The Sun. — 1846-12-18 (London, England)

STR E E 7. A young man named John Ambrose, who was recognised by the police as a convicted thief, was placed at the bar before Mr. Bingham, charged with having stolen a quantity of lace and other articles of haberdashery, the property of Mr. John Morris, a linendraper at Romford, and also with cutting and wounding, with intent to murder, George Pettit, a City police-constable, who effected his apprehension. It appeared from the evidence, that while the constable was on duty in Petticoat lane, at ten o'clock on the preceding evening, his attention was attracted to the prisoner, who was proceeding stealthily along with a basket upon his shoulder, and evidently desirous of avoiding observation. On reaching the end of the street he turned his head, and observing that he was followed, threw down the basket and attempted to escape, but was pursued by the witness, who grappled with him, and they both fell. While struggling together upon the ground an accomplice of the prisoner came up, and on the pretence of assisting the witness raised the prisoner upon his feet, when the latter drew some sharp instrument from his pocket and made a violent stab with it at his left breast, which he warded off with his arm. The prisoner continued stabbing at him six or seven other times in rapid succession, when the witness closed with him, and having succeeded at length in throwing him down, held him there until the arrival of another officer, when he was overpo*ered and secured. Police-constable M‘Michin, 131 H, stated, that in consequence of receiving an intimation that a City policeman was surrounded by a gang of thieves, who were in the act of murdering him, he hastened to the scene of the encountcr and found the first witness struggling with the prisoner upon the ground, and bleeding copiously from several wounds in the arm. They were surrounded by a mob of at least 100 of the worst characters in the district, none of whom offered the slightest assistance to the officer, and it was only after a violent contest that the prisoner was taken into custody. A certificate from Mr. Meares, the divisional surgeon, describing the nature of the injuries the policeman had sustained, was handed up to the magistrate, and Mr. George Child, the City police surgeon, attended, and stated that Pettit had received no less than eight wounds in the arm, one of which was of a very deep and dangerous description, and it was impossible at present'to say what would be the result of the injuries. Henry Finnis, 633 of the City police, produced the basket which the prisoner had thrown away in his flight, containing a quantity of point lace, cambric handkerchiefs, and other articles of value, which were identified by Mr. Mori is, from whose cart they had been clandestinely abstracted during its transit through Churchstreet, Bethnal-green, about two hours previous to the prisoner's capture. The prisoner was identified by several officers in court as a notorious pickpocket, who had been more than once convicted, and who also had been repeatedly in custody for savage assaults upon the police. When called upon for his defence, the prisoner gave a general denial to the charge, and said that he had no knife or other weapon of a like description in his posses sion at the time the constable was wounded in the man. ner he stated.  Mr. BINGHAM expressed his intention to commit the prisoner for trial upon the twofold charge of felony and attempting to murder the policeman, but ordered him to be remanded for the formal completion of the evidence.