The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-26 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day

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BOW-STREET.
SEBIOUN AFFRAY.—Three women, named Sweeny,
Taylor, and Wimple, were placed at the bar before Mr.
Henry, charged with creating a disturbance and seriously
wounding a police-constable. Two of the women, Sweeny,
aged 68, and Taylor, who appeared to be about 30 years
of age, presented a shocking spectacle. Their faces and
clothes were covered with blood, and their heads were
bound round with large bandages. Both women ap-
peared to have suffered severe injury.
Police-constable F 64 stated that last night he
was on duty in Drury-lane, when he heard the cry of
"Murder" and "Polce" proceeding from the neighbour.
hood of the Coal-yard. He proceeded to the spot, and
there ascertained that the disturbance was in Barley-court,
a place inhabited by persons of the lowest description.
On reaching the court, he found Wimple in a shocking
state of intoxication, lying before one of the doors in the
court, and on Taylor seeing him, she wished to give a
man and woman into custody for robbing her of 10e.
He refused to take the charge, and was about to con-
vey Wimple to the station-house, when three half-
crowns dropped from her person. He was in the act
of picking them up, when Taylor sprung upon him,
and with an oath swore he should not steal the money
off the old woman. The prisoners, Taylor and Sweeney,
then commenced a violent attack upon him, and ho
left the woman Wimple, and endeavoured to take the
women into custody. After a struggle for some time, the
two women ran into the house in which they were living,
and he followed them. Taylor threw herself on the
bed, and as he was leaning over it to lift her up, she
seized his nose between her teeth and bit it twice very
severely. She then commenced screaming and assaulting
him, and while he was so engaged with Taylor, Sweeny
commenced attacking him behind with a large piece of
wood. Finding he was in danger of losing his life, he
drew his rattle and struck both the prisoners with it.
Eventually another constable came to his assistance, and
after the charge had been entered at the station-house,
the women and himself were conveyed to the hospital
to have their wounds dressed.
Mr. Henry.—Did you not draw your truncheon ?
Policeman—No, your wor,hip. I should have been
killed if I had done so. While the woman Taylor was
at the hospital she said she was sorry she had not bit my
nose right off.
Mr. Henry.—Have you stated the whole of the facts.
All this violence appears to have been occasioned after
you entered the house. I should have thought that you,
who have been in the force fir many years, would have
had more discretion than to have acted in the manner
you have done. I think you have shown very bad
judgment. The proper course for you to have taken
would have been to have brought the woman Wimple
to the station-house, and then to have applied fur
a summons against the othe.: prisoners this morning.
All this violence would have been prevented if you had
done so. I don't mean to say that you have exceeded
your duty by acting as you have done, but it shows a
great want of judgment on your part.
The prisoner Taylor here fell to the ground from ex-
haustion, and the was conveyed from the court, and the
further healing of the case was postponed.
In about half an hour afterwards the women were
again brought into court, and the case was proceeded
with.

Police constable 101 F stated that he was on duty
last night in Drury Lane, and a woman came up to him
and told him a policeman was being killed in the Coal-
yard. He immediately went to the spot and there found
the constable bleeding profusely, the wome i having gone
;wide. On the constable gaining his fie, they seemed
the women, and brought them to the station-house.
While he was engaged in the affray a large knife (pro-
duced) was thrown :rom one of the windows of the house,
and it passed within two inches of his shoulder.
In answer to the charge, Taylor said the constable
ill-used them in the most severe manner. He struck
them over the head with his staff. He was dragging
the woman Wimple off to the station-house, when they
asked him not to treat the woman so roughly. He
commenced the assault on them, and then he rushed at
the house -and broke open several of the doors in order
to get at them.

Sweeny said she bad been much ill•used. Her age,
68, would prevent her from offering muu'i resistance.
Police•constable 64 recalled.
Mr. Henry—You have stated you did not strike the
women with your stall, and that the injuries they have
received were inflicted with your rattle. Have you your
rattle with you ?
Policeman—No, your worship.
Mr. Henry—Have you your staff ?
Policeman—No, your worship.
Mr. Henry—The women have both received very
severe injuries, and I am anxious to discover how it
was inflicted. They state it was caused by blows from
the staff of the police-constable, and he states that it
was done with his rattle. I, therefore, Csh those ar•
tides to be sent for.
Inspector Mitchell despatched an officer to the sta,-
tion•house for the rattle and staff of the policeman. He
said the prisoner Taylor bore a very bad character. She
was tried last session for a burglary.
Taylor—Yes and acquitted, because I was innocent.
On the officer returning with the staff and rattle of
Police-constable 64, they were examined. The rattle
was very much stained with blood, but the staff was
quite clean, and bore no evidence of having teen used in
such an affray.

Mr. Henry said a great deal of the injuries re-
ceived by the police-constable were owing to his want of
judgment in following the prisoners into the house,
and as it was evident that two of the women had re-
ceived severe injury, he should send them to the hospi-
tal in order that an examination might be made, and
also that they might receive proper treatment. As it ap-
peared that Wimple had not participated in the affray,
but was merely charged with being drunk, he should
discharge her. His worship then directed Temple and
Sweeny to be taken to the hospital, and that they should
be placed before him again to-morrow morning.