The Sun. — 1860-02-09 (London, England)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET: BURGLART AND ATTEMPT TO MURDER.—William John Sanderson, aged 23, a porter, was charged before Mr. Beadon with murderously assaulting police-constable Bashfortb, E 147, after with others burglariously entering the York Minster public-house, 17, Foley-street, and stealing therein silver and copper money, and tobacco, the property of the landlord, Mr. John Frost.  Bashforth, the constable, whose head was bound over with surgical plaister, deposed as follows :—I was on duty last night in and about Ogle-street, and at a little before two o'clock a.m., observed two men standing close to the houses in Foley-street, and the prisoner approaching them with something in his hand. Suspecting something wrong I got into a doorway to watch their proceedings. The prisoner having reached them, they all three turned into Ogle-street, and I followed. They caught sight of me, ran away, and I pursued them, and laid hold of the prisoner. The prisoner had his shoes in his hand, and seeing something bulky under his coat, I asked him what he had there ; upon which he dropped the parcel produced, which, bursting open as it fell, I found to be tobacco—the same now produced. I told him I should take him to the station, upon which he set up a whistle, after saying, g, I'll be --if you shall take me by yourself." After the whistle he said, " Give me time to put on my shoes, and I'll go quietly." I replied I should not ; and he then said to me, " Loose my collar, and I'll walk quietly." I did not think it prudent to do this, and took him on into York-street, when he slipped out from his pocket under his coat the large " jemmy" produced, and before I could prevent it struck me a violent blow on the crown of my hat, which penetrated deep through the leather but did not touch my head. My hat was knocked off by the force of the blow, and he struck me a second blow with the same iron instrument, inflicting one of the wounds I have, and the blood poured down profusely. Directly he did this he threw the jemmy from him into the road. At this moment two men, one of whom I remembered to have seen in the doorway in the first instance, and perhaps the other, though I cannot speak so positively as to him, came up, and one of these, picking up the jemmy or crowbar, struck me (the prisoner crying out " let's murder the ----, for I'll not be took") a violent blow on the head, and I was deluged in blood. I seized hold of the instrument, and wrenching it out of his grasp pitched it away. As I did so all the three laid hold of me, one by the collar and the others by the arms. The prisoner said, " It's no use being a fool, you may let me go, and before you leave me I'll square it with you" (give money). I asked the other two men to release me, and they said they would if I would let the other go. I managed to get my right arm and arm at liberty and sprang my rattle, when the other two men ran off, but I kept hold of the prisoner. Three constables came up on the alarm and assisted me, and conveyed the prisoner to the station-house. I was very weak from the loss of blood, but pointed out the jemmy on the road. I was taken to the surgeon as quickly as possible, and had my wounds dressed. The following certificate, as to the state of the injured constable, who was accommodated with a seat, was handed in : " 1 hereby certify that constable 147, Bashforth, has received two severe incised wounds on the head. "