Star.
London, England, 1830-05-08 00:00:00

INTERESTING TRIAL FOR ASSA ULT.

A very singular case was tried on Friday, at the
Quarter Sessions in Belfast, before John Curry, Esq.
Assistant Barrister. Lieut. Colonel M'Leod was indicted
for having, on the night of the 16th April, assaulted
Jacob Knowles ; and Jacob Knowles was indicted for
having, on the same night, assaulted Lieutenant-Colonel
M'Leod.
Mr. R. MONTGOMERY said, he was one of the attor-
neys engaged in this case, in behalf of Mr Knowles.—
Colonel M'Leod, the gentleman to whom he was op-
posed, is barrack-muter in this town, and has only ar-
rived very lately in this country. On the 16th of the
present month, he dined with the mess of the 9th regi-
ment at present quartered in Belfast. As the Colonel
was returning from dinner on that night, to his lodgings,
on passing down Donegall-street, a few doors below
Talbot-street, he met Mr. Knowles, his (Mr. M.'s) client,
with his mother-in-law (Mrs. Gill) leaning upon his arm.
Mrs. Gill was leaning on Mr. K.'s right arm, and was
next the houses. Immediately after them was Mrs. G.'s
maid servant, and a few paces paces farther back, were
Mrs. Plunkett, who is daughter to Mrs. Gill, and Mr.
Plunkett. Mrs. Plunkett was leaning on her husband's
left arm, and was, consequently, next the street. The
jury will keep these circumstances in recollection. They
were proceeding quietly in this order, when they met two
gentlemen ; and imagine what must have been Mrs. Gill's
astonishment, when amen who should have been the last to
offer an insult to a lady—a man whose profession should
have made him the protector of female weakness—when a
man in the uniform of an officer dared to lift her veil.
There is some excuse for Lieut. Mylne. He was only a boy,
and he was intoxicated; and, moreover, he has made the
most ample apology for his conduct. Whatever may be
his failing, this last was an honourable and virtuous act.
It was so viewed, and instead of meeting the reward
which his offence merited, he has been forgiven. After
lifting Mrs. Gill's veil, the two gentlemen proceeded.—
Mrs. Gill immediately thought of her daughter, who was
coming up in the rear, and it occurred to her, that some
insult might be offered there also. She turned round, in
consequence, and what did she see ? Not Mrs. Plun-
kett's veil lifted—not her bonnet knocked off, but she
saw that lady pushed violently to the ground. A
woman pushed violently to the ground by an officer !
You may be told that Colonel M'Leod was tipsy. Well,
be it so ; but he is not a man in the spring of youth ; he
has no luxuriant ringlets adorning his forehead ; he is a
man who has seen a good deal of service, and he is, if
I am not misinformed, what should have restrained him
from such an act—he is a husband and a father. Does Mr.
Plunkett resent the act of the Colonel ? No, he does not.
He promised that he would not, and there is no prosecution
for that assault. The prosecction is for the assault on Mr.
Knowles. Mr. Knowles turned back to assist Mrs. P.
who was pushed down. There he encountered the Col.
who saluted him with a blow. Dora Palmer, the servant'
girl, in the mean time, using a woman's privilege, began
to bawl loudly for the watch. The watchman came, but
I was forced to spring his rattle, and so difficult, was it to
arrest this gallant Colonel, that it required several watch-
men, besides Mr. Knowles, to take him into custody.
He was then taken to the Police Office, and there, so
violent was he, that it required as many men as could get
about him to carry him up stairs. After depositing a
sum of money with the night constable, the two gentle-
men were permitted to retire. On the next day, which
was Saturday, both parties attended, and the considera-
tion of the case was postponed till Monday. On Monday
it was agreed, that three gentlemen should be chosen by
the aggrieved party, and that the two officers would con-
sent to pay whatever sum of money these arbitrators
might award, and that the money should be paid into our
public charities. After consenting to submit the matter
to the decision of the persons appointed, and after pro-
mising. 1 believe, to pay the money, Colonel M'Leod
proceeded to lodge examinations against Mr. Knowles
for an assault.

