The Sun. — 1846-08-10 (London, England)

TUZSDAY NIGHT, TWIILVE O'CLOCK.—The inhabitants of this town have been this evening thrown into a state of great and general excitement, by an affray of a sudden and unexpected character between a policeman named Holmes, No. 21, and three soldiers of the 69:h Regiment, the depot of which is stationed in the barracks here. In the present excited state of the people, and the exaggerations that are current on the origin and extent of the conflict, it is difficult to come at the truth, but after a patient inquiry the fullowing brief narrative will comprise the grin' cipal facts. It appears that about eight o'clock this evening three soldiers of the 69th in the barracks here were proceed; ing along the High-street, and under the influence of liquor, but not in a state of drunkenness to render them incapable. On reaching the arcade at the foot of the market one of the soldiers pushed a person from the pavement, who was standing in conversation with two or three others, and the insulted person remonstrated with the soldier on his rudeness. He was instantly struck on the head by the soldier, and policeman Holmes seeing the assault, and also that the soldiers were rather tipsy, walked up to the party in altercation, and recommended the soldiers to go to the barracks. On the policeman's interference the soldiers became very violent, and one of them struck him on the head with a walking-cane, on which the officer seized him, and was immediately set upon by the other two, one of whom had a heavy walking-stick, and inflicted on poor Holmes several merciless blowi, but he still retained hold of the soldier he first seized, and though the scuffle was general he resisted his assailants with great courage and success. In attempting to get his truncheon from his pocket, the policeman was overpowered and fell on the pavement, when the three soldiers punished him very severely in different parts of his body with their feet and military belts, which they had unloosed from their shoulders. By this time the alarm had spread through the populous lanes in the neighbourhood, and the people rushed into the streets by hundreds, and by encouraging the soldiers a general conflict took place, and blows were levelled in all directions; it was, in short, a general riot. The greatest alarm prevailed in the streets, and cries of " murder ' quickly re sounded through the main thoroughfares. In the mean' time Holmes, the policeman, was rendered senseless from the blows he had received on the head, and blood was streaming from his wounds, when be was dragged into Mr. I Nesbitt's public- house by some of the crowd who bad the courage to attempt his rescue, which was accomplished at considerable risk, as the mob were all against the police • man, under the impression that he was the aggressor. The High-street was now densely filled with the excited inhabitants of the lanes, who congregated from all parts of the locality. The news of the conflict quickly spread over the town, and several policemen hastened to the spot, when the three soldiers and others of their comrades who bad reached the scene of the riot, made their escape to the barracks and other places of shelter. Immediately on the alarming outrage being known at the barracks, the commanding officer, Captain Paxton, dispatched a picket with fixed bayonets, to proceed through the streets, and to bring all the soldiers into quarters, and by vigorous measures on the part of Captain Paxton, who was quickly on the spot, peace and confidence were restored, though at one time the matter appeared likely to be the occasion of much mischief and bloodshed. The inhabitants of the immediate neighbourhood were in a state of great alarm ; and for some time it was generally understood that policeman Holmes was in a dying state, which greatly increased the excitement, which was prolonged till near midnight, and the streets were crowded by hundreds of persons in all directions from the Bridge Hotel eastwards, as far down as Church-street. The picket were very success:ul in cleAring the streets of the Military, and the three soldiers got safely to the barracks. So violent were they when assailing Holmes that one of them was seen to seize him on the back with his teeth, by which his coat was torn up the WWI, The wounded police usia was prswpay