The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-25 00:00:00

SO UM WARK.

Two sailors named Conolly and Reece were brought
before Mr. Seeker for re-examination, charged with
stabbing William Brookman, a waterman.
_ ... _

The complainant, who appeared extremely ill, and
has been an inmate of one of the Borough hospitals
ever since the outrage, stated that on Wednesday
morning, between 12 and 1 o'clock, as he was re-
turning home, in walking down Tooley-street he
heard the cry of " Murder." He proceeded across
the street, and at the corner of Morgan's-lane he
observed a man lying on the..ground, and the two
prisoners standing over him,-cilin of whom (Reece)
he saw give the prostrate 'man a violent kick in the
face. The moment this cowardly act was committed
the two prisoners ran away towards the water side,
when he (complainant) followed them in that direc-
tion, and on coming up with them he remonstrated
with Reece for having brutally kicked the man, and at
the same time expressed his determination not to let
them escape the punishment they deserved. At this
instant Conolly drew out a long and sharp-pointed
knife, such as is used by sailors for cutting ropes,
and, flourishing it about, swore that he would
stick it into the first man who approached. Conolly
then rushed at him (complainant) and struck him in
the back with the knife—Reece, his companion, at
the same time urging him to repeat the blow. As
soon as complainant was wounded he fell to the
ground, upon which both of his assailants ran away.
A policman coming up soon afterwards, and finding
that he was stabbed, had him placed in a cab and
conveyed to the hospital, where he had remained up
to that day. He added that he was still very weak
from loss of blood, and was rendered incapable of
using his right arm owing to the infliction of the
wound.
Thomas Palmer, whose face was very much dis-
figured in consequence of a kick inflicted on the bridge
of his nose, stated that on the morning in question he
was walking down Tooley-street with a woman,
when the two prisoners came up and intentionally
jostled him off the pavement into the road. He went
up and asked them why they did it, but had scarcely
uttered the words when Conolly struck him a severe
blow on the neck that knocked him down, and before
he had time to recover himself the other prisoner
gave him a violent kick in the face that disfigured it
in the way in which it now appeared. With some
difficulty he raised himself from the ground and pur-
sued his assailants, and came up with them at the
moment that Conolly stabbed the complainant.
Policeman Hunt 82 M, stated, that hearing the cry
of " Police," he hastened to the spot, and saw the
complainant lying on the ground, bleeding from a
wound near the shoulder. Having procured a cab he
sent the wounded man to the hospital, while he went
in pursuit of his assailants, whom be found on board
a ship near Topping's• wharf. The witness Palmer
accompanied him on board, and wben that person
pointed out Conolly as the man who stabbed the
complainant, Conolly exclaimed, "Yes, lam the boy,
and here," added he, holding out a knife, " is the
knife that did it, and I tried all I could to do for
him ;" he repeated the latter words several times.
The policeman added that he then took both the pri-
soners into custody, and he produced the knife with
which the complainant was stabbed.
Mr. Hartshorn, an assistant-surgeon at the hospital,
described the nature of the wound inflicted on the
complainant, and said it was on the right side below
the shoulder-blade, an inch and a-half in length, and
two inches in depth, and that the point of the weapon
would have penetrated the lungs had it not struck
against the ribs ; the complainant was now out of
danger.—The prisoners, who denied the charge, were
committed.

THE GREAT FIRE IN THE CITY.
The fire which broke out on Tuesday evening in
Lower Thames-street and King's Head-court was
attended with a far greater destruction of property
than was at first expected.
It was yesterday ascertained that the stock in trade
belonging to Mr. Bais was exceedingly heavy, and
probably as large as in any house in the same line of
business in London. The back warehouses in King's
Read court alone were several floors high, and coin•
prised two large houses. It was on the third floor of
this building that the outbreak commenced, but upon
the spirits becoming ignited they ran down the stairs
and through the cracks in the floor, having all the
appearance of immense streams of liquid fire, so that
it was at first impossible to tell where the flames
commenced. Between this range of premises and the
front establishment were two strong party walls. The
only means of passing from one warehouse to the
other was a very narrow doorway, but so great was
the body of flame that it rushed through this aper-
ture and fired every part of the front building as well
as the backs of numerous other houses in Fish street-
hill, Thames-street, King's Head-court, and Pud-
ding-lane.
No fewer than six parish engines were present,
two from Calvert's brewery, several from the Custom-
house, nine land engines of the London establishment,
and that of the West of England Company. Although
the whole of this force was brought to bear on the
tames, not the least check could be put to their
violence, when it was deemed advisable to have the
two large floating engines at Southwark bridge and
Rotherhithe sent for. The hoses from these powerful
machines were taken through the opposite wharfs, and
by that means many tuns of water were momentarily
thrown into the blazing mass, and eventually the
firemen got the mastery over the conflagration.
Fortunately, the church of St. Magnus, although
exposed to so much danger, from the men standing
on the roof with their hoses from the engines, did
not receive the least injury.
The following is a copy of Mr. Braidwood's official
report of the extent of the damage done :
Tuesday, October 23, 1849—Called at half-past
5 P.M., by a stranger to a fire in Lower Thames-
street. On arriving found it was in the premises of
Messrs. Bais and Co., wholesale and export druggists,
carrying on business at Nos. 125 and 126, in that
street. The premises were insured in the Hand-in-
Hand, Phoenix, and West of England Fire•offices.
The fire was extinguished by firemen with water
from the New River Company and River Thames.
Engines that attended-12 (land) of the London
Establishment, the two floats A and D, six of the
parish, the Customs, two brewhouae, the West of
England, and several wharf engines.
" The damage done is as follows :
" Messrs. Bais's back warehouses in King's Head-
court—Burnt down. About one-half of front ditto,
in Thames-street, destroyed.
" No. 127. Lower-Thames-street, Mr. C. Francis,
coffeeshop-keeper.—Contents insured in the Imperial
Fire-office. Building unknown. Two back windows
burnt out, and considerable damage by fire, water,
and hasty removal.
" No. 123, in the same street,—Mr. J. Jones,
lodginghouse-keeper. Contents insured in the Phoenix.
Roof of premises damaged by fire, furniture injured
by removal, and skylights broken.
" No. 124, in the same street.—Let out in tene-
ments. Similar damage.
"No.! 30, Fish-street-hill.—Mr. J. Cullen, to-
bacconist. Contents insured in the Phoenix-office.
Considerable damage by removal.
"Ditto, ditto.—C. Jayne (private).
sured in the Guardian. Similar damage.
"No. 32, ditto, ditto.—Mr. C. Francis, coffee-shop
keeper. Contents insured in the Imperial, and the
building in the Guardian. Back windows burnt out,
and serious damage by water and removal.
ibnys`
utwrDea
dti te tri on,a
ndtdiht
etroe
Imperialo Avlarl
.s. E
0.
ffiF re ae n. c i
Furniture(lodger).
dCaomn
at egnet.(si
I,o2,zwtlinno
"No. 33, in
Cothnetenstas not tree
insured.t.— MBr. . u
iJI
nKgnuo
nt
Back windows burnt out, roof nearly
'

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