The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-27 00:00:00

FATAL AFFRAY.

BRISTOL, FEB. 26.—At a late hour last night—viz.,
between 11 and 12 o'clock, murder was committed at
Bristol under the following circumstances :
There are now lying in the port of Bristol two vessels
—the one, a Spaniard, called the Rosario ; the other, a
Scotch vessel, the Highlander. The Rosario is manned
entirely by a Spanish crew, and the Highlander by a
crew composed of Englishmen, Scotchmen, and Ame-
ricans. On Friday evening one of the Highlander's
crew was passing along the quay, and seeing one of the
Spanish crew ill-using a woman, lie interfered for her
protection. The Spaniard struck him, and a struggle
ensued, which was, however, put an end to by some of
the police who happened to be near the spot, and who,
having separated them, sent them by different routes in
the direction of their several vessels. At a later hour of
the same night the crew of the Highlander were cross-
ing Queen-square, when they were met by the Spanish
crew, who instantly attacked them with their knives, and
one of the English crew was wounded in the shoulder,
but they escaped without further injury. On Satur-
day evening the Spanish crew went into a public-
house called the Hole in the Wall, in Princes-street,
near the quays, and, having entered a room on the
ground-floor, they called for some beer. While they
were in this room a part of the crew of the Highlander
came into the public-house, and as they passed the room
saw the Spaniards. One of them, uttering anerxclama-
htieons,omcaeudsiesdtutrhheanee; h
landlorde tionsaisptperdehuepnodn the
that the
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g there would
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afterwards another of the crew of the Highlander,Bhowrthly
o
had not been in the public-house
came to the door
where he stood talking to a girl. While he was there
one of the Spaniards went out, and uttering some
abusive exclamation, pushed the Englishman, and then
looked up at him insultingly. The Englishman replied
that he could bear looking at, when the Spaniard im-
mediately exclaimed, "Me no knife ; me no knife !" and
called his companions from within. The rest of the
Spaniards then came out and attacked him with their
knives. The Englishman fled towards Queen-square,
but in the Avenue was knocked down and jumped upon.
By this time the remaining portion of the Highlander's
crew, hearing the disturbance, came out, when th
Spaniards attacked them indiscriminately with their
knives. The Englishmen, being unarmed, fled in differen
directions, pursued by the ferocious Spaniards. One
of them ran across the street to Albion-lane, and, by a
lucky accident, slipped, and fell into the passage of the
Albion, which fortunately saved his life, for the Spaniard,
suddenly missing his prey, drove his knife up to the hilt
into the back of an unoflending man named Murphy,
who happened to be accidentally standing at the corner
of the lane talking to a woman. The Spaniard then
turned and pursued another of the English crew to-
wards Queen-square, and, coming up to him in the
Avenue, made a thrust at him with his knife. The
Englishman, fortunately happening to raise his arm, was
only slightly wounded, and escaped a fatal thrust, for
such was the force of the blow that the knife was driven
into the window-shutter, where it remained sticking,
force,obeeernt
and when afterwards removed from it, being covered
with blood up to the handle, no doubt re mtoa itnheed
Bristolo its
bsteaibngbetdh.e
Thesame knifepolice
having with
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arrived
r r
ivMurphyed in so had been
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the
Hoskins, three
and wounded
John
Beale, men,
weren
co Corneliusv Murphy,
eyed
Royal Infirmary, where Murphy almost immediately
died. The others, though severely wounded, are not in
immediate danger. The police also succeeded in appre-
hending six of the Spanish crew. An inquest wal be
held on the body of Murphy taraorrow.