The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-24 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

(THIS DAY )

MURDER OF A POLICEMAN.-117m. Calvert, aged
11, described in the calendar as a labourer, was indicted
for the windl murder of Wm. Aldridge, a policeman of
the R division, on the 9'tlt of September, and William
Pine, John Pine, and John Burke; were indicted for
widing and abetting Calvert in the committal of the of-
fence. The pri,oners were also charged with a similar
offence upon the Coroner's inquisition.
Mr. Chambers conducted the case for the prosecu•
tion, and
Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Ballantyne defended the pri-

soners.
Mr. CLARKSON stated thl gaSe tO the Jury, and
called the following witnesses
Mrs. Hubble resided at Deptford, and kept the Navy
Arths there. On Sunday evening, the 29th of Septem-
ber, saw John Pine in her tap-room, together with two
other of the prisoners, they called for a pot of ale, and
their conduct being extremely disorderly, witness asked
them to go out ; one went out very quietly, but Pine
and the other stopped for ten minutes, but afterwards
left in consequence of witness speaking to a policeman
of the name of Stevens.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—Stevens, the
policeman, refused to come in. The disorderly conduct
of which she complained was bad language. She
thought the policeman might have got them out if he
had come in. The other two left very quietly afterwards.
George Stevens was a constable in the metropolitan
police force. On the evening of Sunday, the 29th of
September, was on duty in New King-street, Deptford.
While there Mrs. Hubble requested him to come to
her house, which he refused. Afterwards he heard a
shouting, which appeared to come from the Dock-yard
gates. He there saw Pine wrestling with a man named
Carey ; there were several other persons there. Upon
seeing this witness asked Pine to go home, when he
said he would see him d-.-d first. Witness then
said, if he did not he must take him to the
station-house. Pine and Carey then proceeded
along the New-road, wrestling, and the crowd consider-
ably increased. Witness then went up to them again,
asking them to go home, upon which John Pine struck
him, and witness immediately collared him ; upon this
the deceased, Aldridge, came to his assistance. Pine
was extremely violent, and made several attempts to es-
cape, in which they were assisted by the mob. Wit-
ness then struck Pine twice with his staff for his own
protection. A man of the name of Carey then came
up and pulled down a rail, with great difficulty. Wit-
ness and the deceased got Pine to the toll-gate, where
the mob had greatly increased, and they began to throw
stones ; two other officers then came up, and all four
of them with the greatest difficulty attempted to
get Pine into the toll-house, but could not do
it for the mob. Witness and Aldridge lost
their hats ; after great difficulty succeeded in get-
ting Pine as far as the Telegraph public house. When
they arrived there witness heard a stone strike Al-
dridge on the back of the head-, which caused him to
loose the prisoner, and cry out " Oh, my poor head."
Witness saw Wm. Pine, one of the prisoners, close to
the deceased, when he was struck with the stone and
fell ; he was very active in exciting the mob. Witness
also saw William Calvert, the prisoner, at the toll-house,
he was shouting and exciting the mob.
By Mr. Baron GURNEY—The distance from the
place where he first took Pine to the Telegraph was
about 400 yards.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARRSON.—The orders to
the policemen are not to go into public-houses where
there is a complaint of disturbance, unless it is serious.
When he was asked to go to Mrs. Hubble's he
did not hear any disturbance. Knew Pine before
this transaction. The place where the distur-
bance took place was thickly populated with ven-
ders of fire-wood ; could not say whether the mob
had assaulted them before he struck Pine. At that
time he was on one side and Aldridge on the other of
him ; Pine kicked him befor he struck him. The
prisoners appeared to have been drinking, but they
were not drunk. When Mrs. Hubble applied to him
he said when the men came out of her house, if they
raised a disturbance, it would then be his duty to take
them into custody. When the deceased fell Wm. Pine
was about two yards from him.
Joseph Buckmaster, also a police constable, corrobo-
rated the evidence of the last witness. When they
were near the Telegraph he heard John Pine say to the
mob " Get out your knives, you --." The language of
Pine was bad in the extreme.
Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTYNE—Did not see
any knives taken out by the mob from the beginning to
the end of the affair.
Re-examined by Mr. CHAMBERS.—At this time there
was a great noise, and the stones were flying about in all
directions. This took place in consequence of Pine
crying out " Pelt the -- with stones."
George Baker, a policeman, recollected Pine being in
the custody of a brother officer, near the toll-house,
Deptford, on Sunday, the 29th of September. There
was a great mob there, and they were attempting to
rescue the prisoner. Oa his coming up, John Pine cried
out " Here is another fat —, if bad a knife I would
stick him." Witness saw Burke strike Aldridge with
a stone, near the Telegraph, at the back part
of the head, crying out, " There, you -- ; how do
you like that ?" Aldridge went on with his prisoner
Pine, and afterwards witness saw a large stone hurled at
him, which knocked him down, and caused him to cry
out, " Oh, my poor head !" Aldridge had no het on
then. Witness also saw Burke and Wm. Pine kick
the deceased violently on the thigh. Witness was
struck several times himself.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—When witness
came up, Stevens, Buckmaster, and the deceased had
John Pine in custody. When Pine told the mob to
throw stones, he said, " Do it gently, or you will hit us
as well as the police."
Wm. Brookman was a messenger in the Victualling
Department of the Dock-yard at Deptford. Resided
near the toll-gate. He witnessed the disturbance
that took place on Sunday, the 29th of September.
When he first saw the disturbance, two policemen had
taken John Pine into custody. The mob cried out
" Give it them," and called the police bad names. The
police had the greatest difficulty in getting Pine for-
ward. Witness saw a man fling a stone at one of the
police, but he could not tell who it was. The conduct
of the police towards the prisoner Pine was very good ;
he never saw them strike him.
James Woolverton was a timber dealer, residing at
Deptford. On Sunday, the 29th of September, he saw
a great mob of people fighting with the police, whom,
he considered, acted towards them with great forbearance.
Samuel Holmes, who resides near Deptford, saw the
disturbance that had been referred to by the other wit-
ness. Saw John Pine in the custody of one of the po-
lice, who attempted to escape. At that time the mob
was small, but before they got to the toll-house it had
considerably increased. Witness saw several stones
thrown at the police, who acted with great forbearance.
Francis John Hall, one of the Overseers of Dept-
ford, witnessed the disturbance that had taken place.
He noticed the conduct both of the police and the
mob, that of the latter was very violent, but the po-
lice were extremely forbearing.
The keeper of the tollgate at Deptford gave similar
evidence.

