The Sun. — 1856-01-11 (London, England)

THE HYDE PARK RIOTS.—The trial of William Bewley was resumed this mornift, at 10 o'clock. Mr. Clerk appeared to conduct the prosecution ; Mr. Parry and Mr. Metcalfe were counsel for the defendant. Mr. Wm. Floyd, the prosecutor, upon the first count of the indictment, stated that he was in the park about 4 o'clock in the afternoon on the let of July, and while he was standing near the iron railings the defendant, who is a sergeant of the D division of police, ordered him to stand back. He told him he was unable to do so on account of the crowd behind him, upon which, according to hie evidence, the defendant exclaimed to his men " Come on," and without any provocation attacked him with his staff, and beat him severely upon the shoulder and arias. He expressed himself to he positive that the defendant was the man who assaulted him, and he said that he tact him in Wignsore-street a few days afterwards, and recognised him immediately. James Vassey, the second person who was represented to have been assaulted, swore positively that the defendant assaulted him without any provocation ; but is cross-examination he gave a very unsatisfactory account of himself, and admitted that he had been oonvicted of getting drunk and assaulting the police, and that he had undergone two sentences of fourteen days' hard labour.  Police-constable 268 M said that about 12 o'clock last evening he was on duty at the Surrey side of the London-bridge, when he saw the prisoner rush down the steps leading to the water. He immediately followed her and seized hold of her clothes as she was in the act of plunging into the river. He then with assistance secured her, and took her to the station-house.  Mr. C,;tnbe asked whether she was know❑ ?  The mistress of the prisoner here stepped forward and said she could not account for the girl attempting to commit suicide, as she was generally well conducted. Yesterday she left the house after having a slight quarrel, and she hears nothing more of her until the constable came and told her she was locked up. The prisoner said she very much regretted having attempted to commit such a rash act, but she promised not to repeat it, if his worship would allow her to be discharged. Her mistress said she would take her back and attend to her carefully if she was discharged. Mr. Combo accordingly ordered her to be delivered up to her mistress.  Mr. Bodkin, upon hearing these facts, said he should withdraw the count of the indictment that referred to this witness.  The counsel for the defendant said he was instructed that the prosecutor was mistaken as to his identity, and he believed he should be able to satisfy them that he was not the man who assaulted the prosecutor. The defendant himself was knocked down by a portion of a hurdle that was thrown at him from the crowd, and the only time that anything that could be construed into an act of violence committed by him was when he rushed into the crowd to endeavour to apprehend the man who had assaulted him, but this happened at a totally different spot to the place spoken of by the prosecutor. _ _  A great number of witnesses, many of whom were constables who were under Use orders of the defendant, were examined, and they swore positively that he did not commit an assault upon any one. Several persons, who had come forward voluntarily from reading the evidence that was given before the Commissioners, also daposed to the same facts. The defendant received a most excellent character. It appeared that he had been twelve years in the police, and that he had, on acoount of his being considered a discreet officer, been employed at races and various places of public amusements to preserve order, and no complaint had ever been made against him. The learned Judge, in summing up, expressed his opinion that there had been a mistake in the mattter, and the jury, without any hesitation, returned a verdict of Not Guilty. Charles Medgett, who was convicted on the previous day of assaulting Mr. Stevens, was then brought up for judgment, and sentenced to be imprisoned for nine months.