The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-11 00:00:00

THAMES.

770n573 Donovan and John Slllivan, dock labourers on
strike, were charged with assaulting and woucding several
persons in the Commercial-road.
John Dyne, a young man, said be went to work in the
London Dock on Tuesday morning, and there being •
superabundance of labourers there he was sent to the West
India Lick. On leaving Mr work at four o'clock, he and
two others were advised to wait till the assemblage of men

on strike near the gates hod partially dispersed, and did so,
and at last reached the Commercial-road by a circuitous
route. They were followed by eight or rine men, amongst
whom were the prisoners, who shouted atter them, and said
they were cowardly renews for going to work for half a.
crown per day. The police protected them from violence
some distwnee along the road, but at last, when the atten-
tion of the officer. was directed to another affray, a rush
was in ide upon him and his party and they were
knocked down and ill used. Donovan struck him
a violent blow behind the ear, on which there
was a great lump. Other blows followed in rapid
succession, and he was rendered insensible. The witness,
who was very reluctant to give evidence, and appeared to be
in great fear, said he hoped the magistrate would not
punish the prisoners.
William Edwards, an upholsterer, deposed that he saw
the men on strike pursuing the new hands, and
shouting, hooting, and hissing them. On reaching the
corner of Jamaica-street a furious attack was made on
the last witness and his party. Donovan struck an
old man and kicked him, and trampled upon him,
and Sullivan also joined in the outrage, and used Lis lists
and his feet too. The prisoners used very bad language.
One dock labourer, in tl.e garb of a butcher, who was
assaulted and kicked, ran bleeding into a grocer's shop fur
protection. Another man was most fearfully maltreated by
the Irishmen, and he was removed to a surgery, where his
wounds and contusions were dressed. The man's nose was
broken, and a piece of flesh was knocked out of his face.
Inspector Smith, of the K division, put in a certificate
from the house surgeon of the London Hospital relating to
the condition of the man who was so seriously injured, and
said he would not be able to appear tall Friday.
Mr. Yardley said he would remand the prisoners until
Saturday neat: and cn Byrne again asking the magistrate
to be s' easy " with them and let them off, observed that be
would take his recommendation into consideration when he
had heard all the evidence. lie advised the witness not to
be intimidated. The witness had a right to go to work for
any price lie thought proper. If any body dared to threaten
the witness or anybody else for working for 2s. 61 per day,
the best course to adopt would be to proceed to the nearest
police station.
The other dock cases were then proceeded with. Joseph
Ilaycook was fined it., or two months' imprisonment, for
assault ; Juhn Sullivan, for the same offence, was com-
mitted for trial ; William Downey, for using threatening
language, was fined 403., or one month's imprisonment ;
John Kelly received a similar sentence ; David Mayhoun
was committed for assaulting and wounding; and Timothy
M'Certhy was fined 40s. for using threatening language.