The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-10 00:00:00

SERIOUS AFFRAY.

SIiNDERLAND, TUZSDAY NIGHT, TWIILVE O'CLOCK.—The
inhabitants of this town have been this evening thrown into
a state of great and general excitement, by an affray of a
sudden and unexpected character between a policeman
named Holmes, No. 21, and three soldiers of the 69:h Regi-
ment, the depot of which is stationed in the barracks here.
In the present excited state of the people, and the exaggera-
tions that are current on the origin and extent of the con-
flict, it is difficult to come at the truth, but after a patient
inquiry the fullowing brief narrative will comprise the grin-
' cipal facts. It appears that about eight o'clock this evening
three soldiers of the 69th in the barracks here were proceed;
ing along the High-street, and under the influence of liquor,
but not in a state of drunkenness to render them incapable.
On reaching the arcade at the foot of the market one of the
soldiers pushed a person from the pavement, who was stand-
ing in conversation with two or three others, and the insulted
person remonstrated with the soldier on his rudeness. He was
instantly struck on the head by the soldier, and policeman
Holmes seeing the assault, and also that the soldiers were
rather tipsy, walked up to the party in altercation, and re-
commended the soldiers to go to the barracks. On the police-
man's interference the soldiers became very violent, and one of
them struck him on the head with a walking-cane, on which
the officer seized him, and was immediately set upon by the
other two, one of whom had a heavy walking-stick, and in-
flicted on poor Holmes several merciless blowi, but he still
retained hold of the soldier he first seized, and though the
scuffle was general he resisted his assailants with great
courage and success. In attempting to get his truncheon
from his pocket, the policeman was overpowered and fell on
the pavement, when the three soldiers punished him very
severely in different parts of his body with their feet and
military belts, which they had unloosed from their shoulders.
By this time the alarm had spread through the populous lanes
in the neighbourhood, and the people rushed into the streets
by hundreds, and by encouraging the soldiers a general
conflict took place, and blows were levelled in all directions;
it was, in short, a general riot. The greatest alarm pre-
vailed in the streets, and cries of " murder ' quickly re
sounded through the main thoroughfares. In the mean-
' time Holmes, the policeman, was rendered senseless from
the blows he had received on the head, and blood was
streaming from his wounds, when be was dragged into Mr.
I Nesbitt's public- house by some of the crowd who bad the
courage to attempt his rescue, which was accomplished at
considerable risk, as the mob were all against the police •
man, under the impression that he was the aggressor. The
High-street was now densely filled with the excited inhabit-
ants of the lanes, who congregated from all parts of the locality.
The news of the conflict quickly spread over the town, and
several policemen hastened to the spot, when the three
soldiers and others of their comrades who bad reached the
scene of the riot, made their escape to the barracks and other
places of shelter. Immediately on the alarming outrage
being known at the barracks, the commanding officer, Cap-
tain Paxton, dispatched a picket with fixed bayonets, to
proceed through the streets, and to bring all the soldiers into
quarters, and by vigorous measures on the part of Captain
Paxton, who was quickly on the spot, peace and confidence
were restored, though at one time the matter appeared likely
to be the occasion of much mischief and bloodshed. The in-
habitants of the immediate neighbourhood were in a state of
great alarm ; and for some time it was generally understood
that policeman Holmes was in a dying state, which greatly
increased the excitement, which was prolonged till near mid-
night, and the streets were crowded by hundreds of persons
in all directions from the Bridge Hotel eastwards, as far
down as Church-street. The picket were very success:ul in
cleAring the streets of the Military, and the three soldiers got
safely to the barracks. So violent were they when assailing
Holmes that one of them was seen to seize him on
the back with his teeth, by which his coat was torn
up the WWI, The wounded police usia was prswpay