The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-18 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET.

Yesterday a respectably-dressed young man, named Edward
Biggs, about 20 years of age, was charged, before Mr.
Broughton with threatening to take the life of Sergeant
Hawkes, 6 N.

Sergeant Hawkes stated that the prisoner's parents and con-
noxious are of the highest respectability at Haekney,„wheie his
father, a man of good pror,erty, has resided for many years:
The prisoner had received an excellent education, but in con-
sequence of his mother supplying him liberally with money,
and indulging him in every extravagance and folly, he had
given himself up entire'y to dissipation, was almost constantly
intoxicated, and had formed a very bad set of connexions.
Having just before Christmas heard that a policeman of his
divi►ien, named Read, was constantly in the prisoner's com-
pany, drinking with him at public-houses, and neglecting his
duty, he made it a point to watch Read's conduct; and from
this arose the prisoner's hostility to himself. Read was reported
to the Commissioners shortly afterwards, and, in consequence,
discharged from the force. While on duty at Homerton on
Friday he detected the prisoner coming up stealthily behind
him, with an evidently hostile intent, and, though the witness
remonstrated with him and tried to avoid him by going in
another direction, he was followed perseveringly by the pri-
soner, who grossly insulted and threatened him. On Saturday
night, at nine o'clock, while on duty, the prisoner's mother
sent for the witness to her house, during the prisoner's absence
from home, and cautioned him to keep out of the way of her
son, or he would certainly be injured, as the prisoner had
threatened to take his life.
Sergeant Gilliver was on duty at the Hackney-station, be-
tween one and two o'clock on Saturday,when the prisoner came
there in a state of intoxication, and asked for Hawkes, saying
that he had had some words with him, that he was determined
to do for him, and that he should feel more pleasure in shooting
Hawkes than he should in having a good dinner.
John You, another policeman, was standing at the bar of a
public-house in Morning-lane, Hackney, on Saturday night, at
10 o'clock, when the prisoner, who was not then sober, came
in. Here he again asked for Hawkes, and told the witness five
or six times that he was determined to have his life. At this

time the butt end of a pistol was projecting from his breast
pocket, but as he threatened to fire at any one who interfered
with him, the witness was afraid to attempt to take it from him.
The prisoner then went into the Ship, and seeing Richard
Jennings, another policeman, sitting there, asked him for
Hawker, threatening to sin for him, and pulling out a pistol,
which was ready codked, and had a percussion cap on it. Jen-
nings went down stairs to get assistance, and while there heard
the prisoner calling out for the police. On going back into the
parlour he found that a young man named Fox, to whom the
prisoner had exhibited his pistol, and uttered threats against
Hawkcs, had waited until he had returned the pistol to his
pocket, and then, watching an opportunity, had succeeded, after
a sharp struggle, in taking it from him. Fox delivered up the
pistol to Jennings, who, on examining it, found it loaded to the
muzzle, and on unloading it found five balls in it.
Mr. Heritage, for the prisoner, contended that as ne actual
violence had been offered to the officer, there was in fact no
ground for detaining his client, who had merely conducted
himself in the wild and thoughtless manner that young men of
his age sometimes do, without an intention of reaily committing
an offence.

Mr. BROUGHTON, however, said that this was another and
a melancholy instance of the evil effects of early habits of in-
temperance, and of the extreme folly of parents permitting
their children to indulge in every extravagance and caprice
their whims might lead to. The offence of resisting the officer
had been clearly proved, and his judgment was that the prisoner
be confined in the House of Correction for one month, with
hard labour, and at the expiration of that time find two sureties
in 1001. each, or four sureties in 50/. each, to keep the peace
for six months.