The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-24 00:00:00

POLICE IMELLIGENCE.—Sept. 23.

CLERKENWELL.—MURDEROUS ATTACK UPON
POLICE CONSTABLES.—Patrick Cain and a female
with whom he cohabited were brought up, charged
with committing a murderous assault upon two po-
lice constables while in the execution of their duty_
Win, Chambers, police-constable 163 E, said at
half-past 12 o'clock that morning he was on duty in
llean-street, Holborn, when he was informed that
a row was taking place outside the Cheshire Cheese
Tavern, in that street. On going there he found 30
or 40 men and women, mostly thieves and prosti-
tutes of the lowest description. There was a great
disturbance, and he requested several of them to go
away, whereupon the male prisoner came up, pulled
off his coat, and making use of a disgusting expres-
sion, exclaimed, " I'll give you a dressing." Two
others then came up and deliberately struck him.
The male prisoner striking him a very severe blow
in the stomach, he endeav_ured to keep him and
others off, but was most roughly handled. Another
constable then came to his aid, but was met with a
violent blow. Witness endeavoured to take the pri-
soner into custody, when another man knocked him
down, and the prisoner kicked him, and five or six
then pulled the prisoner from him. The mob then
set on his brother officer, and he was forced down,
the prisoner being on him ; he (witness) then felt a
number of heavy blows on his head, and on looking
round found the female pri6oner with a closed knife
in her hand, with which she had struck him, and he
bled greatly. At that time several other constables
came up, and both prisoners, after a desperate re-
sistance, were got to the station. He had since been
totally unfit for duty.
Mr. John Wakeling, who appeared on behalf of
the prisoners, severely cross-examined the officer,
but did nut shake his testimony.

John Sullivan. 159 E, stated that, hearing the
disturbance, he went to the assistance of his
brother officer, whom he found to be severely ill-
treated. He (witness) had scarcely got up, how-
ever, when the prisoner, who was behaving like a
madman, struck him a violent blow on -the nose
with his fist. He then took him into custody,
when, putting his leg behind me, ho threw him
over, and he (witness) falling on the ground, in-
jured his shoulder and arm so severely that he had
scarcely been able to use it since. They struggled
again some moments, when the woman attacked
him, striking him several blows on the head with
some blunt instrument, which he afterwards found
to be a closed knife, which was taken from her.
Had it not been for the assistance of other con-
stables who came up, the result would have been
even more serious.
Police-constable 47 S, said he had known the
male prisoner eight or nine years. He had been
convicted several times for assaults and other
offences, including burglary; and the female had
had six !months from that court. The male pri-
soner had been heard to say that he was determined
to be hung for the police.
Mr. Wakeling, for the prisoners, contended that
the officers had greatly ill-treated them without
sufficient provocation. _ _

Mr. D'Eyncourt said there was a very serious
charge of a similar nature before him the day be-
fore, in which several constables were injured; and
owing therefore to the alarming increase of such
outrages, he had determined to have the offenders
punished severely. He must therefore commit both
prisoners to take their trial.
The prisoners were then removed.

LAMBETH.—ALLEGED OVER ZEAL OF A Po-
LICE-CONSTABLE.—Mr. Frederick Palmer, a re-
spectable tradesman, residing in Lambeth, was
charged before Mr. Elliott with assaulting police-
constable Arthur Barret, 67 L.
The constable said that on the night before,
while going his rounds, he saw the prisoner
standing in a doorway in Hercules-buildings, and
asked him if he was waiting for any one. The pri-
soner replied by telling him to mind his own busi-
ness, and he said that was his business, upon which
he struck him on the face, and also spat at him and
tried to throw him down, but be succeeded in tak-
ing him to the station-house. The prisoner and his
friends had evidently been drinking, _ _

In reply to the charge, Mr. Palmer said he had
to complain of the shameful treatment which he had
experienced at the hands of the constable, and public
justice required that the case should undergo a strict
investigation. On the evening before, he said, he,
accompanied by two others, had h: en to visit a
dying friend, and were returning to their homes,
when he, being about fifty yards in advance of his
party, had merely stopped to await their coming up.
He had scarcely done so when the constable came
up, and in an authoritative tone asked him what he
did there. He replied that he was waiting for his
friends, who were behind him, when he said he
could not allow him to stop there, and that
if he did not go on he must remove him to the police-
station, and at the same time pushed him from the
foot-pavement into the road. By this time his
friends came up, and asked what it was all about,
and the complainant threatened to take them to the
station-house also. A gentleman, a perfect stranger
to him, who remonstrated with the constable on his
extraordinary conduct, was also threatened with the
horrors of the station-house, and would have been
in attendance to describe the conduct of the police-
man had not pressing business prevented him. He
(Mr. Palmer) told the complainant that he had been
for many years a householder and ratepayer of the
parish of Lambeth, but though he had offered in
the first instance to accompany the constable to the
station-house, he, not satisfied with this, took him
along the streets to the Tower• street station. In
conclusion, he assured the magistrate that he never
struck nor intended to strike the complainant, but
in his efforts to protect himself from his violence
his hand might have struck his face.
Mr. Davis, of 1, Paradise-walk, Lambeth, ma-
thematical instrument maker, said he had been in
the company of Mr. Palmer on the night before,
and finding him in an altercation with the con-
stable, asked the latter what his friend had done,
and the reply he received was that he had better go
on, or he should lock him up. He asked what he
had done to justify him in locking him up; and
Mr. Bowles, a friend of his, remarked that the po-
liceman must be either mad or drunk, for no one in
his senses would go on as he did. He saw the
policeman push Mr. Palmer from the footway into
the road, and he followed up his threats by taking
Mr. Palmer to the station-house.
In reply to the questions of the magistrate,
The witness admitted that Mr. Palmer might
have touched the policeman in the face when he
raised his hands to protect himself from the con-
stable's violence, but it was not a blow, nor had he
struck him intentionally. Witness and his party
were perfectly sober, and they in the first instance
volunteered to accompany the policeman to the
station.
Mr. John Bowles, of 168, Tyer•street, Lambeth,
wheelwright, who had been one of the party, cor-
roborated the statement of the last witness in all
its essential particulars.
Mr. Elliott here asked Mr. Palmer if it was his
intention to prefer a charge or complaint against
the constable.
Mr. Palmer replied he certainly did, as he felt
bound on public grounds to do so, and when the
case came again before his worship, he would have
the opportunity of having the evidence of the gen-
tleman he had before mentioned.
Mr. Elliott said that in order to give him an
opportunity of preferring his complaint before the
Commissioners of Police as required, he would ad-
journ the case till that day week, when it would be
fully investigated.
Mr. Palmer thanked his worship, and left the
court in the company of hiss friends.

THAMES.—A REVEREND ROGUE AND VAGA-
BOND.—CharIes Freeman, a tall, thin, sanctimonious-
looking man, who has for some time styled himself
the Rev. Thos. Aaron Freeman, 8.D., was brought
up on remand before Mr. Selfe, to answer various
charges of swindling, obtaining money under false
pretences, and larceny.
Mr. Thomas Beard, solicitor, who defended the
prisoner, requested that all the witnesses might be
ordered out of court, and his request was complied
with. An
Tapper, a printer, in Barge-yard, Bucklersbury.
exception was made in favour of Mr.
The prisoner was formerly in Mr. Tapper's employ,
and he stole some printed cheques, the property of
his employer, forged the names of several respect-
able persons, and uttered some of the cheques, as
genuine, to tradesmen and others who were deceived
by the plausible manners of the pretended clergy.
man. For this offence the prisoner was convicted