The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-24 00:00:00

THAMES.

A DESPERATE RUPPIAN.—Charles Regan, a tall, coarse-
looking man, was brought before Mr. Paget charged with
violently assaulting John Dodds, an engineer, at the Wil-
liam the Fourth beerhouse in High-street, Poplar, George
Mountford, police-sergeant, 34 K, and William Elliott, a
police-constable, No. 261. K.

The prisoner was in the beerhouso intoxicated and
making a disturbance. He interfered with the guests, and
struck Dodds, one of the witnesses. He also insulted the
landlady and demanded the return of some money he had
paid for ale. His insolent demand was not complied with,
and he made further disturbances. Dodds left the house
and called in Police-sergeant Mountford, on whom tho
prisoner made a violent assault, knocked him down, and
disabled him by kicking him about the head and face. A
constable, named Elliott, was called in and the prisoner
struck him with his fist, and was proceeding to further
violence when Elliott took his truncheon from its case and
struck him on the head with it. The prisoner fell and
was secured.
Mr. M. Brownfield, surgeon, of No. 171, East India-road,
said he was called into the station-house last night to
attend Mountford, who was suffering from contusions on
the head, which unfitted him for duty. The sergeant could
not masticate any solid food, and the temporal muscle was
affected. The sergeant would not be able to return to his
duty for some time. He had examined the prisoner's head.
There was a lacerated wound but not deep upon it.
The prisoner made no defence.
Mr. Paget said this was a case he must punish with con-
siderable severity. He sentenced the prisoner to one
month's imprisonment and hard labour for the assault on
Dodds. For the assault upon Mountford, which was of a
more serious nature, he sentenced the prisoner to be im-
prisoned for two months, and kept to hard labour. The
assault on Mountford was one of a cowardly, cruel, and
abominable nature, and he hardly knew whether ho was
justified in withdrawing the case from the consideration of
a jury. He should also have committed the prisoner for
two months for the assault on Elliott if he had not been
struck with the truncheon. The constable was quite jus-
tified in what he had done. It was proper and judicious
for him to use his truncheon in this case.

AN ADVENTURE AT BUENOS AYRES.—I was re-
turning from a ball with a friend at an early hour in
the morning when I heard a report of firearms dose to me
in a house. I endeavoured to break in the door, but could
not. Looking through a window I saw a man, pistol in
hand, who had just fired a second barrel ; at the same mo-
ment a man, bleeding, came out from another door crying
for assistance. I rushed in with several policemen after
me and wrenched the pistol from the first and seized him.
Other police at the same time had broken in at another door
(it was a corner house), and seeing me standing there pistol
in hand, holding one man, with another apparently lying
dead before me, mistook me for the murderer, and imme-
diately cut mo down with two severe cuts from clubbed
lances on the head. I fell covered with blood. On getting
up again I was lanced in several places, and beaten black
and blue. How I escaped with my life I know not. I was
dragged on, more dead than alive, and thrown into prison
as tho supposed murderer, and remained there for about 10
hours. This is my first day out of bed. Thanks to God,
the wounds are nearly healed, and I feel no ill effects from
them. I feared. that my skull was fractured, but I now
conclude that it is all right. I have been on shore since,
living at an hotel, whence the doctors will not let me move
for some days. Everybody has been most kind, and it has
been taken up by our Minister here. I never knew what
a thrashing was before. I offered no resistance, having not
even a stick to guard a blow off with. The pistol,. I sup-
pose, was knocked out of my hand by the first blow, which
was given me from behind, and on turning round to see
who had struck me I received one across the forehead,which
felled me. I was covered with blood from head to foot, but
did not lose my senses. Ono of the Wounded men is dying,
the other badly wounded. I shall carry a two-inch scar
on the forehead, just above the right eye. What will be the
end of it between our Minister and this,Government I can-
not yet say ; perhaps an apology--not that that will do me
much good.