon being told for brubilly assaulting
a constable, he endeavoured to escape, rind we hail soma
difficulty in preventing him. I afterwards saw Chaplin in
bed at his own house, where he still remained in a state of
insensibility, and was removed to Guy's Hospital.
Mr. Elliott—What was the first violence you saw com-
mitted?

Witness—The first violence, your worship, was the pri-
soner Hickey striking the deceased on the mouth with this
stone (the missile before described).
Mr. Elliott—And that you say was immediately after you
heard the constable Chaplin say that if they did led go
home he should take one or two of them into custody ?
Witness—Ye., your worship.
Mr. Elliott—You have stated that five or six of the party
had separated from the others, and came hack armed with
large stones, now can you state the exact time between their
going away noel returning ?
Witness—l cannot exactly, your worship, fur I was en-
gaged at the time in endeavouring to disperse the people
who remained ; but I should think it was half a minute, or
it might be a minute.
In his cross-examination by Mr. Games, the witness re-
peated that the first blow he saw given, in fact the first
assault committed, was by the prisoner Hickey, in striking
the deceased with the large stone on the mouth. Chaplin,
the constable, had not used his truncheon before this to
witness's knowledge, nor did he draw it until after he was
struck by Hickey with the stone. /lc then drew it, and
struck Hickey with it on the forehead. When witness
first saw the parties they were walking on both sides of thu
street, and women accompanied them. Some of them
were intoxicated, and lie could speak to Hickey, Cane, and
M'Elligott, as being much the worse for liquor. Ile did
not see the constable Chaplin say or do anything, beyond
telling the parties that unless they went home he should
be obliged to take one or two of them into cus-
tody. Ile was also quite sure the deceased hail not
drawn his staff until after he had been struck by
Hickey, mid that Hickey had not at that time
any marks of violence on his person, or stains of blond
about his face. He (witness) did not know of any cruse for
the alleged violence, beyond the threat of taking the parties
into custody, and could not recognise any of the prisoners
as hissing been present, except Hickey, Cane, and
M'Elligott.
Mr. Ladd, a surgeon, said he had been sent for me that
morning to attend the deceased, and on going to his resi-
dence be found him in a state of perfect insensibility. On
examining him, be found on the right side °lithe head, jest
over the eyebrow, a small incised wound, and the right eye
was very much contused. On the left side of the head was
a large wound which communicated with a fracture of the
skull, and a piece of the bone was depressed upon the brain.
He was bleeding from the mouth and oars at the time, and
it was probable therefore that the fracture extended across
the base of the skull. lie fainted to my presence, and I
recommended his removal to the homital. I believe the
cause of his death to be the blow on the left side which had
caused the fracture of the skull. His face was altogether
very screwy bruised.
In crew-examination Mr. Laid said he did not notice
anything particular about the South of the deceased, but
the whole of the countenance appeared much contused, and
his attention was more particularly directed to the head, on
which the more serious injuries appeared.
A certificate of the death of Retry Chaplin, signed by
the house surgeon of Ouy's Hospital, was to put in. Thu
poor man was fast dying when he reached the institution,
and sank a few minutes afterwards,
After the reception of sum esiborelinate evidence the
whole of the prisoners were remanded.

THE IitTUATION OP THE SILK-WEAVERe OP
Lrona (gays the Sa Pu6lia of that city) become. every
day worse and worse. With many of them crobagrasammt
has become misery, and privation huager.! At Lyons such
a state of things cannot bo prolonged, and we have the
greatest buti-faction to announce that niesourei hays been
already realisod or proposed to met these suffer:lig work-
men.