The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-15 00:00:00

THAMES- POLICE.

The Court was occupied from the opening until
nearly the close, in hearing two cases of as,ault pre-
ferred. by Mr. W. Major, M.D., who acted as surgeon-
of the barque Dublin, on her homeward bound voy-
age from Australia, the me against Captain .Thrnikan,
master of the vessel, and the other against the first
mate, named Cooper.
It appeared from the evidence that the commence-
ment of the voyage was very harmonious, and the
passengers did all in their power to while away the
tedium of a long confinement on shipboard. Sonae-ef
the gentlemen having a literary taste, got up,. but
without the adjuncts of types or presses, a sort of
newspaper, in the style of a shipboard gazette, to
which each, as inclination prompted, furnished his
quotum. For a time all went on merry as a mar-
riage bell," until some random shot .in the journal,
which was never aimed with intent, touched the captain
on the raw, and led to some little unpleasant-
ness. It appeared, too, that one of the pas-
sengers knelt, on one occasion, in a mock heroic
vein to the captain's lady, " a- new affianced bride,"
soliciting her to play some favourite air, but the
jest was taken so seriously that the breach between
the captain and-the passengers was widened. They.
had not been many weeks at sea when the crew and
the passengers were put on short allowance both of
food, water, and wine, though the master at starting
had assured several of the passengers that he had laid
in a sufficiency for one hundred days. The pa,ssen-
'
gem naturally became discontented, and from that time-'
all was discord. On one occasion Dr. Major wrote
an order for wine for one of his patients, which - the
Captain did not think 'sufficiently respectful in its
wording, and challenged more courtesy. The
doctor denied that he intended any disrespect,
words ensued, and the captain struck him, two blows
Upon the head, and so far from offering an apology or
expressing any regret, he said he was only sorry that
instead of striking he had not ropes-ended the doctor.
The case was fully proved, and
MR. BALLANTINR, after commenting with some
severity on the conduct of the captain, who, though
holding the highest position as commander of the
ship, was still in real rank and intellectual-position,
far inferior to the gentleman whom he had heated
with such indignity, fined him the fullest penalty of
'51., or two months' imprisonment.
The next charge against the- first mate was then
proceeded, with.

It appeared that the defendant had written some
letters to the plaintiff, which the latter seemed to
think offensive, and requested him to write no more
such. This led to replies and remonstrances, and the
defendant (Cooper) called the doctor an old woman,
a fool, a madman, and ultimately ab— b—. The
plaintiff admitted that, being irritated by the len-
guage.of the defendant, he said thank God, though
I have not personal strength, I am not a mutton-
headed fellow. Thereupon the defendant seized him
by the throat, which he compressed until the plaintiff
was black in the face, and struck him on the face and
on the temple.
This case was also fully proved, and Mr. BALLAN-
TINE seeing nothing in it to distinguish it from the
previous one, passed the same sentence. •
Mr. Fearnley, who appeared for the defence, said
his client could not pay the fine, but he, Mr. Fearn-
ley, wished to put in an acceptance for 251. to let him
go at large, until another case of assault, in which
the two latter defendants are included, and which is
to be taken on Thursday next, comes on for hearing.
Mr. Pelham, who conducted the prosecution, ob-
jected to this, and the owner of the vessel, who said
he had lost three thousand pounds by the voyage,
owing to the misconduct of the master (Dunihan).
He was satisfied that the acceptance tendered was for
some passage money due to his vessel.
Mr. BALLANTINE said, that;under the circumstances
he would be no party to any of their arrangements.
The captain then paid the fine, and the mate was
locked up in default.