The Sun. — 1848-06-07 (London, England)

WORSHIP-STREET.  A young fellow, named Joseph Crane, was placed at the bar before Mr. Hammill, charged with having been concerned with several others in a murderous attack upon Thomas and Frederick Woodward, brothers, under the impression that they were special constable, during the riots on Sunday last. The complainant, Thomas Woodward, stated that he and his brother were passing through Virginia-row, Bethnal-green, between twelve and one o'clock on Sunday, and were threading their way through a large crowd assembled there, when a sudden cry was raised of " There go a Government spy and special constable," and they were instantly assailed with a volley of stones and other missiles. At the same moment a simultaneous rush was made by the mob, and witness ran for protection into one of the houses, but scarcely had secured the door, when it was burst open by upwards of twenty of his pursuers, amongst whom was the prisoner, who struck him a violent blow in the face, and the rest of the rabble commenced beating and kicking him until he bee,ged them, for God's sake, not to murder him, and told them that they had better search him it they thought ho was a special constable; upon which they rifled his pockets, and abstracted all the money he had about him. The mob outside were in the meantime shouting to the others to drag him out; and one of his assailants caught him round the neck, and forced him into the street, where he was instantly knocked down by the party outside, who struck him to the ground, kicked him about the head, body, and face, and knocked out two of his front teeth. He succeeded with great difficulty in recovering his feet, and was endeavouring to escape, when the mob hastily ;formed a double line, and each of them struck him as he passed, until he reached the comer of the street, when one of the inhabitants pulled him into his house, and having strongly barricaded the door, locked him into a back room, where he remained for nearly two hours, when he was ultimately released by Mr. Manly, the chief usher of the court, who had accidently heard of his detention. F: o ?crick Woodward, brother of the last witness, confirmed the preceding evidence, and stated that he was endeavouring to escape from the mob, when a man and two women appeared at the door of one of the houses, and invited him to take refuge there, which he did, but the instant they had bolted the door it was burst open by the rioters, a number of whom rushed in, exclaiming that he was a b—y special, and now they had god hold of him they would murder him. A general attack was then made upon him, and at every blow they exclaimed, " Take that, you special." After beating him until he was completely exhausted, and both his eyes closed up, they dragged him into the street, where they renewed their violence, and, on assuring them again that he was not a special constable, some of them said, " We'll search the --," and immediately turned out the whole of his pockets, from which they abstracted eight shillings; and finally told him that if they had found a staff upon him ho should not have gone away alive.  When called upon for his defence, the prisoner denied that he was one of the persons who had assaulted the complainant, or that he was oven present upon the occasion. Mr. lIImmiLL said that his identity had been clearly established, and ordered him to be at once committed for trial for assault and robbery. Robert Margrave, Thomas Haynes, George Cowling, Henry Mikan, and seventeen other prisoners, who were remanded from the previous day, charged with having taken an active part in the disgraceful disturbances on Sunday, by pelting stones at the police and committing other outrages, were severally brought up for judgment. Mr. Hayward, from the office of Mr. Maule, solicitor to the Treasury, attended for the prosecution. Mr. HAMMILL ordered the whole of the prisoners, to their evident surprise and consternation, to be fully com• mitted to Newgate to take their trial. It was a gratifying fact to observe that on the arrival of the police van for the removal of the prisoners, the feelinr, of defiance and animosity displayed on the previous'day by the crowd assembled to witness their departure had considerably abated, and they were carried off with scarcely a murmur of disapprobation.