The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-30 00:00:00

THE LATE DISTURBANCES IN HYDE-

PARK.

INQUIRY INTO THE ALLEGED MISCONDUCT
OF THE POLICE:.

• The Commissioners took their seats on Saturday morn- I
ing shortly after 11 o'clock.
Mr. Ellice commended the proceedings by calling
evidence in support of 147 A's evidence relative to the
sticks he stated he took from the persons who attacked
him in the park on the Ist inst.
78, 577, and 536 A swore they went with 147 A to
the dairy lodge, and there saw two sticks he pointed out
as the sticks so taken.
84 D saw the two sticks at Vine-street station
on the Tuesday following. He saw similar sticks
to those produced in the park on Sunday, and had
one in his hand. (The sticks, which are"made of
deal, are about two feet long and an inch in dia-
meter at the largest end, and of rather formidable
appearance). He said he was on duty in plain clothes
and saw four men with these sticks, some of which were
painted blue. The men carried them in their pockets,
and he saw one of them put one of the sticks up his „ coat
sleeve, saying " the shall have it to day. He
watched them for a short time and then missed them.
By Mr. Chief Commissioner Wortley—Did you give
information of it to any one at the time ?

Witness—Yes.
By Mr. Commissioner Wortley—To whom ?
Witness—To a constable.
By Mr. Chief Commissioner Wortley—Do you know
his number?
Witness—No ; he was one of the A division.
Mr. Commissioner Armstrong—Did you come here to
tell us that?
Witness—No. He mentioned the circumstance above
alluded to in a report be =vie to his superior officer.
By Mr. Mitchell—When did you make the report?
Witness—One or two days after the Sunday.
Dy Mr. Mitchell—Will you swear these men with the
sticks were not paid agents of the police ?
Witness—l shouldn't think the police such fools as to
do that.

Police-Sergeant 349 A. said he was 35 years of age,
and had been in the force 14 years. As he was taking
his men down the drive be was struck by a stone thrown
at the police. He denied coming in contact or 6! riking
a cripple. (This is the man identified by Martin, of the
Royal Albert, wounded in the trenches before Sebasto-
pol.)
Cross-examined by Mr. Mitchell—He struck no one

during the day.
By Mr. Commissioner Henderson—Might yeu not
unknowingly have touched or struck a crippled sailor ?
Witness—l do not think it possible.
Police-sergeant 31 D, 25 years of age, and has been in
the force two years. He denied striking a boy when
on the ground. As ho was taking a boy into custody
the crowd pressed so much on them that they both fell
down, the boy's elbow striking witness in the chest,
which caused him much suffering, being subject to pal-
pitation of the heart. It was in Consequence of the
pain he felt that he left the boy and went to the rail-
ings, and not for feeling ashamed of his conduct ne de-
posed by Mr. J. A. Blanchard. He was called after
" rabbit-pie," " area sneak," &o. (Laughter.)
Cross-examined by Mr. Mitchell—He did not itrike
any one during the day. He did not know of any
person being struck that day by the police.
375 A, examined yesterday as a corroborative witness,
deposed to-day he did not kick a man on the grourel, nor
strike a man over the temple. He was conveying a pri-
soner to Vine-street station the time he was sworn to
being in the park.
Cross-examined by Mr. 'Mitchell—He bad had many
such " shindies" in his life, but it was not his practice,
when in the Irish constabulary, to knoCk people down.
He did not see a man struck during the day.
By Mr. Cominiisioner Henderson—. He did not chase
a man over the green. The lad he had in custetly fell
on the ground, but he did not kick or strike him.
There was a discrepanoy also here with regard to the
time spoken of by-Mr. Blanchard and the time w;tness
took the lad into custody, which is very likely, V. lieu it
is considered the public who witnessed the acts com-
plained of had no idea of being called up to state them
and the time at which' they occurred. The difference
of time' in most cases is so trifling as not to mai:e it a
materiel circumstance in exonerating the men charged
with the particular offences.
387 A has been in the police force upwards of six
yearns He denied he struck any boys as spoken to 'by
Mr. Ayrton. He struck at them to drive them away.
In reply, to questions from the Commissioner he slid he
did not strike at the boys, but waved his staff to Lighten
them.
109 B, the man whe apprehended Mr. Bawatead, a
commercial traveller, on his way to Brompton wick his
wife, was next called. Mr. Bawstead did not attf.,nd to
identify the man; brit bad written a letter.to Mr. Ellice
stating he had no complaint against the policeman per-
sonally. He complained of his apprehension, and,after-
wards the refusal cf bail. In reply to Mr—Ellice's ques-
tions, the policeman said he apprehended Bawstead for
histing and shouting at the top of his voice, and charged
him with riotous conduct.
Cross-examined by Mr. Mitchell—Supersit. Hughes
cautioned Mr. Bawstead before he was taken into cus-
tody. After that he hissed at a cab passing with priso-
ners, and witness took him into custody. Mr. Hughes
was on his horse in front of Mr. Ba*stead at the time.
Mr. Hughes was perfectly cool and collected the whole
of the day. He did not strike any one during the day.
Police Serjeant 403 A is 30 years of age, and has been
in the force upwards of 10 years. He took Mr. Rey-
nolds into custody after cautioning him. He denied
more violence was used than was necessary to take him
into custody: He did not ask the other constables to
desist from striking Reynolds. He did not strike him
when conveying him in a cab to the station. No evi-
dence was given against Reynolds before the magis-

