The Cannock Chase Examiner. — 1877-08-10 (Cannock, Staffordshire, England)

THE ATTEMPTED .MURDER OF TWO POLICEMAN ON CANNOCK CHASE. At the Cannock Police Court, on Monday, before R. H. Briscoe, Esq., Thomas Hyden, miner, was brought up on remand charged with shoa, ing at Police-constable Cooke and Policesergeant Kavanagh with intent to kill and murder them, at the Five Ways, near Help., I ford, on the 20th of June. Mr. Glover, of Walsall, prosecuted, and 4r. Ebsworth defended.  Police-constable Potter, stationed at Redas. ford, said that on Wednesday, the 20th of June, about 10.a0, he went, in company with Policesergeant Kavanagh, Police-constables Cooke, Bishop, Williams, and Weight, to apprehend a man named Reuben Smith, on a warrant, at Five Ways, near Hednesford. They went to the house of prisoner, where they believed the roan Smith was. Police-constable Cooke and others went , round to the back of the house, and there were two other offiCers behind witness at the 'front door. All the officers were in plain clothes. Witness took hold of the door latch and opened it sufficiently wide to enable him to see the prisoner's head and shoulders. He observed that he was in a fighting attitude, Prisoner pushed the door to and tried to fasten it Witness said, ' Come on, he's for fighting.' Cooke, Kavanagh, and °there came round from the back, and the former tried to open the door. The door was forced open, sad at the same moment witness heard a gun fired, and saw that Kavanagh and Cooke were shot. Cooke said, 'Go in, sergeant, before he can load again.' Prisoner was then apprehended by Kavanagh. He was very violent, and struck the officers. The gun was taken from prisoner by Police-coiastable Williams. On the road to Can. nock, prisoner said, 'I don't know how I did it. I should not have done it but for my wife. I only keep the gun to kill the rats which come to the pig meal.' When prisoner was apprehended in thas house he was holding up the gun as to strike some one.  By Mr. Ebsworth He was attempting to op. prebend Reuben Smith for an assault on himself and another policeman. Smith lived in a different house from Ryden. Neither witness nor the other constables asked for admission when they opened the door. When he (witness) called on ,Come on, he's for fighting.' Cooke, Kavanagh, and Bishop came to the front. When C6oke opened the door, Kavanagh went in first, and then the others followed all at once. When wit. ness attempted to open the door prisoner's wife shrieked out. He did not know when he went to Hyden's house that it was not Smith's. Re-examined: When he was outside he saw the blind and window down, and a light inside. P.C. Henry Cooke, stationed at Hednesford, gave corroborative evidence, and added that he knew where Smith lived—the next house to the prisoner's. .e had known Hyden for some time, and had seen him, together with Smith, as eon. panions. He thought the house was a very likely place to find Smith. Witness, who had gone round to the back of the house, heard Police. constable Potter shout 'Come on, he's allowing fight,' and he immediately went to the front. Re pat his foot against the door, and pushed it open. He saw prisoner standing with his face tothe door and his back against the wall, with a gun pointed at witness. He took aim, pointing to. Wanda the door, and at the same time witness swung round to the left and put his arm up to avoid the shot. He received the charge in the lower part of his arbo, and in his side. Witness was then standing on the doorstep, and he cried out, 'Sergeant, I am shot, rush in before he can load again." Witnessdid not remember anything more that took place. He produced a coat which he was wearing at the time, which was blown in pieces, also under-clothing saturated with blood, A piece of the coat was blown into the wound, and afterwards extracted.  By Mr. Ebsworth7i; went to Hyden's hoes. to find Smith, because he saw a light in the for. mere house and none in the letters. (At the con. elusion of his evidence witness seemed much affected, and restoratives had to be resorted to). Police-sergeant Kavanagh, stationed at Brierley Hill, said he was in the act of going to the hack of the house,when he heard Potter cry out • Come on, he means fighting.' He and Cooke returned at the same time to the door, and he told Cooke to push the door open. Cooke did no, and