The Sun. — 1845-06-05 (London, England)

WORSHIP-STREET. MURDEROUS OUTRAGE.—Two young men, named John and Isaac Henster, were placed at the bar before Mr. Broughton, charged with having wantonly assaulted an elderly,man named Richard Howell, and thrown him into the Regent's Canal, whereby his life was placed in imminent danger. Sergeant Hammond, K 20, stated that while on duty at the Bromley station, near Bow, at two o'clock on the preceding afternoon, he received information that a man had been thrown into the Regent's Canal, and was then lying upon the bank in a dying state. He immediately proceeded in that direction, accompanied by the assistant of Mr. Baker, the divisional surgeon, and several officers, and on reaching Wick-lane, leading to Old Ford, he met four men carrying the body of another who was perfectly insensible, and appeared to be dead. By direction of the surgeon he was taken -to the nearest public-house, and restoratives having been administered, after a long interval he partially recovered, and stated that while seated on the coping-stone of a bridge over a branch of the canal running to Twig Folly, he observed five or six men conducting themselves in a very disorderly manner, two of whom, on approaching him, exclaimed, " Now we'll have ab— lark," and immediately seized him by the legs and pitched him over into the water. Being unable to swim he instantly sank, and could not tell by what means he was rescued from his perilous situation. The injured man was then conveyed to the stationhouse upon a stretcher, and the prisoners having arrived soon after in custody, he immediately identified them as the most active of his assailants. The witness added that the poor man had since suffered a relapse, and was now lying in the workhouse of the Stepney Union in such a precarious state that there was scarcely any hope of his recovery. A medical certificate was handed to the magistrate, which stated, in substance, that the man was suffering from extreme exhaustion, and that his life was in great danger. Police-constable K 222 stated that, from information he had received, he proceeded with other officers to the Three Colts at Old Ford, and found the prisoners, with five other men, playing at quoits, six of whom were captured, but the seventh leaped a wall and escaped. On being identified by Howell as two of his assailants, the prisoners made no observation, and the other four not being recognised were at once liberated. In answer to the charge the prisoners admitted having been all the morning in the neighbourhood, but positively denied having taken any part in the outrage, and requested the magistrate to hear the evidence of the persons who were with them in confirmation of their statement. Mr. BaouGsfrow said that such evidence was wholly inadmissible, as it would be his duty, if the unfortunate man died, to commit the prisoners upon the charge of wilful murder, and it was impossible at present to say to what extent the proposed witnesses might be implicated in the transaction. He should order the prisoners to be brought up again on Monday next, and the sergeant must ascertain whether Howell was in such a state as to require the immediate attendance of a magistrate ,o take his dying deposition, and communicate the result t loss of time.  - The line, which will be about forty-eight miles in length, will commence at Bristol, and proceed to the Aust Passage, there crossing the proposed bridge to Beachley, it will run northward along the valleys of the Wye and Monnow by Chepstow, Tintern Abbey, and Monmouth to Hereford, which city will form the other terminus of the line. At Hereford the direct chain of communication to Liverpool will be completed by the lines now projected between those places. It is obvious that this route will furnish to the west and south-west of England the best and most direct means of communication not only with Liverpool and the north of England, but with Dublin and the.north of Ireland.