The Sun. — 1868-12-01 (London, England)

THE ELECTION RIOTS.  George Clarke was on Monday brought before the borough magistrates of Cambridge charged with having thrown a stone on the day of the election at Cambridge, by which William Lofts, porter at Christ's College, was killed. Several heads of colleges were on the bench. The facts elicited may be shortly summarised as follows:—Shortly "after four o'clock on the afternoon of the polling day at Cambridge borough election, a crowd of persons assembled on the market hill. They overturned a cab in Market-street, and seeing there was likely to be a disturbance, Police. constable Kirbyshire tcok possession of the cab and drove away with it. The crowd followed along Sidney-street until they came close to Christ's College, when some twenty university men were set upon by the crowd. A free fight ensued; some of the gownsmen took shelter in Christ College gates ; gravel and water were thrown at them, and to protect themselves they partly closed the college gates. The deceased came out of his lodge and asking the under porter why the gates had been closed, proceeded to open them, and waved his hand to keep the crowd quiet. At that moment he was struck over the eye by a stone (produced), and which the prisoner had confessed to Detective Danby he believed he threw, but not with any malicious intent. The stone, prisoner said, was intended for a university man who had thrown it at him and hit his hat. Had deceased been a healthy man the surgeon believed he might have recovered from the effects of the blow, as there were no indications of his brain having sustained any injury. Prisoner declined to say anything at present, and was committed for trial at the assizes, being allowed bail. The adjourned inquest on the body of the deceased was held in the Aldermen's Parlour, Guildhall, before Mr. Gotobed, coroner. The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against the accused, who was committed for trial on the coroner's warrant.  At the Bradford Borough Court, on the same day, a tall Irishman, named Michael Brennan, was brought up on the charge of having, on the 17th November, committed a murderous assault upon Mr. J. W. Ince, a clerk in the service of Messrs. W. Peel and Co., stuff merchants, Bradford. On the afternoon of the 17th ult., during the titre of the poll in Bradford, a disturbance was created by some Irish roughs in Silsbridge-lane, an Irish quarter of the town, and an attack made upon the windows of four or five Ripleyite beerhouses, considerable destruction of property being the result. A number of special constables, under the direction of Adjutant Page, of the Bradford Artillery Volunteers, went to the place to quell the riot, and in the encounter with the mob Mr. Ince, who was one of the special constables, fell to the ground, and when he was in the act of rising the prisoner was seen by Adjutant Page to go behind him and administer two or three heavy blows with a bludgeon on the head. Mr. Ince is lying dangerously ill. The prisoner was remanded.  THE GOVERNMENT ACQUISITION OF THE TELEonArns.—The arrangements for the purchase of the telegraphs by the Government are being rapidly carried on, and a commission, appointed by the Accountant-General, has nearly concluded the inquiry into what the net profits of the companies really are. A complete collection of the instruments used has been arranged in the library of St. Martin's-le•Grand. It is said to be a most interesting display, and one which shows in a remarkable manner the vast progress which has been made since the first application of electricity to the purposes of telegraphy.