The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-28 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—May 27.

BOW-STREET.—VIOLENT ASSAULT.—James
Mabrick, a well-dressed young man, who said he
was a clerk, was charged with assaulting Mr.
Vickress, the landlord of the Wellington Tavern,
corner of Wellington-street, Strand.
The prosecutor stated that the prisoner entered
his house on Monday with another gentleman and
a woman of a bad character. They went into what
is called the private department. He informed
them that he did not allow women of that class in
that department. The prisoner replied by asking
him how much he paid for his shirt collar. (A
laugh.) The wowan went out, but the prisoner
went up to the counter, and ordered a glass of gin
and water, with which witness refused to serve
him. The prisoner said, " I insist upon you serving
me. lam not drunk, and if you don't serve me, I
will go to the nearest magistrate and complain."
Witness replied, " You may go---" but checked
himself. The prisoner said, " I wish you had
finished the sentence,' go to the devil,' and I would
have punched your head." -Witness said, " That
would be a cowardly thing to do." The prisoner
then struck him a violent blow on the head. He
called a constable and gave the prisoner into cus-
tody. He was the worse for liquor.
Mr. Vickress, jun. (son of the complainant), and
Mr. Barker, a gentleman who happened to be pre-
sent, corroborated.
The prisoner said the woman was certainly of
the class alleged, but she was quite sober and be-
haved herself properly.
Mr. Henry that might be, but many publicans
who wished to keep their houses respectable would
not serve such persons at all, at least in parts of the
house specially appropriated to more respectable
persons. It was quite a mistake to suppose that a
publican was bound to serve any person who en-
tered the house.

The prisoner—l thought he was bound to serve
me as I was sober. The woman was gone then.
Mr. Henry—Exactly ; and you were standing on
what you thought your right. You were wrong;
but that was only a mistake, and would be no great
harm if you had not assaulted him.

The prisoner denied that ho had threatened to
strike Mr. Vickress, and said that he only struck
him after he (Mr. Vickress) had called him a coward.
He also alleged that Mr. Vickress was drunk.
This was contradicted by the police and by Mr.
Vickress himself.

Mr. Henry asked how long Mr. Vickress had
kept the house.

Mr. Vickress—Fourteen years, sir. I have been
a licensed victualler for thirty-seven years, and
never had a complaint against me.
Mr. Henry said there was obviously no ground for
the imputation. At the station-house the prisoner
had said that young Mr. Vickress assaulted him.
The Prisoner—l say so still.
Mr. Henry—lf he had done so ho would only
have acted in defence of his father. There is no
excuse for your conduct. You must pay £5, or be
imprisoned for a month.

CLERKENWE ATT EMPTED MURDER;
Edward Gregory, aged 34, a labourer, residing at
39, St. Helenor-place, Clerkenwell, was charged
with attempting to murder James Driscoll, also a
labourer, by throwing him from the top of the cir-
cular girders, at present in course of erection at
King's-cross, for the Metropolitan Underground
Railway Station, into the cutting of the railway.
The court was crowded, and after the disposal of
the ordinary night charges,
Inspector Brannan, of the G division, said that
the charge could not at present be gone into, as
neither the complainant nor the defendant was in
attendance, both being at present confined in the
Royal Free Hospital, Gray's Inn-road.
Mr. Barker inquired what were the facts in con-
nexion with the case.
Inspector Brannan said that both parties were en-
gaged on the underground railway, at King's-cross,
and last night, between the hours of six arid seven,
they were at work in assisting to fix the girders
that span the line, and are to form part of the sta-
tion. Some words ensued between them, and the
prisoner Gregory repeatedly struck Driscoll violent
blows about the head, face, and body, they both
being on the girders at the time ;;Driscoll, who had
an iron spanner in his hand, in self-defence struck
the man Gregory over the head, and Gregory im-
mediately took hold of Driscoll and flung him with
great violence into the cutting below, a distance of
50 feet. The poor fellow was picked up in an insen-
sible state, and conveyed to the Royal Free Hospi-
tal, and on the police endeavouring to take Gregory
into custody he was very violent, and it was with
the greatest difficulty he could be got to the police-
station. When there he was attended by Mr. Sell-
wood, the surgeon, who, having dressed his wounds,
advised his removal to the hospital. Inspector Bran-
nan then handed in two certificates, of which the
following are copies :

"Royal Fl 03 Hospital, Gray's Inn-road,
27
May, , 1862, 10 a. m.
I hereby certify that James Driscoll was brought to
this hospital last evening at 7 o'clock, suffering from a
severe compound fracture of both logs, with severe shock
to the system. Amputation of ono leg was performed by
Mr. Cooke, the surgeon to the hospital, and it is feared the
same operation will be imperative on the other limb. He is
at the present time in a very precarious state, and quite un-
able to make any statement.
"JOHN D. HILL, Resident Surgeon."
A certificate was put in, signed by the same Sur.
geon, to the following effect :

"I hereby certify that Edward Gregory was admitted
into this hospital:last evening, under the care of Mr. Cooke,
suffering from a scalp wound on the loft side of the head,
with general shock to the system and contusions on the left
arm. He is not at present in a condition to be removed from
the hospital."
• • -

Inspector Brannan stated that when he told the
prisoner the charge he said that Driscoll would not
do as he told him, and he certainly,
j3truck him in
the face. He denied that he threw him into the
cutting. Gregory is under the surveillance of the
police.
Mr. Barker said, as the parties were not present,
he could not act in the matter.
From inquiries raadejust before the closing of the ,