The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-28 00:00:00

ATTEMPT TO MURDER A POLICEMAN.

Between one and two o'clock this (Wednesday) morn-
ing, as constable John Byrne was on his heat 111 South
Great Georges•street, he perceived approaching him three
%comp men (whose names were afterwards ascertained to be
Michael Moran, John Joseph Moran, and John M'Cormack),
one of whom (Michael Moran), was talking loudly, with a
pistol in his hand, which he pointed in different directions,
as if imparting more emphasis to his discourse. the con-
stable went up to him and said, " Fir, may I ask if you have
a license to carry arms ?" To this a coarse reply was
given. The constable then said he would be under the fleece-
eity of taking him to the station-house, to ascertain if he had
a licence to carry arms. He was then about arresting
Michael Moran, who pointed the pistol at him, and
told him to stand back. The constable instantly jumped
forward and turrhd aside the pistol, which he :awed, and,
after a short struggle, wrested it horn Moran. The latter,
the moment he let it go, turned his back, and one of his
companions as instantaneously placed himself sideways be-
tween the constable and Moran, who, at the instant, with a
back-handed blow plunged a dagger through the thick part
of the constable's thigh, inflicting a wound of some
four or live inches. The constable grasped his assail-
ant, and they fell together. The other two persons
were advancing to the assistance of Moran, when the
policeman cocked the pistol end threatened to shoot
them. They held back, and Byrne finding himself be-
coming weak, shouted " police," which caused them to
run away, and brought otbsr constables to his assistance.
Such is the substance of the statement given by Byrne to his
inspector, after having been brought to the hospital. What
took place after the wound had been inflicted is to be found
in the informations sworn at the head office, the principal of
which we subjoin :
The information of James Glen/wit (136 B) was to the
effect: He was on duty between 1 and 2 o'clock in the morn-
ing, when he heard a cry of s' Police!" He ran in the
direction from whence it mune, until he arrived in South
Great George's-street. He there saw Police Constable John
Byrne, partly in a lying posture, on the fiagway, holding
the prisoner Michael Moran. A pistol and a dagger were
lying across Byrne's thighs. Moran was then struggling to
get away, but informant seized him, when he instantly
turned round and exclaimed, " That'e the way we
intend to do the work." Informant saw John Joseph
Moran standing within a few yards of the pace
where he saw Byrne. Other constables then came up.
Michael Moran was brought to the station-house, and in-
formant usisted the other constables in conveying Byrne tee
Mercer's Hospital. John Joseph merlin followed them, and
stated that it was a shame for one Irishman to s'ab another ;
and he also said that it was he who had pulled the dagger out
of the constable's body. Byrne, on hearing this said, " It's
false; he's one of the party; take him into custody ;" or
words to that effect. Byrne also declared, in the presence o
John Joseph Mcrae, that *slide he wee struggling with
Michael Moran, John Joseph Moran advanced towards him
for the purpose of assisting Michael, and that he (Byrne)
presented a pistol at him, which kept him off. Byrne also
stated that he took the pistol from Michael Moran. John
Joseph Moran was thereupon arrested.
Other policemen cot robotrated this deposition. One of whom
stated after he had taken Moran to the station-house, he
returned to the spot where the offence was eommitted, and
found a loaded pistol within a few yards of where Byrne was
wounded. Two other pistols were found near the spit, sup-
posed to have been thrown away by the other prisoners.
James M'Henry (85 B) deposed to having been attracted
to the spot, and proved the same as the other witnesses,
as well as the identification of J. J. Moran on the Hospital
steps by Byrne.
Inspector Armstrong deposed that he was on du'y in
Aungier.street, when inform. d that one of his men had been
stabbed, and taken to Mercer's Hospital. He proceeded
there, and havine obtained an account of the transaction
from Byrne, ha sent John Joseph Moran to the station-
house, whither soon after he repaired himself. The in
Spector lead not hitherto seen Michael Moran, and, on
examb.ing him, he perceived his hand was cover. d
with blood ; whereupon thinking his hand was cut the inspec
for asked what was the Metter with his hand, and he said
he believed that he had got it (the blood) in a ecuflle with
the policeman who, they acid, had been stablyd. Whilst
the two prison-rs were being searched, a constable in.
formed the inspectcr that a young man was outside, who
wished to know " what amount of bail would be taken for
the gentleman inside." The inspector, tt inking the querist
to be one of the party, desired the constable to bring him in,
and, there being no other prisoners present than the two
Horses, Michael Moran exclaimed, " Here we are—the
three of us." M'Cormick was then sent to the hospital, a'.d
being confronted with Byrne, the latter identified him as
being, to the hest of his belief, one of the party. He was
'hen conveyed back to the station-house. On searching the
prisoners a small quantity of ball cartridge and percussion
caps were found on the person of each, as well as a powder-
flask on Michael Moran.

