The Sun. — 1846-02-23 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A  POLICE CONSTABLE AT DEPTFORD.  During the whole of Saturday the towns of Gteenwich and Deptford were in a state of excitement, from its having been reported that a murder had been attempted upon a police-constable of the name of Hastie, in a retired part of Deptford. The rumour was that he had been set upon by four men, in consequence of his interference on behalf of a girl, who they were at the time indecently molesting, and after one of them had struck him a sevei e flow up.)n the head with some deadly weapon, they all hit him bleeding, and in a hopeless condition, where he might have died if it had not been for at other constable, who had him conveyed to Guy's Hospital, and there are no hopes of his recovery. The following evidence was given before Mr. Grove, the magistrate, at the Greenwich Police-office, during the course of the day. The following men, now in custody, William Sullivan, William Brazen, Michael Collins, and Timothy Driscoll, were placed before the magistrate.  Edward Ford deposed that he knows all the prisoners. He was at the Rodney Arms with them on Friday night, and was turned out with Clem by the landlord at twelve o'clock, when he heard a girl abusing one of them for taking liberties with her person. She had been drinking with them, and the policeman told them all to go home, or he must lock them up. Thomas Purnell, a dockyard labourer, stated that he saw a man pulling about a woman who remonstrated, and that he heard the policeman tell him' to go home. He went on, and left the prisoners at the corner of the Rodney Arms. James Usher deposed that he was going home at a quarter past twelve, when, as he passed the Rodney, he saw a man leaning against the wall in a helpless condition, and upon his trying to arouse him he found, by the light of his lamp, that he was deluged with blood. He ran off for assistance, and the poor fellow was taken t.) the Kati on -house.  Mary Ann Harding, of No. 1, Dock-street, Deptford, stated she was at the Rodney on the night in question, in company with two young men, and left them a few minutes after twelve o'clock. The prisoners lett the taproom at the same time, and one of them pulled her about indecently whe, she got into the street. She told them if they did not leave her alone she would get them locked up. She called them rogues. The policeman told her to go home, and to prefer a charge against the party in the morning. He said so three or four times She then went home, and left the men and the officer at Tinderboxcourt.  The pdice sergeant and one of the constables deposed that Hastie stated on his way to the hospital that Sullivan and a thick-lipped man had done it. They went to Sullivan's lodging, and,:openindthe door, he said, before a word was uttered, "It was not me that did it ; and when one of them took hold of him, and asked, " Done what ?" he replied, " I know nothing about it." Sergeant Lovell deposed to taking the other prisoners into custody, a.nd to finding so.ne blood on Tirozan's trousers.  Upon being asked what they had to say in answer, Sullivan simply replied that he had not been at the Rodney on the previous night, and the other prisoners denied having any knowledge of the assault. The landlord of the Rodney was examined as to the parties who were in his house, and this being the whole of tho evidence, the prisoners were all remanded to Maidstone gaol, to await further investigation. In the afternoon an application was made to the magistrate at Union-hall to take nestle's deposition, as he was said to be in a dying state, and upon Mr. Traill reaching the hospital, he was informed the poor fellow was perfectly unconscious, and it was thought he could not survive twenty-four hours.