The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-22 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.---Aug. 21.

GREENWICH. Thomas Alium, William
Smith, and William Lamb, constables of the M
division of the metropolitan police were charged
before Mr. Traill with assaulting two young men
named William Thomas and Benjamin Woodnutt.
Mr. Wontner appeared for the complainants and
Mr. Lewis for the defendants.
The complainant Thomas, on being sworn said
that he resided with his mother, a shopkeeper, at
13, Millpond-street, Bermondsey. On the night of
Saturday, the 25th July, about half-past 12, he was
returning home accompanied by the complainant
Woodnutt, at the house of whose sister they had
been staying at supper. When near Millpond
bridge the defendants Allum and Smith, whom he
knew as plain-clothes constables, came up to them,
when Smith said, " We have been looking for you,"
at the same time applying an offensive epithet to
them. He asked Smith why they had been looking
for them, and also why such an expression was
applied to them, when Smith struck him a violent
blow and knocked him down. On getting up and
saying he knew them to be policemen, Smith took
something from his pocket and struck him, again
knocking him down, and cansing his eye to bleed.
Smith and Allum then left and walked across the
road. He was bleeding from the wound to his eye
at the time, and called out " Police!" After walk-
ing about 50 yards, Police constable Lamb, who
was in uniform, came up, and on telling him they
had been ill-used by two constables in plain clothes
he ordered them to move on They asked if that
was all the satisfaction they were to receive, and
he pushed them along. He then went to the
house of his mother, and on knocking at the
door Lamb came up and threatened to lock him up
if he did not get in doors. The street door was
opened by his mother, and he walked in, Lamb
forcing his way in after him, and pushing his
mother out of the way. On going behind the
counter Lamb endeavoured to pull him out, and,
finding he could not do so, he sprang his rattle, and
some constables came. He was kicked in the side
by Lamb, who also took hold of him by the throat,
and on being got outside he found himself covered
with blood. At the time ha was first assaulted by
Smith he was perfectly sober.
In reply to questions put, the complainant said
that when the charge of assault was preferred
against him at the station he attempted to make a
complaint of being assaulted by Smith, but there
were several constables there, who prevented his
doing so. They put their hands over his month
several times, and told him to hold his tongue. He
and Woodnutt were afterwards locked up, and Mr.
Maude dismissed the case against them.
Benjamin Woodnutt gave confirmatory evidence,
and said that on asking Smith why he had struck
Thomas, whose eye was bleeding, he was knocked
down by Allum, and that on getting up both he
and Smith ran away. As he was abput to enter the
house of Thomas he received a violent blow on the
back of the head, which caused him to fall on the
pavement, and rendered him insensible. He had
no recollection of anything for an hour or two
after being taken to the station.
Thomas Scott, a lighterman, said he was re-
turning from work on the night in question, and
saw the complainants assaulted and knocked down
by Allum and Smith, who ►hen walked away. Com-
plainants called out "Police," and the constatle
Lamb came up and pushed the complainants. Wit-
ness saw a woman open the door of the house at
which Thomas knocked; feeling unwell, he did not
atop any longer, but went home.
Fanny Woodnut, of 9, Paradise-row, Rother-
hithe, and Ann Thomas, mother of the complainant
Thomas, gave confirmatory evidence.
Mr. Lewis suggested that as two distinct assaults
were alleged the defendants should be permitted to
be examined on oath for each other. This course
was agreed to, and they were examined apart from
each other. The statement of Lamb was that he

found the complainants creating a disturbance, and
that on requesting them to leave Thomas used a
vulgar expression and refused to do so, and that
Woodnutt having struck him in the chest and
knocked him down they both ran away; that he
then pursued them and overtook them at Thomas's
mother's house, when Thomas struck him and
dragged him into the shop, and that on springing
his rattle Allum and Smith came to his assistance,
as also police-constable 309 M, and a civilian. The
defendants Allum and Smith said they were on
duty together, and hearing cries of "Help," and
seeing a crowd, they ran to the spot, and found
Lamb inside the shop, as also both complainants.
They both denied the assault upon complainants,
and also that that they had spoken to the constable
Limb previous to hearing cries for help.
Inspector Moore, who took the charge against
the complainants, gave it as his opinion that they
were both drunk. No charge against the constables
was made at the station.
Mr. Trail said he had given very great considera•
tion to the case, on account of its importance to the
public, and his opinion was that a very flagrant
case of assault had been proved against Allum and
Smith, and if it had been satisfactorily shown that
they had had (as was suggested) a conversation with
Lamb, and put him on to the complainants, finding
that they (the constables) had committed an assault
and were known, he should not deal so lightly with
the case as he was then about to do. Lamb had,
however, been guilty of a gross violation of duty,
because, on his own statement, he had taken into
custody Thomas, wno had not committed an assault
upon him. It had been a rule laid down by him
now for nearly a period of 30 years that for assaults
committed upon constables, except when grievous,
where the offender's name and address were known,
that the constable should not act in his own case,
but proceed in the ordinary way by information.
This rule, he believed, the Commissioners of Police
might
thi
nk
had acted upon. With regard to Lamb, he should
impose a fine of 405., leaving it to the Commissioners
afterwards to deal with him as they
fit, and with regard to the other defendants he was
prepared either to send the case to
itghhetprefer.sessions
or
to deal with it summarily as they might
The defendants consulted with their solicitor, and
elected to have the case sent to the sessions, upon
which
Mr. Trail then ordered the defendants to be
corn
mitted for trial at the next Old Bailey sessions

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