The pistols are somewhat larger than the usual pocket-
size, and the dagger is a formidable instrument, double-
edged, with a brass handle, and guard of the game metal.
In the lolging of the Morans (woo are brothers), was found
a helmet a [polished !tee' or iron, covered with green velvet,
and having bars to protect tie face. All the prisoners are
very young men, and are, we undo rstanc, law clerks. Whet,
the informations were made out and signed, the magistrate
remanded the prisoners to Syturdav, or until the fate of
Byrne shill he ascertained. They were than conveyed in
the van to Nevrgate.
it was ascertained on %Vednetday afternoon that, unless
verve adverse change sh .uld tin ( chick there was no like-
lihaod of at present), there were favourable hops of Byrne's
surviving.

TH E Seistuota PRESB.—Government seem, determined
to adopt no half measures, but enereetkally to pursue
the demolition of the whole organisation. Stamps were
refused yesterday for the Feloes and the Nation, which
therefore cannot appear on Saturday next, inasmuch as thty
will not be transmitted through the po,t-office, and if de-
patched otherwise to the provinces '.he police will seiz
them at every point. Indeed, without adopting
this course, which however manifests the vigour of the
government, those publications would probably die
out for want of contributors. Mr. Duffy and
Mr. Martin will no longer be permitted to pen articles from
Neonate, and the other writers have all disappeared. Mr.
Devin Reilly has retreated to the north. Mr. Labe has
gone to the Leineter border. Mr. Magee is also breathing
country air, and the whole literary " phalanx," as Mr.
Smith O'Brien once termed the conte era, ion, stems broken
and routed. In the provinces the authorities are repressing
wilts all the force of the lrw, the sale in either Felon or
Nation. The Tribune will not revive, and the Aesegatc
Calendar will never see the light.
OPINIONS OP THE FRENett PRESS ON THE IRISH ARITA-
TR/N.—The following remarks from the Journal des Drba(s
of Wednesday will be read with interest : " Wnatever may
he the result of measures taken by the Enlkh government,
it is positive that thy had become imperstively. nece,sary,
and that with cmly those arms which the existing laws
furnished the maintenance ot public peace was impossible.
At any rate one merit must be acknowledged. to exist in the
constitutional customs of England, and that is an admirable
respect fur the liberty of the citizen. When one considers
how it has been possible to organise revolt and to arm in
' Ireland during several months, and to reach the er.rer_e
point where worth are changed to sets ; when one reads the
' frenzied preachings and the furious and 'sanguinary
appeals to insurrection daily made, and when one
considers that all this has bosh done with perfect

liberty, and, If we may be allowed so to speak,
in the very beard (id to barbe) of the law, one feels a prof mnd
sentiment of esteem for institutions cape le of resisting seek
assaults. Thus when the Irish delegates came three months
since to Paris to tell us that they were slaves they were at
that very moment at large on bail awaiting their trial for
sedition. Today again the Irish papers of Saturday last,
which are as the trumpets of rs volt, contain appeals to arms
and cries of war such as arc only to he found in Ireland,
and these are dated Isom wi.hin, and igrisl by prison-
ers! shut up in, the prison cf Newgate." The Consei-
tulionael, on the same subj. et, Pays : .It may be said
that never any insurrection had less chance of sue-
VW. England is tranquil, her government can dispose
freely
iof ell her firers, and one lalf of the Irish popula-
non s ready to fall on the other. It is impossible to de-
pines too much the folly of a set of madmen who without any
result being possible, and, notwithstanding the disavowal of
nearly the whole population, want lo throw thin: country
into civil war. Every one understands the an insurrection
cannot but lead to the extermiaa'ion of those wl o may take
part in it, slid that it will cause Ireland to lose a pat of the
advantages gained by O'Connell in obliging the English
government to replace Ireland under military rule Eng-
land has already miole immense sacrifice- during the hat
three years in favour of Ireland; the English ministry was
ready to impose on the parliament new sacrifices, and had
ntered frankly on the pith of reparatb n. The scow leas
agitation of Messrs. Meagher and O'Brien has come and
paralysed the good intentions cf tho mini* ry, and aggra-
vated the evils of Ireland. The country of O'Connell will
soon item by cruel exp.rience all the tend of the loss
which she bad in the great in .n :or wiiom Young Ireland is
pr. paring such funeral oletequies."