The Sun. — 1865-06-21 (London, England)

THAMES.  MURDEROUS ASSAULT.—WiIIiam Jeffs, a brickmaker, remarkably powerfurman, was brought before Mr. Paget charged with assaulting and wounding H. Roper, a police constable, No. 426 K. The complainant's head was cut open, and there was a large surgical plaister on his crown. There was also a bruise on his face, and another under his right ear. He stated that at 8 o'clock last night the prisoner was drunk and disorderly, in High-street, Bow, and had his coat and waistcoat off. The prisoner first assaulted his own brother and then beat a boy and knocked him down. He interposed, and told the prisoner to put his clothes on and go home. The prisoner gave utterance to a foul oath and bad language, seized him and threw him on the kerb-stone. He fell on his head and received a severe wound. He was partially stunned, and before he could rise the prisoner kicked him under the ear. He was much hurt and the skin was cut with the kick. He seized the prisoner, who struggled with him and struck him many severe blows. The muscles of his arms were stiff that morning, and his head was very bad. The prisoner said he was very drunk, and fell with the constable. That was all he knew of the affair.  Mr. Paget said the prisoner had committed threo assaults. The only one he had to do with was the assault on the police constable. It was a cowardly and brutal act to throw the constable and kick him. He always committed persons for trial, or sent them to prison for two months for violent assaults on the police. He doubted whether he ought not to send this case before a jury. He sentenced the prisoner to be imprisoned for two months and kept to hard labour. . _  The prisoner—Will you take a fine, sir ? Mr. Paget—Certainly not.  The Case of Manslaughter in the Commercial Road•  Yesterday evening Mr. Joseph Smith, solicitor for the prosecution against Mr. Robert Debenham, surgeon, who is charged with shooting Thomas Solomon, a ship's painter in the garden at the back of Heath House, Commercial-road, Stepney, accompanied by a military surgeon and his assistant, Mr. Thompson, a surgeon, in the Mileend-road, the brother of the deceased, and Inspector Hayes, of the K division, proceeded to Ilford Cemetery, in Essex, where the body of the deceased was exhumed by order of Sir George Grey, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and carried to a large workshop on the ground. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition. Tho post mortem examination was immediately proceeded with, and conducted in amost careful manner by themilitary surgeon appointed by tho Home Secretary. The head of the deceased was opened and the brains removed. It was ascertained that the ball fired by the accused had entered the left temple, passed through the brain, and was embedded in the back of the skull. The ball was removed, the body replaced in a shell, and again buried in the Bravo from which it had been taken. The theory propounded by the prisoner's advocate that the deceased was hit by a spent ball after it had struck the corner of a brick wall, from which it rebounded, is entirely dissolved by the post-mortem examination of yesterday evening, which ought to have taken place before the inquest. The opinion of the three medical gentlemen present is that the shot passed direct from the pistol fired by Dr. Debenham into the head of the deceased, traversed the brain, and lodged in the thick part of the skull. The case will terminate, as far as the magisterial investigation is concerned, on Tuesday next, when Mr. Paget will commit the accused for trial at the Central Criminal Court.  The brother and other relations of the deceased expressed in earnest terms their satisfaction with the course pursued by Mr. Paget, and also requested Mr. Joseph Smith to return their grateful acknowledgments to Sir George Grey for his desiro to see justice done, and a post mortem examination properly conducted by qualified men after the examination.  Mr. Thompson was appointed by Mr. Lewis, sen., with the approval of Mr. Debenham,  The Fire and Loss of Life in Leadenhall  Market.