The Sun. — 1849-10-25 (London, England)

SOUTHWARK. i Two sailors named Conolly and Reece were brought 1 before Mr. Seeker for re-examination, charged with stabbing William Brookman, a waterman. The complainant, who appeared extremely ill, and has been an inmate of one of the Borough hospitals ever since the outrage, stated that on Wednesday morning, between 12 and 1 o'clock, as he was returning home, in walking down Tooley-street he heard the cry of " Murder." He proceeded across the street, and at the corner of Morgan's-lane he observed a man lying on the ground, and the two prisoners standing over him, one of whom (Reece) he saw give the prostrate man a violent kick in the face. The moment this cowardly act was committed the two prisoners ran away towards the water side, when he (complainant) followed them in that direction, and on coming up with them he remonstrated with Reece for having brutally kicked the man, and at the same time expressed his determination not to let them escape the punishment they deserved. At this i instant Conolly drew out a long and sharp-pointed knife, such as is used by sailors for cutting ropes, and, flourishing it about, swore that he would stick it into the first man who approached. Conolly I then rushed at him (complainant) and struck him in the back with the knife—Reece, his companion, at the same time urging him to repeat the blow. As soon as complainant was wounded he fell to the ground, upon which both of his assailants ran away. A policman coming up soon afterwards, and finding that he was stabbed, had him placed in a cab and conveyed to the hospital, where he had remained up to that day. lie added that he was still very weak from loss of blood, and was rendered incapable of using his right arm owing to the infliction of the wound. Thomas Palmer, whose face was very much disfigured in consequence of a kick inflicted on the bridge of his nose, stated that on the morning in question he was walking down Tooley-street with a woman, when the two prisoners came up and intentionally jostled him off the pavement into the road. He went up and asked them why they did it, but had scarcely uttered the words when Conolty struck him a severe blow on the neck that knocked him down, and before he had time to recover himself the other prisoner gave him a violent kick in the face that disfigured it in the way in which it now appeared. With some difficulty he raised himself from the ground and pursued his assailants, and came up with them at the moment that Conolly stabbed the complainant. Policeman Hunt 82 M, stated, that hearing tha cry of " Police," he hastened to the spot, and saw the complainant lying on the ground, bleeding from a wound near the shoulder. Having procured a cab he sent the wounded man to the hospital, while he went in pursuit of his assailants, whom he found on board a ship near Topping's-wharf. The witness Palmer accompanied him on board, and when that person pointed out Conolly as 'the man who stabbed the complainant, Conolly exclaimed, "Yes, I am the boy, and here," added he, holding out a knife, " is the knife that did it, and I tried all I could to do for him ;" he repeated the latter words several times. The policeman added that he then,took both the prisoners into custody, and he produced the knife with which the complainant was stabbed. Mr. Hartshorn, an assistant-surgeon at the hospital, described the nature of the wound inflicted on the complainant, and said it was on the right side below the shoulder-blade, an inch and a-half in length, and two inches in depth, and that the point of the weapon would have penetrated the lungs had it not struck against the ribs ; the complainant was now out of danger.—The prisoners, who denied the charge, were committed.