The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1868-03-06 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

ENGLISH MERCHANTMAN. "T The r dnelnhabitantsru neighbourhood were startled at ANTWERP, March 3. 'about three o'clock In the morning by the rapid , The English ihatoner Mary Ann, Captain Marshall, +charge of fire-arms, and in a short time great oomnotioni laden witknaphtlisi and petroleum, caught fire here this tawporvok policemen unprovoked fathat n d i n prevailed. -.month* in neariequence of an explosion on board. The The tate appeared to be these. At aboxii a quarter wan'intirely destroyed. The captain and crew to three am. a man named Thomas O'lleron was lrought Perished. to the Bagnigge-wells Police-station in the custody of Police-constable 216, Porteus Maley, and Police.sergeant Maxwell Allingham, 15 G, charged with discharging a loaded revolver at John Harvey Hills, of Charles-street, Soho-square, and Polka-constable Haley, 216. G, with intent to kill and murder them at Whitecross-street, St. Luke's. It transpired that the man Hills was formerly a police-constable of the C division, and according to his statement it appeared that he first saw the prisoner with three other men at the corner of Chin. well-street, Finsbury-square, and passe them going down Chiswellstreet towards his home, and when he had got as far as the corner of Whitecross-street he heard the report of a pistol, and immediately a shot passed the side of his face. Two other shots were fired in rapid succession at him, but neither of them took effect. The prisoner, who was about 15 yards behind Mills, walked away down to Whitecrou-street. Police. constable Maley having beard the report, ran up to the spot and seized hold of the prisoner. Ile struggled desperately with him, and the prosecutor came up to the constable's assistance. In the struggle the prisoner put his right hand over his left shoulder, and fired two more shots. There were several persons passing at the time. The whole of the chambers of the revolver were discharged, and the prisoner by this time properly secured. It was only by " dodging" about that the constable and the man Hills escaped with their lives. The constable prevented the fifth shot from taking effect by knocking the prisoner's hand up into the air. The shot passed over the man's shoulder. By this time a police-sergeant, 15 0, came up to the prisoner, and he was, with the aid of some passers-by who had witnessed the occurrence, taken to the police-station. The revolver was thrown away by the prisoner, and wan picked up by one of the witnesses and given to the sergeant. Hills says he has never seen the prisoner before, and cannot account for this extraordinary attempt to take his life. His face, as well as the constable's (Haley), was blackened with the powder. On the way to the station, the prisoner said to Maley, "1 know you, you and I can do ten years for you any time." When placed before Mr. Inspector Bryant and told the charge against him, the prisoner said that his name was Thomas UHeron, and he was a shoemaker. He refused to give any address. The revolver is one of an ordinary character, and without any maker's name. Upon examination it was found that one of the shots had grazed a door-post, but happily no more serious result eventuated.