The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-23 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A

POLICE CONSTABLE AT DEPTFORD.

During the whole of Saturday the towns of Gteenwich
and Deptford were in a state of excitement, from its
having been reported that a murder had been attempted
upon a police-constable of the name of Hastie, in a retired
part of Deptford. The rumour was that he had been set
upon by four men, in consequence of his interference on
behalf of a girl, who they were at the time indecently
molesting, and after one of them had struck him a sevei e
flow up.)n the head with some deadly weapon, they all
hit him bleeding, and in a hopeless condition, where he
might have died if it had not been for at -
other constable, who had him conveyed to Guy's
Hospital, and there are no hopes of his recovery.
The following evidence was given before Mr. Grove,
the magistrate, at the Greenwich Police-office, during
the course of the day. The following men, now in
custody, William Sullivan, William Brazen, Michael
Collins, and Timothy Driscoll, were placed before the
magistrate.

Edward Ford deposed that he knows all the pri-
soners. He was at the Rodney Arms with them on
Friday night, and was turned out with Clem by the
landlord at twelve o'clock, when he heard a girl abusing
one of them for taking liberties with her person. She
had been drinking with them, and the policeman told
them all to go home, or he must lock them up.
Thomas Purnell, a dockyard labourer, stated that he
saw a man pulling about a woman who remonstrated,
and that he heard the policeman tell him' to go home.
He went on, and left the prisoners at the corner of the
Rodney Arms.
James Usher deposed that he was going home at a
quarter past twelve, when, as he passed the Rodney, he
saw a man leaning against the wall in a helpless condi-
tion, and upon his trying to arouse him he found, by the
light of his lamp, that he was deluged with blood. He
ran off for assistance, and the poor fellow was taken t.)
the Kati on -house.

Mary Ann Harding, of No. 1, Dock-street, Deptford,
stated she was at the Rodney on the night in question, in
company with two young men, and left them a few
minutes after twelve o'clock. The prisoners lett the tap-
room at the same time, and one of them pulled her about
indecently whe, she got into the street. She told them
if they did not leave her alone she would get them locked
up. She called them rogues. The policeman told her
to go home, and to prefer a charge against the party in
the morning. He said so three or four times She then
went home, and left the men and the officer at Tinderbox-
court.

The pdice sergeant and one of the constables deposed
that Hastie stated on his way to the hospital that Sulli-
van and a thick-lipped man had done it. They went to
Sullivan's lodging, and,:openindthe door, he said, before
a word was uttered, "It was not me that did it ; and
when one of them took hold of him, and asked, " Done
what ?" he replied, " I know nothing about it."
Sergeant Lovell deposed to taking the other pri-
soners into custody, a.nd to finding so.ne blood on Tiro-
zan's trousers.

Upon being asked what they had to say in an-
swer, Sullivan simply replied that he had not been at
the Rodney on the previous night, and the other pri-
soners denied having any knowledge of the assault.
The landlord of the Rodney was examined as to the
parties who were in his house, and this being the whole
of tho evidence, the prisoners were all remanded to
Maidstone gaol, to await further investigation.
In the afternoon an application was made to the ma-
gistrate at Union-hall to take nestle's deposition, as he
was said to be in a dying state, and upon Mr. Traill
reaching the hospital, he was informed the poor fellow
was perfectly unconscious, and it was thought he could
not survive twenty-four hours.