The Sun.
London, England, 1834-11-26 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGII-STREET.

Yesterday WiMain John O'Connell, Esq., a nephew of
the great 0., John Richards, Esq., and a Frenchman
named Fermor Buisson, were placed at the bar before Mr.
CoNnicr, charged with disorderly conduct and fighting in
the Haymarket the overnight.
Policeman C 183 said about twelve o'clock last night a
" row" took place at the corner of the Haymarket between
'Mr. O'Connell and his friends and some Frenchmen. The
parties began fighting:, upon which he went towards them,
and endeavoured to separate them and to get them to dis-
perse. Mr. O'Connell, who was very violent, said the
combatants should not be separated, and if he (witness)
interfered he r•ould " bring him before the House of Com-
mons." Mr. O'Connell knocked two of the foreigners down
in witness's presence, upon which he (witness) said he would
take him (O'Connell) into custody, even if he was the King
of England, for so behaving.
Mr. CoNANT—What do you mean by the words for so
behaving ? Do you mean that be was collecting a crowd ?
Policeman—Yes. Afterwards I saw him knock two
persons down, and I interfered ; he said he would bring me
before the House of Commons.
Policeman C 78 stated that he saw Mr. O'Connell and
Mr. Richards quarrelling with some foreigners at the corner
of the Haymarket. Witness separated the parties several
times, and at last observing Mr. Richards strike one of the
foreigners, witness took him into custody.
Mr. O'Connell—Who did my friend strike? Witness—
I could not distinguish on account of the crowd. There
were upwards of one hundred persons, I should think, col-
lected altogether.

Mr. COANT—NoIv, Mr. O'Connell, if you wish to ask
the policeman any questions, this is the time.
Mr. O'Connell—Yes, I'll ask a question. I unques-
tionably deny that I ever raised my hand against any human
being.

Mr. CONANT—That. is not a question.
Mr. O'Connell—Well, then, I say I never raised myhand.
Mr. CONANT—You arc not called upon for your defence.
You are only to put questions at present.
Mr. O'Connell (to the policeman)—Did you have any
conversation with me before you took me into custody ? No.
Mr. O'Connell—l say you had. What right had you to
take me into custody? Because you were collecting a crowd.
Mr. O'Connell—Thank ye very much for that. Had
a cloak on ? No, you had not.
Mr. O'Connell—You admit you had some conversation
with me before you took me into custody ? I told you to
go away, and you d—d me, and said if I took you, you'd
have me before the House of Commons.
Mr. O'Connell—l'll only tell you what it is ; most of
the policemen know me—
Mr. CONANT—I cannot allow any insinuations to be
made.

Mr. O'Connell—The policeman has sworn what I don't
believe. What was the charge made to the superintendent ?
Mr. CONANT—The charge was that you were fighting in
the Haymarket at twelve o'clock at night.
Mr. Richards—l wish to ask the policeman if I was not
sonic distance from the other gentlemen ?
Policeman—You were a little way off, but you had been
in company with Mr. O'Connell and several others.
Mr. Richards—Did you see any person strike me ?—No.
Here Plank, the officer, made some observations, upon
which Mr. O'Connell called out, " Is that individual a
Magistrate ?"
Plank—No, but it is my duty to keep order.
Mr. O'Connell—He is a very officious officer.
Mr. CONANT—He is only doing his duty.
_

One of the policemen pointed to a Gentleman (Mr.
Gardner), and said that he was very active in the distur-
bance, and if there had been force sufficient he should have
caused him to have been taken into custody.
Mr. CONANT—I asked if any charge was to be made
against that gentleman, and I was told none. It is not
fair to turn round on him now. _ _ _