James Richards, the pot boy of the Rodney Arms,
saw Calvert and John Pine in the crowd near the
Telegraph, on Sunday, the •?9th of September. They
were crying out to the mob, "Go it, go it." He also
saw several stones thrown. Saw a person of the name
of Woolmer there.
Edward Woolmer worked at Mr. Fletcher's wool-
yard in Deptford. Was in the road between the toll-
gate and the Telegraph when the police had John Pine
in custody. The stones were flying about in all direc-
tions. When witness was by the Telegraph he saw
Calvert pick up a stone and throw it at the deceased.
It struck him under the ear. Aldridge staggered two
or three paces, and fell down at the step of a door.
James Hairside, a policeman of the R division, who
came up to the assistance of the other police, saw
Burke and Wm. Pine in the crowd, their conduct was
violent in the extreme.
Charles Hampton, a miller, residing at Deptford,
stated that Aldridge after he was wounded came to the
step of the door ; he was bleeding very much ; and after
he was taken into witness's house the police surgeon
was sent for.

Betty White saw Aldridge fall down on the steps
at Mr. Hampton's door : he was bleeding very much.
Witness was sure he did not strike his head against the
step when he fell. He was perfectly sensible when he
was taken into the house, end he then stated how he
bad been ill-used.

Hannah Richardson gave similar testimony.
Mr. Edward Downing was surgeon to the R division
of police. Was called to see Aldridge on the night of
the 29th of September, at the house of Mr. Richardson.
He was then lying on the carpet, and complained of
great pain behind the ear, where there was a severe
wound. Witness gave him some brandy anct water,
and asked him if he would go to the hospital ; he said
he would rather go home, and was taken there on a
stretcher. Witness attended him again about three
o'clock in the morning, when he found him sinking
fast, and he died in an hour afterwards. After death
witness and another surgeon examined the body. He
attributed death to the fracture of the external plate of
the skull ; there was no less than three quarters of a
pound of blood between the skull and the Ara mater.
The wound might have been inflicted by a stone.
This was the ca,e for the prosecution.
Mr. CLARKSON addressed the Jury on behalf of the
prisoners.
Mr. Baron GURNEY summed up.
The Jury retired, and after an 'absence of an hour
returned a verdict of Guilty of Manslaughter aglinst
all the prisoners.

Thorwaldsen, the great Danish sculptor, returned
to Copenhagen on the 7th instant, as we learn by a let-
ter from that city, after an excursion into the interior
of Denmark. He was expected to embark on the 17th
in the Havre packet, in its way from St Petersburg, to
pay a short visit to Paris, and thence to return to Rome.