The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-19 00:00:00

IVES INST ER.

VIOLENT ATTACK WITH A POKER.—Michael Murray
was placed at, the bar charged with feloniously assaulting
and wounding John Jenkins.

Prosecutor, whose head was covered with linen cloth,
said that he lived at 7, DLcre. street, Westminster. At half-
past 8 last night he returned home, and had just entered
the street door, when he was felled to the ground by a
blow on the head by the prisoner. He than became in-
sensibl9, and was conveyed to the hospital.
Mr Arnold asked what prosecutor knew of the pri•
Boner.

Prosecutor said that they both lived in the same house,
the prisoner occupying an upstairs room, and the prosecu-
tor one below.

Mr Arnold—What did he say to you before he struck
you?
Prosecutor—Nothing; I had had no words with him.

Mr Arnold put several questions, with a view of aster •
taining what difference had existed between them, when it
appeared that they had long been on bad terms, although
no recent quarrel seemed to have taken place.

James Joyce, 261 B, said that he found the prosecutor
bleeding profusely from a wound on the head, and took him
to the hospital. He also apprehended the prisoner, who
had been drinking, and took him to the station.
The poker was produced, and was certainly a most
formidable instrument.

Pi isoner told a long, rambling story, and put some ques-
tions to the prosecutor, the answers to which did not serve
him.

Prisoner was remanded.

THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF ATTEMPTING
TO DROWN AN OLD MAN.—Ed ward Harper, 29, of
York-street, Hackney, cabinetmaker, William Mansfield,
28, of Spencer• street, Shoreaitch, and John Leenara, 31,
of York-street, Hackney, carvers, were on Wednesday
charged at Worship-street Police-court with assault-
ing and nearly drowning Mr Meredith, chemist, residing
in Leonard. street, Shoreditch. Henry Harling and James
Ellis, two bricklayers, stated that while bathing in Sir
George Duckett's Canal, at Hackney Wick, between 6 and
7 on the preceding evening, they happened to look round,
and saw Harper and Leonard, one in the water and
the other close to it, on the towing path. They were
holding a handkerchief which was extended be-
tween them. An elderly man, the complainant,
was standing on the bank, dressed, and looking on at the
time. The prisoners suddenly dropped the handkerchief,
and the prisoner who was on the hank pushed Mr Mere-
dith into the canal, there 7ft or Bft deep ; Harper jumped in
upon him, and, placing his two hands upon his shoulders, he
and the other prisoner forced him down into the water and
held him there for some time. His head was six or seven
inches below the surface. The witnesses called out that it
was shameful to treat an old man in that way, and swam
towards them, on which the two prisoners challenged them
to fight, them, and got out of the cane laughing, leaviag
the complainant in ir. He was in the water altogether
about ten minutes. Ellis tried to lift him out, but could
cot, on which Harting got on to the towing path, and lean-
ing over, grasped him, first by the hair and then by the
collar, and so pulled him out, insensible. He was carried to
a neighbouring public-house, where Mansfield wrung out
his wet clothes, and the others offered him drink "to square
it." Three railway labourers who were present were so in-
dignant at the men's conduct that they gave them a good
thrashing. They cut the lip through of one and blackened
the eyo of the other, and drove them out of the house.
Harmer, 166 N, said while on duty there with another con-
stable in plain clothes, he saw the prisoners run past him,
followed by a mob of about 60 persons, who were pelting
them with brickbats and stones, and shouting to the witness
to stop them. He and the other constable pursued, cap-
tured, and handcuffed Harper and Leonard. Mansfield
followed them. He took them back to the public-house,
where they found the complainant insensible, in which state
he remained for halt au hour, and they were obliged to
fetch medical assistance to him. All the prisoners appeared
to him to b., sober, but one of them became ill in the cells
in consequence of the rough usage he had received from the
mob. The complainant's account of the affair was very in-
complete. He had met Harper and Leonard, whom he had
enown before and professionaily assisted, at a public-house,
where they remained come time; they told him they waisted
to bathe, and asked him to take care of their clothes. This
ho was doing when one of them, but he did not know which,
came behind him, pushed him into the canal, and held
hint down under the water till he became insensible, and
he teu•t have been drowned but for the first witness's
assistance. He did not wish to press the charge with
severity, as he knew the prisoners, but he had also lust from
12s to 14s, which he could ill afford, as although a year
since he was in very good circumstances, he had lately
become much impoverished. Mr Graves, for the defence,
was instructed that the whole was the result o: pure
accident, caused by the handkerchief slipping out of the pri-
soners' hands, and urged the improbability cf their inten-
tionally injuring a man whom they knew, and against whom
they could have no malice or bed feeling of any kind, The
tree meat they had also received from the mob was so very
severe that he hoped it would be taken into considera-
tion. Mr Ellison (the magi-trate) could not see that it was
an accident, but he did not think, from the evidence, so much
mischief was intended as had resulted from it. It appeared
to him to be one of those stupid practical jokes some people
were prone to, and which should not be allowed to escape
some punishment. ManAffeld seemed to have had but little
to do with it, and he might be discharged, but he should
sentence the other priscners to a penalty of 20s, or in default
to a fortnight's imprisonment in the House of Correction.