trates.
32 G corroborated the last man's evidence. He did
not strike Reynolds.
Cross-examined by Mr. Mitchell—He was in the Park
from 2 o'clock till half-past 9 o'clock, and during that
time he saw no one struck by the police.
354 A. was in the cab with 403 A. and Reynolds. 403
did not strike him. Reynolds was waving his handker-
chief out of the cab window, and 403 A pulled his arm
back. Re struck no one for the day.
554 A. is 25 years of acre, and has been in the force
about 7or 8 months. He was not ordered to take a
man into custody by Inspector Martin, as spoken to by
Mr. Geo. Payne. He was not aware his conduct that
day entitled it to be " characterised by brutality" or
acting under " periodical fits of something or ot►her."
He struck no man during the day.
Police sergeant 20 A, is 26 years of age, and has been
in the service seven years. He was on leave that day,
and not in Hyde-park as spoken to by Mr. Henry
Horton.
Mr. Ellice said it was strange that in all the cases of
the men in the park on the_lst, the witness who had
spoken to their numbers had not appeared to identify
them.

Inspector Bray deposed police sergeant- 20 A was not
on duty that day.
330 A denied that he rushed on a little :boy 14 years
of age, and struck him on the back or Used disgusting
language that day. He struck one man because at-
tempted to rescue a priscner.
Cross-examined by Mr. Mitchell—He heard many
re-
m ants of " Rabbit Pie," " Who Stole the Goose ? Fio
but he never took persons into custody for it because he
attributed it to their ignorance.
John King, the boy who it was stated by his father
was struck so violently by 147 A, was unable to identify
him.
147 A, in answer to .a question from the Commis-
sioner, said he was unable to identify the lad as the one
from whom he took one of the sticks he produced.
20 D was identified by James Vassey as the police-
man who assaulted him. 4' The policeman said he struck
at a young man like Vassey, but be did not think he
hit him. He should have taken Vassey into custody
could he have got at him, "thinking" he was the per-
son who threw the stick that struck him at the back of
the neck.
551 A has .been in the force 2 months, and is 24
years of age- (This is the man identified by Mr. Mnsh,
who, it will be recollected, mistook the number for 155.)
He denied striking or poking any one with his truncheon.
He had no recollection of anything being said about the
Beer Bill or Sunday Trading Bill. Ile took one man
into custody, but whether it was a novelty or not he
could not Fay. He had never had a day's schooling.
113, A (spoken to hy.Robert Ward, who did not at-
tend to identity him) has been in the force 12 years. Was
on duty at the Victoria Tower, Houses of Parliament,
on the let July, lie has been on duty there for many
years.
Martha Loader saw 113 in his house about half-
past 4 o'clock on the afternA of the Ist July.
53 A (spoken to by the °r
witness) has been
years in the furce, and witness) et
Bristol police force. lie wm
not
that he was ie the
Ramat the Park at the
time deposed to-by Mr. Ward.
thrantekdano one, but
he " flashed" his staff' many times
in the park when the picquet with their onets"
7. bagHe was
beenda in the
came out for the soldiers.
392 A: (also spoken to by Mr. Ward) has
force seven year;. He struck no one that
saw a boy bleeding in a soldier's arms. Did not th:realteine
to crack a drunken man's "nut." (Laughter.)
385 A, stated the boy was injured before he ana
the
last witness got to him.
Inspector Webb, C. division (Token to byMr. Franklyn),
has been in the forge 16 years. Was made an inspector
in 1854. He was in Park-street, with two sergeants and
20 men, besides 3 patrols. He did not give order to
clear the street. In consequence of the shouting, he
called out ten men to disperse the crowd assembled in
• front of Lord Robert Grosvenor's house ; but consider-
ing ho bad not sufficient force to clear the street. he
sent to Stanhope gate for assistance. On their corn bg
up they commenced clearing the street. Franklyn, v.'llo
was there, passed on to Reeve's Mews,
between the two
bodies of police, shouting and hissing, and it was for
that he was taken into custody. He —e was then handiid
over to 07 A ;-13 resisted very ranch and -rank

