The Sun. — 1857-12-16 (London, England)

THAMES.—Frank Smith, a marine, belonging to the Peruvian war frigate Amazonian, lying in the East India Docks, was brought up on remand before Mr. Self*, charged with attempting to murder a police constable named John Blake, No. 83 and with assaulting several other persons. An affray arose between American and Peruvian sailors in Ratcliffe Highway on Saturday night last. That neighbourhood was disturbed for several hours, and nine or ten persons were injured. There were about 20 Peruvians belonging to the Amazonian in a public house, they were all armed with knives, dirks, and daggers, and they met a number of American seamen whose hands were covered with weapons called knuckle dusters, made of brass, with small and sharp spurs in them to rake out the eyes or tear up the flesh of any person struck with them.  Rymes, No. 189 H, kept back the Peruvians and obtained a reinforcement of police, who escorted the Americans to a place where they were out of danger. Some of the Peruvians then made an attack on Rymes, who kept them at bay with his truncheon, and took a long knife out of a Peruvian's hand. The Peruvians then went into Shipalley, Wellclose-square, where there was another disturbance among them, and they ill-used some English seamen, who knocked down several Peru, vians with their fists, and got away. Blake, 83 H, went towards the alley to suppress the disturbance among the Peruvians, and the prisoner, who was concealed in the dark recess of a wall, with a dagger in his hand, made an attempt to stab the policeman, who jumped back, and the dagger pierced his own under-coat, tore it up, and slightly injured his chin. He was immediately closed upon by one of the prisoner's shipmates, who took his truncheon from him and knocked him down. The prisoner then ran away, followed by another police-constable, and the prisoner struclgat everyone he met with his dagger, and several narrowly escaped being killed. A poor and infirm woman was knocked down by him in his headlong retreat and seriously injured. At length an English seaman put his foot out, tripped up the Peruvian, and he was secured and his knife taken from him, but not before a police-constable whom he bad attempted to stab had struck him several blows on the head with a truncheon, which completely disabled bim. On Sunday night there was another disturbance between the Peruvians and Americans, which was suppressed by the police who took from them several long knives and knuckledustera.  A collection of daggers, stilettoes, bowie knives, and knuckledustera taken from American and Peruvian seamen were exhibited by Inspectors Gernon and Dandy. The Magistrate addressed the captain of the Peruvian frigate Amazonian, for whose attendance a summons had been issued, and said he was very sorry to say a great many cases of assault, wounding and robbery had taken place among the crew of the Amazonian. There had been one death owing to the reckless use of the knife. A considerable number of Peruvians had used dirks, knives, and  daggers in a most reckless and dangerous manner. The commander of the Amazonian regretted that his men had behaved so badly on shore, and attributed it to intoxication.  Mr. Selfe said it would be as well if American and Peruvian seamen were prohibited from wearing, or having in their possession, bowie knives, daggers, knuckledusters, and dirks while they were on shore. He wished to preserve amicAlir relations with Peru, 2,3114ia1ir took-1 hic departure. re. iudeed. when thy, •• „h_ could not be permitted in this cluntry, however they might suit Peru and the United States. He should pass a very light sentence on the prisoner, which was, one month's imprisonment in the House of Correction, but if there was any more of this, severe punishments would be inflicted.  The captain of the Amazonian said he would give the injured woman compensation, and stop it from the wages of the prisoner. Several Peruvians and America-us asked for the restoration of their murderous weapon 3. Thc3e applications were peremptorily refused.