Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1849-05-23 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

ALLEOED MURDER OF A POLICEMAN AT BRISTOL, BY TWO SOLDIERS. On Friday an inquest was held before the coroner, J. B. Grindon, Esq., at the White Lion Tavern, Bridewell-street, Bristol, on the body of John Price, a private of the central division of police, who died that morning In the infirmary of the station, in consequence of violence be received during the night of the 3rd instant, from two soldiers of the 15th Infantry, named Andrew Daly and Jelin M`Fetten. It would seen that a portion of the I sffi Regiment having born drafted for service in India, the first detachment was in that day passing through Bristol on their way to Gosport, preparatory to their embarkation for Ceylon. At about 12 o'clock the two privates in question and a companion were in Thomas street, with two disorderly women, making a disturbance, when the policeman desired them to move away. They immediately commenced an attack Ilion him under the circumstances detailed in the evidence. The next day they were takm before the magistrates, and charged with the assault, but as their sergeant was of opinion that they had got into the row in order to get committed, so as to avoid being sent to India ti ick which one of , them successfully practised before), the bench declined ' to Site them, and handed them over to the charge of the officers of the regiment, to be.fdealt with by diem. The policeinan was not at firSt supposed to be dangerously wounded, but afterwards grew worse, and erysipelas inflammation coming on, he died. The first witness exarnired was Mary Ann Crumac, the wife of a soldier of the 34th Regiment, who deposed : On the night of the 3rd of May, I was in company with three soldiers of the 15th Regiment ; one of them was named Andrew Daly, 1 believe, and another named John M'Fetten, but I don't know die name of the third. We were in Themas-street, and were talking loudly with another girl named Heiner, when the policeman came up and said, " You know it is against the titles to be making a disturbance in the streets at this hour—you had better go home." I walked away, and one of the soldiers said to the policeman, " What have you to do with the girls—who are you r The constable answered, " I am a policeman, and it is my ditty to keep the streets clear of these feniales, particularly when they are interrupting the public, as they are doing now." One of the soldiers then said to the others with an oath, " Let us murder hi,n—there is no harm in killing a policeman." The constable begged them to go on peaceably, when one of the soldiers struck him with a stick. A second then knocked hint down, and they both began beating him with sticks. Whim he vvas down, one of the soldiers picked up either a stifle or an oyster-shell, and beat him over tlt a head with it. Jane lielner proved beitig with the soldiers, but being ! deaf; did not hear what was said. The soldier pulled her away- front the constable, and witness went away. Wm. KlIeW, shoemaker, of Thomas-street, deposed to hearing the noise in the night, when he looked out of the window, and saw one soldier holding a policeman, while another soldier was beating him with a stick across the baek of the neck. Mr. Webb, dresser, of Guinea-street Hospital, deposed that on the 3rd of May, in the night, the deceased came to the hospital with a wound on the head, for which Ids head was bendaged. Mr. It. M. Bernard, surgeon to the pollee force, proved that the deceased went on favourably till the 9th or 10th inst. Upon one of those days erysipelas came on, and lie grew worse till the 17th, when he died. Witness made a pmt mortem examination of the body, and found try. . similes, which Ilnd been indueed hy the wound, and which caused death. There was some slight congestion of the , blond-vessels in the ilium, which were the edicts of the disease. Mr. Williams, clerk to the justices, produced a deposition of the deceased, taken by the mayor; but as it was • not taken in the presencat of the accused, and there being !no evidence that the deceased at thei them was tinder ffiar ! of death, the coroner liesitat eat it reeeive it. t Some other testimony atm immaterial character having