The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-09 00:00:00

AFFRAY BETWEEN THE MILI-

TARY AND THE POLICE.

The High-street and Lawnmarket presented, about 7
o'clock on Saturday evening, a scene of gr=eat confusion
and excitement, from the occurrence of an affray between
some soldiers of the 21st Scotch Fusiliers, at present
stationed in the Castle, and the police, which soon at-
tracted a large crowd. The origin of the affair seems to
have been the determined opposition offered by a small
party of soldiers at the foot of the Castlehill to the
efforts of two policemen, who endeavoured to induce
them to move away from the door of a shop around
which they had assembled, to the obstruction of the
thoroughfare. The policeman having insisted on their
removal, a soldier struck one of the constables a severe
blow, when they seized him, and endeavoured to convey
him to the police-office. The rest of the party inter-
fered, and a struggle took place, in which the police
were severely beaten, but a small reinforcement of
constables, under Sergeant-Major Kelly, having reached
the spat, three of the principal ringleaders among the
soldiers were apprehended, along with two workmen
who had joined them in resisting the police. The
crowd, which had assembled in large numbers, hooted
and jostled the police, who had literally to fight their
way to the police-office with the prisoners; and as many
soldiers were on their way to the Castie at the time,
efforts were made to induce them to attempt a rescue,
which, we are glad to say, they declined. The whole of
the prisoners were ultimately lodged in the police-office;
but the excitement on the street being still very great,
and as a number of soldiers seemed determined upon a
rescue, the pollee patrolled the Lawnmarket and the
Castlehill to prevent further disturbance. Mr. Moxey,
the superintendent of police, immediately proceeded to
the Castle, and, after an interview with the commanding
officer of the regiment, a strong picket was drawn up on
the Esplanade, and several of the officers displayed great
activity in collecting the stragglers on the street, and
sending them to the Castle. The bugles were also
sounded on the Castlehill to call in the soldiers, and in a
short time all apprehension of further disturbance was
removed. On Sunday the Sergeant-Major, accompanied
by Urquhart and Chisholm, the two police-officers who
were assaulted, proceeded to the Castle, where, on the
troops being called forth, they were enabled to identify
four of the principal rioters. In the afternoon Colonel
Deer caused the regiment to be drawn up in the Barrack-
square, where he addressed them in appropriate terms on
the unseemly] outrage which had been: occasioned
the evening previous by those whose duty it was to pre-
serve the peace of the community, and threatened that
on any soldier being found guilty of a like offence, he
would be dealt with according to martial law. On Mon-
day seven privates of the Fusiliers were brought before
Bailie Tait, cha'iged with being participators in the dis-
turbance. Two of them were sentenced to 60, and one
to 40 days' imprisonment, and the other four were fined
in two guinea, or 30 days in prison. The two work-
men alluded to, named Menelaus and Campbell, were
convicted of assisting the soldiers and attempting to de-
force the police, and were each sentenced to 60 days' im-
prisonment. Two other soldiers of the above regiment
were sent to prison for 40 days, for committing a disturb-
ance in one of the closes in the High-street on Saturday,
and striking the police.—Edinburgh Witness.
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