The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-21 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET.

THEATRICAL Mos.—John Belasco, nrother to the well
known prize-tighter of that name, appeared upon a warrant
before Jr. Broughton, charged with having violently as-
saulted a glass-dealer named Henry Davis.
The complainant, whose person exhibited marks of severe
and recent ill-treatment, stated that while passing through
Petticoat•lane, on the afternoon of Monday last, he was
accosted by the prisoner, who told him that a gentleman,
with whom he had been in communication, had informed
him that Mr. Barnard Gregory was to perform that even-
ing at the Haymarket Theatre, and that he wished him to

organise as many persons as he could collect together to
hoot him off the stage. The prisoner was accompanied at
the time by a large mob of the lowest characters in the dis-
trict, and offered him a shilling, together with a free admis-
slon to the theatre, and as much liquor as he chose to par-
take of, if he would join the expedition and allow his name
to be inserted in a book in which those of all the others were

inscribe:!. Witness, however, refused to take any part in
the proceedings, upon which the prisoner distributed a
quantity of halfpence amongst his followers, to pay their
passage by the penny steam-boat to llungfordtistairs,and
they all set out on their errand. Shortly before
they
moreey ft for
parted,"m
"serve
ne him o
refusing to form one of the party,
the prisoner threatened that he wldbouutbe
saw
until the preceding evening, when they accidentally met
each other at a public-house in Petticoat-lane, and the pri-
soner, after assailing him with the most scurrilous epithets,
struck him on the nose with the bowl of a tobacco pipe, and
instantly followed up the attack by a violent blow with his
fist, which blackened both his eyes, and caused an effusion of
blood from the nose that had continued, at intervals, ever
since. In answer to a question from the magistrate, the wit-
ness stated that when the prisoner made the first overture to
him he was in company with an acquaintance who was
also solicited to proceed with the mob to the
theatre; but that person was then unable, from
the pressure of business, to attend and give evi-
dence. Oa being called up6n for his defence the prisoner
declared that the whole of the complainant's state-
ment relative to their alleged interview on the previous
Monday was a fabrication, and that with regard to the assault
in the public-house, the complainant himself-was the aggressor;
by flinging at him a quart pot, and that he merely acted in
self. defence. The ;prisoner then called Edward Myers, a
Jew clothesman, who corroborated the latter part of his de-
fence, but admitted that the prisoner had uttered some ex-
asperating expressions to the complainant before any per.
sonal violence was resorted to. On being interrogated by the
magistrate, the witness said that the contemplated gathering
to interrupt the performances of the theatre had been the
common subject of conversation in Petticoat-lane for the
last fortnight, but that he bad not known the defendant to
be mixed up in it.
The complainant here intimated that be should be able to
bring several witnesses in support of his testimony, and
amongst them the brother of a publican in the neighbour-
hood, whom the defendant had also threatened with violence
because he refused 'to connect himself with the riotous
faction.

Mr. BROUGHTON said it was impossible in the present im-
perfect state of the evidence to arrive at a correct judgment
on the case; and as both parties were anxious for an adjourn-
ment, he should order the warrant to stand over, and require
the prisoner to enter into recognisances fur his future ap-
pearance.