lyn's wife struck one of the police with her parasol.
He saw no one strike him. When before the
magistrates. Franklyn made no such complaint
as that before the Commissioners. He gave no orders
for the wife to be taken into custody. He advised her
to go home.
Cross-examined by Mr. Mitchell—Franklyn was re-
peatedly cautioned before he was taken into custody.
There was much said and written the following day
about the conduct of the police, but he took no heed of
it. The patrols were in plain clothes.
By Mr. Chief Commissioner Wortley—He first saw
-in front of Lord R. Grosvenor's house about 1,000
people, which increased there and in the vicinity to from
2,000 to 4,000. The turbulent crowd amounted to
about 1,000. The crowd was obstinate, and would not
move on when requested. The men under him
did their utmost to disperse the crowd before sending
for assistance. The crowd were hissing and shouting,
some saying, "Chuck him out," "Pitch him out." Super-
intendent O'Brien took charge of his men and gave
them directions. Witness took no instructions from Super-
intendent O'Brien. He had no doubt when the " reserves"
came up his men drew their truncheons. He was un-
able to say what his ten men did when the reserve were
clearing the street. After the street was cleared his
men were relieved by the other ten men he had there ;
but they did not use their truncheons. He saw Picken-
pack bleeding, and had him taken to the hospital.
He had no doubt the police struck some persons. He
was unable to say who struck Pickenpack ; that was the
only man he saw or hear dwho was struck. He thought it
was impossible for any one to describe what took place
that night.
337 A, who bad Franklyn in custody, said he was
assisted by several policemen in taking him to the sta-
tion, but he could only give the number of one of them,
340 A. He did not see any one strike him. Had any
one done so he thought he must have seen it.
Cross-examined by Mr. Mitchell— Franklyn's wife
joined in hissing, and waved her parasol. He could net
say whether it would have been better to have used more
persuasion and less force. He was in favour of pei sua3ion.
No orders were given by Superintendent O'Brien to
draw truncheons, but some did it when he ordered them
to clear the street. The people appeared to get away as
quick as they could. The men were told at Stanhope-
gate and the station-house to use forbearance, and not
draw their truncheons until compelled.
63 A has been in the service near two years. He was
on duty till 5 o'clock at Buckingham-palace. After
that he went to the Park from curiosity. He could
almost swear ho didn't say "go along you b--
barber." He was assailed with offensive epithets, and
struck severely on the head with a stone.
On cross-examination by Mr. Mitchell he said he could
honestly swear he didn't use the above expression.
Mr. Chief Commissioner Wortley said, as Mr.
MiLownean gave the name and address of the person to
whom the policeman made the observation above re-
ferred to, it would have been better to have called him
either to exonerate the policeman or fix the charge on
him.

The whole of tho charges against individual police-
men having been gone through, the court adjourned till
11 o'clock this morning.

FEIENDLY SOCIETJES.