The Sun. — 1846-02-23 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A  POLICE-CONSTABLE AT DEPTFORD. During the whole of Saturday the towns of Greenwich and Deptford were in a state of excitement, from its having been reported that a murder had been attempted upon a police-constable of the name of Hastie, in a retired part of Deptford. The rumour was that he had been set upon by four men, in consequence of his interference on behalf of a girl, who they were at the time indecently molesting, and after one of them had struck him a severe blow upon the head with some deadly weapon, they all left him bleeding, and in a hopeless condition, where he might have died if it had not been for another constable, who- had shim conveyed to Guy's Hospital, and there are no hopes of his recovery. The following evidence was-given before Mr. Grove, the magistrate, at the Greenwich Police-office, during the course of the day. The following men, now in custody, William Sullivan, William Brozen, Michael Collins, and Timothy Driscoll, were placed before the magistrate. Edward Ford deposed that he knows all the prisoners. Ile was at the Rodney Arms with them on Friday night, and' was turned out with them by the landlord at twelve o'clock, when he heard a girl abusing one of them for taking liberties with her person. She had been drinking with them, and the policemen told them all to go home, or he must lock them up. Thomas Purnell, ,a dockyard labourer, stated that he saw a man pulling about a woman who remonstrated, and that he heard the policeman tell him to go home. He went on, and left the prisoners at the corner of the James Usher asttwl-edveer when, as as be passed the Rodney, hehat he was going home at a quarter saw a man leaning against the wall in a helpless condition, and upon his trying to arouse him he found, by the light of his lamp, that he was deluged with blood. He ran off for assistance, and the poor fellow was taken to the station-house. Mary Ann Harding, of No. liock-street, Deptford, stated she was. at the Rodney en the night in question, in company with two, young awn, and left them a few minutes after twelve o'clock. The prisoners left the taproom at the same time, and one of them pulled her about indecently who*: she got into the street. She told them if they did not leave her alone.she would get thorn locked up. She called them rogues. The policeman told her to go home, and to prefer a charge against the party in the morning. He said so three or four times She then Went home, and left the men and the officer at Tinderbox court. The pike-sergeant and one of the constables deposed that. Hastie stated on his way to the hospital that Sullivan and a thick-lipped man had done it. They went to Sullivan's lodging, and, opening'the door, he said, before a word was uttered, "It was' not me that did it ; and when one of them took hold of him, and asked, " Done what ?" he replied, "" I know nothing about it." Sergeant Lovell deposed to taking the other prisoners into custody, and to :finding some blood on Prosan's trousers. Upon being asked 'what they had to say in answer, Sullivan simply replied that he had not been at the Rodney on the previous night, and the other prisoners denied having any knowledge of the assault.