Mr. O'Connell—Thank you for that. It's owing to the
ignorant disposition of the policeman.
Mr. Richards—Did I not accompany the policeman to
the station-house quietly ?—Yes, you did.
C 156, corroborated the foregoing evidence, and added
tl at Buisson was making himself very active, which induced
him (witness) to take him into custody.
Mr. CONANT—What was Buisson doing? Policeman—
He was " jawing " with O'Connell.
Mr. O'Connell—l want to ask the first policeman if he
saw me strike any one? Policeman—Yes, I saw you knock
down two persons.
Mr. O'Connell—And for what purpose did I do it ?
Policeman—l cannot tell.
Mr. O'Connell—Was it not in self-defence ?
Mr. CONANT—That is an inference.
Mr. O'Connell—l do not recollect striking any huma❑
being.
- Mr. CONANT (to policeman C 62)—Did you see Mr.
O'Connell strike any person. Policeman—No. I saw
O'Connell push the constable, in order to get his friend
away, who was fighting.
Mr. O'Connell—Hab, that is right now. Order, Gentle-
men. And, policeman, will you just have the kindness to
say " Mister" O'Connell when you speak of my again.
Policeman, C 62—You called us d—d rascals, and
said you would have us all before the House of Commons,
and that we were paid by the gentry.
Mr. O'Connell—By virtue of your solemn oath have you
seen me strike any one ? Policeman—You were violent.
Mr. O'Connell—Hah. I am always so when necessary.
Now, by virtue of your solemn oath, did you see me knock
anybody down ? Policeman—No.
Mr. CONANT (to Policeman Harding, C IB3)—Did not
Mr. O'Connell push you ? Policeman—Yes, several times.
Mr. O'Connell—l deny it. Order, Gentlemen, now.
Mr. CONANT—Pray, Mr. O'Connell, do not interrupt.
Mr. O'Connell—l'll not do that. I know my situation
just better tha❑ any other man on the face of the earth.
Mr. Richards—Policeman, did you see my hat knocked
off ? Policeman—No : I saw you in a fighting attitude.
Mr. O'Connell—Now, policeman, by virtue of your oath,
was you there when the row began ? I was there when
you commenced.
Mr. O'Connell—l went to my friend to protect him'
against the foreigners, who were all on him.
The Frenchmen who had been assaulted were called into
the room separately.
The account given by them of the transaction was that
they were drinking in the Lemon Tree public-house, in the
ila.vmarket, when the defendants with others came in also
to drink. As they (complainants) were about quitting the
house, one of Mr. O'Connell's party pushed the door by
design, against one of them, and hurt the individual's knee.
The person thus insulted turned round to remonstrate, upon
which the reply was made of " Oh, d—n Frenchmen, let's
have a row with them." A row accordingly commenced,
and the defendant Richards was pointed out by three of
the complainants as the person who had assaulted them.
None of the complainants could state that Mr. O'Connell
struck any person. What one of them observed concern-

ing that gentleman was that he was " not doing any thing
of consequence."
Mr. O'Connell—There, hear that. I did not strike any
body, but (very loftily) I could have knocked them all
down had I commenced.
Mr. CONANT-,..-NOW; Mr. O'Connell, I am ready to hear
your defence. •

Mr. O'Connell—Thank ye. Now then I'll prove I
struck no man. No foreigner has made a charge against
me ; consequently it clears me from the charge, inasmuch
as no one s cuum fotiVard to say I committed a breach of
the neacc,

Mr. CONANT—Except the police.
Mr. O'Connell—The police have sworn I knocked two
people down. None of the foreigners have said so, and so
help me God I did not. Order, gentlemen, now ; while
rm speaking trouble you to be silent. Nov there's the
oaths of three of the complainants against the oaths of two
policemen, and that leaves one oath in my favour.
Mr. CoNANT—We don't decide according to the num-
ber of witnesses.

Mr. O'Connell—Don't you ? Then I'll tell you what it
is. I've committed no assault, and I'll produce three gen-
tlemen who'll swear they never saw me strike any one. Its
very singular that whenever a gentleman is brought forward
one policeman is sure to back another on the charge against
him.
Mr. CONANT—The fact is not so.

Mr. O'Connell—Look to the public press. Now I'll
tell you what I think. No gentleman ought to have been
taken into custody on such a charge. Here I stand at the
bar unimpeached, and I leave my case with your worship.
In defence Mr. Richards said, as he was leaving the Le-
mon Tree to go home, the Frenchmen followed, and applied
some gross terms to him, which he resented, and a disturb-
ance ensued.

Buisson, in defence, said the terms, " Rascal, blackguard,
and tailor" were applied to him and his friends by Mr.
O'Connell and his party, which led to the affray.
Mr. O'Connell called two witnesses to prove that he did
not strike any one, but the substance of their evidence
merely went to show that they did not see Mr. O'Connell
strike a blow, and that their belief was he did not.
Mr. CONANT said he had not the slightest doubt that the
charge of riot and assault had been proved against Mr.
O'Connell, and more particularly against Mr. Richards,
three persons having sworn to specific assaults committed
on them. Mr. O'Connell had pushed the policeman, and,
in addition, bad said many absurd things to them about the
House of Commons ; and as a push constituted an assault,
especially during the time of the riot, be should order both
parties to find bail for the riot, leaving it to the three
Frenchmen to go on with their charge for the assaults
if they pleased.
The complainants having declined to press the matter
further, Mr. O'Connell left the bar, exclaiming " So help me
God they've sworn falsely."
Buisson was discharged.