The Sun. — 1846-04-22 (London, England)

WORSHIP-STREET.  Five athletic Irishmen, named Dennis and William Began, William Geoghan, John White, and John Sullivan, were placed at the bar before Mr. Broughton, charged with having resisted and severely maltreated several constables of the 11 division, two of whom were confined to their beds from the injuries they had sustained. It appeared from the evidence that between eleven and twelve o'clock on the preceding night, as police-constable 19S was on duty in Spitalfields he was called upon to quell a violent uproar in a court at the back of Commercial-street, Whitechapel, on proceeding to which he found a large body of Irishmen, who had just left a wedding party in the neighbourhood, engaged in one of thae general encounters which form among them the usual conclusion of such ceremonies. On interfering to put a stop to the disturbance he was forthwith knocked down by the eldest of the Regans, and several others of the Irishmen immediately set upon and kicked him terribly as he lay upon the ground ; when another officer came up, and while springing his rattle for assistance was also knocked down, and his rattle wres'ed from him and dashed to pieces upon the pavement. The noise of the rattle, however, brought two other constables, named White and Doughty to the spot, but they bad no sooner entered the court than a joint attack was made upon them by the prisoners White and Dennis Regan, who finished by felling them to the ground with the truncheons  they had Laken from the other officers, and with which they had been laying about them in the most merciless and criminate manner. On of the prisoners in the -eouree of the encounter suddenly drew a clasp-knife from his pocket, and declaring with an oath that ho would rip up the first constable who attempted to secure him, made a desperate lunge at one of the officers, which cut completely through his belt and part of his clothing, but the man was fortunately over • powered and secured before he was able to carry his murderous threat into execution. After a desperate contest, which lasted in the whole for nearly an hour, a strong reinforcement of police was dispatched thim the stationhouse, and the whole of the prisoners were eventually taken into custody. Nearly all the officers who had been engaged in the disturbance exhibited marks of the severe treatment to which they had been subjected; and a certificate from Mr. Mears,. the divisional surgeon, was handed to the Magistrate, which stated that the constables White and Doughty had sustained such serious injuries on the head and other parts of the person that they were confined to their beds in a dangerous condition, and that some considerable time would most probably elapse before they would be able to attend to give evidence.  The prisoners made the usual defence in such cases, mutually throwing the chief blame of the transaction upon their companions, and all of them expressing contrition for the violence of which they had been jointly guilty; but Mr. BROUGHTON considered them all equally culpable, and having intimated his intention to commit them, ordered them to be brought up again that day week, to allow time for the result of the injuries the constables White and Doughty had suffered to be ascertained.