The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1862-08-05 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

ATTEMPT AT MOROSE ET TWO MIETHTB POLICEMEN. —On Sunday one of the two policemen who attempted to murder Polioe-Mergeant Thomas, of the Glamorganshire County Constabulary, was apprehended in Bristol. A brief account of the outrage has come to hand. It would seem that there is • dangerous part of Merthyr, on which the active superintendent, Mr. Wrenn, deems It his duty to double the beat, and oonsequently P.C. Stuart and PC. William Rowland were placed upon it. Amongst the rules governing the force is one which forbids polioemen from drinking whilst on duty, and as upon going his first round of inspection P.B. Wm. Thomas discovered Rowland partaking of liquors in a beerhouse, he reprimanded him, and, as was his duty, made • report of his misconduct to the superintendent. This matter, it would seem, gave greatumbrage to Rowland, who must have contrived to excite an equal amount of anger M the breast of his comrade Stuart, for upon the ser pant making, at the proper interval, a second round of inspection, • very desT *rate and unmistakable attempt to murder him was made by the two men. In the sour+. of the beat there is a metal, which is aroused bY abridge, and on nearing it the seroant oborved that both constables were standing at the bridge, waiting, as , he 'apposed, foe his visitatice. Asb• approeshod Mims  Rowland stepped towards him, as if to make some reporfr but was no sooner within reach than he aimed a heavy blow at the sergeant, which at once felled him to the teeth. Stuart them came up, and both men commenced beating and kicking him until he wae completely prostrate, and reduced, as they doubtless supposed, to • state of insensibility. They then took him up and threw him over the bridge into the canal, the fall to the water being folly ten feet. The effect of the immersion revived the sergeant a little, and there being a current passing through the bridge, he WAS carried by its force mom to the opposite std. of the bridge. This was observed by the villeins, who mind I. the spot towards which he eas drifting, and attested him with stones, one of which stunned him for • time. The poor follow's groans and cries, coupled with the noire of the struggle, caused some of the anal boatmen to hasten to the place, and by their assistance he Was go* but in • state of great exhaustion and suffering_ The ruffianly policemen, upon finding assistance at hand,. immediately decamped, and upon being sought for they, were nowhere to be found. Ills certain that they must here premeditated the attack, and provided themselves, for their escape, for their police uniforms were found by, the roadside, they hoeing evidently changed them for prfvats* pparel. On the outrage beingrewirted to Soperintan dent Wrenn he at once sent eonatiMles in pursuit, and' one of them,Poliee-Constable Wright,suceeeded in arresting Stuart at a distance of thirteen miles from Merthyr. Rowland could not be found, but information was at once conveyed through the cesnitry of tb• outrage, together with a description of the miming man. On Sunday P.C. 234, of the Clifton division, having a knowledge chum. apprehended hi. in Old Market-street, and conveyed him to the Otailla Station, where he was detained for the night. Supt. Wrenn was at once apprised of the wive by, telegram. Stuart, who had joined the eonstahularr somewhat recently, brought with him three = character from Her Majesty's ship Donettal, on of which he had served. Rowland had lees in limp fore, for a period of eighteen months.