The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-29 00:00:00

THAMES.

AN AFFRAY ON BOARD AN AMERICAN SKIP.---
VVilliam appeared before Mr. Paget
charged with cutting and wounding John Holm.
Mr. Pelham conducted the defence, and Mr. Stod-
dart appeared for the prosecution.

The complainant is a Chinaman, and second cook
of the American ship Hudson, and the defendant, a
Yankee, is the steward of the same vessel. 'The
Chinaman's head was almost covered with large
surgical plaisters. He produced a large carving
knife, which he said was used in cut-
ting up meat on board, and brandished it,
regardless of the throats and faces of those near
him. He stated, in broken English, in answer to
questions by Mr. Stoddart, that on Monday last
the Hudson was in the London Dock, and the chief
mate struck him, and then the complainant came
up into the galley, a cook-house on deck, and asked
for a scrubbing brush, and because he did not give
him one directly, he took up a knife and cut him on
the bead with it.

Mr. Paget—With that great knife ?
Witness—Yes, sir. Ile cut me three times on
the head with that large knife, and I went to Mr.
Ross, a surgeon in Shadwell, who dressed my
wounds.

Mr. Paget asked how it was the complainant
rested over his injuries until Thursday before he
came to that court for process.
Mr. Stoddart explained that the complainant
went bleeding and wounded to the King David-lane
station, Shadwell, and the police refused to inter-
fere because the Hudson was an American ship.
Mr. Paget said on the same ground a mur-
der might be committed in the London Dock
on board an American ship and the murderer
allowed to escape. The Hudson was in our
waters in a dock at the time the alleged assault
was committed.

In cross-examination by 111 r. Pelham, the China-
man said that the chief cook gave him the large
knife last night.

Mr. Paget—Take it away from him, or he will
be doing mischief.

Mr. Pelham said the complainant met with very
trifling injury, but not in the way stated, that he
was absent two days from, the ship, and that he
had a black eye when he returned to the ship.
He called Mr. Charles Fowler, an English-
man, who said he was sufercargo of the Hudson.
On Monday morning last the defendant asked the
complainant why he had been absent from duty
two days, to which he made no answer. The de-
fendant then asked the Chinaman for a scrubbing
brush, and the complainant told him to go to hell.
He caught the complainant, who struck him on the
eye. A struggle ensued, and complainant took up
a knife and tried to stab Corrison, who
took the knife away from him. The
complainant seized a cleaver, and attempted
to strike the defendant. In the struggle the
complainant fell against the ironwork of the cook-
house and injured his head. The complainant cut
off with the cleaver.

Mr. Pelham—He did not cut off any person's
head ?

Witness—No, sir ; he cut away with it.
Mr. Paget believed the defence, and that the
Chinaman had first assaulted the Yankee. He dis-
missed the case.

WESTMINSTER.
AN INHUMAN PROCEEDING.—A young woman of
very lady-like appearance applied to Mr. Selfe,
the sitting magistrate, for his advice and assistance,
under the following distressing circumstances :
Applicant said she had a sister, who was a married
woman, separated from her husband ; her sister had
been living at 13, Cadogan-street, Chelsea, and the
night before last she died there, owing some money.
Applicant went to the house and asked for the
corpse, and they refused to give it up unless some
money was paid. Applicant was willing to bury
the body if it were given to her.
Mr. Selfe said they had no right to detain a
dead body, or a living one either.
Applicant said they told her if £lO was not paid
the corpse should not leave the house.
Mr. Selfe asked whether an undertaker had
performed his preliminary functions.

Applicant replied yes, and the corpse was in the
coffin ; they refused at first to let the undertaker
in, and insulted and turned her sister out of the
house, who went with the undertaker. She wished
to bury her sister, and wished to pay the expenses.
She would have paid what her sister owed, but her
position did not permit of it.
Mr. Selfe said if she and the undertaker went to
the house he would send an officer to see that the
body was given up to her.
Applicant thanked his worship and retired.

Major-Gen. Lord George Paget, C. 8., Inspector-
General of Cavalry, made his annual field inspec-
tio❑ of the 17th Lancers, stationed at llounslow,
on the 25th inst.

The GS-pounder cast-iron gun, condemned as
unserviceable from fissures in the vent after firing
about 400 rounds in its smooth-bore state, and
which Mr. Parsons was permitted to convert on his
system, by the insertion of a tough steel tube, &c.,
under went a severe trial at Woolwich on the 17th
of the present month. It is to be removed to Shoe-
buryness and undergo a similar test as soon as
a carriage is provided on which the gun can be
mounted.

The 80th Regiment is under orders to leave Al-
dershot for Fleetwood and Leeds.

ALLEGED AILTEDER.—Last evening Mr. W. J.
Payne held an inquest at Guy's Hospital respecting the
death of Patrick Desmond, aged 24 years, who was stabbed
by a man named Toomey. Toomey is still at large. The
coroner said the case was evidently one of murder, and
would require a full investigation. The inquiry was then
adjourned for further evicleftee,:,and for the arrest of
Toomey.