Witnesses were called to prove the facts stated in Mr.
Montgomery's address.
Mr. Davison said he was concerned in this cue for Co-
lonel M'Leod. The Colonel dined at the moss of the 9th
Regiment on the evening of the 16th April. He was a
stranger in Belfast ; and Capt. Ogle, who was the officer
on duty for the day, ordered the mess waiter to follow the
Colonel, to see that be might not go astray. lam now
bound to pay no regard to Ensign Mylne, which is the
name of the young officer who has been so often alluded
to here to-day ; he has cut us off, and lam not required
to have any respect to his feelings. This young gentle-
man was intoxicated, and on coming out of the barrack-
gate, he took hold of Col. M'Leod's arm. The Colonel
had not been introduced to him at the mess ; and, there-
fore, declined allowing him to use such a liberty. The
Colonel then proceeded down Donegall-street by himself,
but after he had passed York-street this young hero came
up, and again took bold of Colonel M'Leod's arm. The
Colonel again, as I shall prove to you, told the Ensign
to go off, as he did not wish to walk with him. At Tal-
bot-street, the Colonel endeavoured to get rid of Mylne,
and there this unfortunate affair took place. The young
man committed the assault, and the Colonel passed on ;
but, although my client was too much of a gentleman to
admit the familiarities of an intoxicated individual, to
whom he had not been introduced, still he was too ge-
nerous to desert him when exposed to danger. After he
had proceeded a short way, he heard some disturbance
behind, and on turning, observed the young man on the
ground ; he was not aware of the cause which had led to
this, but he thought it right to interfere, for the purpose
of rescuing the ensign ; he was not aware that there were
ladies in the party; but so soon as he learned that there
were, he immediately offered them an apology ; that apo-
logy was accepted; and, gentlemen, there is no charge
for assault against them. On stepping forward to rescue
the Ensign, he received a blow from Mr. Knowles ; that
fact has been denied by Mr. Knowles, but the Colonel
will detail to you the circumstances of the case, and admit
that he returned the blow.

Colonel M'Leod, Mr. Sergeant, and Lyndsay, a police
man, were examined in corroboration of the statement of
Mr. Davison.

His Worship briefly recapitulated the evidence ; and
the jury, after consulting together for a few minutes, re-
turned their verdict, acquitting Mr. Knowles, and finding
Col. M'Leod guilty of the assault.
His Worship then retired, to consult with the magis-
trates who were on the bench ; and, after returning into
court, declared the sentence of the bench to be, that Col.
M'Leod should be confined for one month in the county
gaol, and pay a fine of 201.
Saturday, it was stated that an application was made,
on the part of Col. M'Leod, to the opposite party, to ac-
quiesce in an application to the bench, for a mitigation of
the sentence ; and the proposition was met in a corres-
ponding spirit, on these conditions—to pay 801. to the
prosecutor, and 201. to the King.
Mr. Knowles afterwards handed back 301. to Colonel
M'Leod, and this unpleasant affair thus terminated. The
remaining 501. is to be devoted by Mr. Knowles to cha-
ritable purposes.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDHALL

DEALERS IN BASE C.Olll--ag;r7;;Crosich was charge) .1
selling eight bad shillings, and with being a common uttertt
base coin.
It ap that Seeger, an inspector of the watch in Alderso,.
su g the prisoner,employed a young man, named Zimmensty,
to purchase bad money of the prisoner, and gave him two Iva: k„f
shillings for the purpose. Seeger and another officer, named Wari.
followed Zimmerman, and saw him meet the prisoner in Littl.
Britain, about two o'clock on Thursday. The prisoner hattn;
received the two shillings from Zimmerman, went up to a little girl
and gave her the money he had received, and received from the I.'o
his supply of bad money, whirls he gave to Zimmerman. f„,,
women joined the girl, and they, with the girl and the priioner,
were secured. Under the frock of the girl, whose name is 31:try
Welsh, was found a double leather pocket, which contained 7s. 6,;
in Rood money in one part, and in the other fifteen bad half.ctowv,
nineteen bad shillings. Crouch and the girl were committL.l
and the two women admonished and discharged.