The Sun. — 1840-09-11 (London, England)

RESCUE OF A PRISONER, AND AND MURDER OF A CONSTABLE.  BRISTOL, WEDNESDAY. An inquest was held this day, at the Dolphin Tavern, Marlborough-street, before J. B. Griudon, Esq., Coroner, and a highly respectable Jury, on the body of James Pearce, a constable of the parish of St. George, county of Gloucester, who died in our infirmary on the evening of the 7th, in consequence of injuries he received on the 16th of last month, from some ruffians who rescued a prisoner from his custddv. It appeared, from the evidence adduced before the Jury, that for some time past the premises and pro. perty of Mr. S ttnuel Gough, brick and tile-manufacturer, Upper Easton, near this city, had been subjected to various depredations, in consequence of which a watch was kept, and at about two o'clock on the morning of Sunday, the 16th of August, Mr. Gough, jun., succeeded in defecting a young man, named John Thomas, as he was in the act of plundering the garden. He apprehended him, and having called upon the deceased to assist him, they took Lim to the station-house of the St. Phillip's division of Bristol police (the nearest lock-up) for the purpose of getting him secured for the night. When they got there the officer on duty refused to receive him, alleging as a reason that the cells were full, and that the robbery having been committed in the county it was out of his jurisdiction. They then asked for the assistance of another constable, which having been refused on the same grounds, they (Mr. Gough and deceased) proceeded towards Hanham, for the purpose of lodging him in the Gloucestershire station-house. When they got opposite to the national school at Redfield, they were overtaken by John Thomas, the prisoner's father, William Thomas, his brother, and a companion named James Porter, who set upon theta for the purpose of rescuing him ' from their custody. James Porter picked up a large stone from the read, and seizing hold of the deceased, and making use of gross language, he beat him with great violence over the back of the head ; William Thomas then went up to him and knocked him down, and the elder Thomas beat his head against the ground. They continued their assault for some distance, beatin and kicking deceased and Gough till they came near to a public-house called the George and Dragon, when a painter, n tined Underhill, and a blacksmith, named Fussel, who had been alar med by their groans and cries of " Murder," came to their assistance. Porter, who had retained possession of the stone, Oa n fell upon Gough with it, and the father, John Thomas, rescued his son from the custody of the deceased, whom he knocked down, and, seizing hold of his head, again beat it with brutal violence against the ground. The prisoner upon being released, joined in the affray, and attacked Gough, but ultimately, by the assistance of Underhill and Fussel, the latter of whom was armed with a large stick, the ruffians were beaten off, and the deceased, who appeared to be very ill, taken home. The widow described the appearance of his person when brought home, and said he told her on the Tuesday following how he had been injured. He said, " Everybody has something to bring him to his end, and the blows 1 rect feed have injured my head." Mrs. Gough, by whom he was also seen during his illness, said he told her on the Sunday morning that  JVENING IDITION  they had beaten his head all to pieces, an Thomas had given him h's leath-h!ow. The deceased continued to get worse, and at length; by the advice of the medical gentleman who attended,. him, was removed to the infirmary on the 31st 0! August, and placed under the care of Mr. Nathaniel Smith. He was in a state of total insensibility, f;°111 that which he did not recover, and died on the night of Mov day last. Mr. Smith having described the appearances which presented themselves at the post mortenz exemipation: and expressed his belief that the deceased died in con' sequence of if:juries received in his bead, The CORONER summed up the evidence, and The Jury, after twenty minutes' consultation, re, turned a verdict of Wiifui Murder egainst James Fed. ter, William Thomas, and John Thomas the elder, a! principals ; and against John Thomas the younger, A' accessary.