25 MAY 1833, Page 5

Ebe

The inquest on the body of Robert Cully the Policeman, the pro- ceedings at which we narrated in last week's Spectator down to Friday night, when the court adjourned, was resumed on Monday. The first witness examined was Mr. John Jeffery ; who was en- gaged in business in Calthorpe Street, and saw the whole scene. He described the conduct of the people as being very noisy : they hooted and groaned at the Police. The flag-staffs had spear-points at the top. At one o'clock, there were about one hundred persons present ; but

before the meeting was dispersed, the numbers had increased to be- tween four and five thousand. The Police certainly made the first at- tack, as far as pressing upon the people might be called attacking them. He did riot see the Police strike the people ; they pushed them only. Mr. Joseph Sadler Thomas, the Superintendent of the F division

,of Police, stated that he had received orders, signed, as usual, with the initials of the Commissioners, to assemble one hundred Police con- stables, ten sergeants, and two inspectors, in the riding-school in Gray's Inn Lane, by one o'clock. Previously to leaving the Stationhouse, he cautioned the men to behave with firmness and humanity in case they should come into collision with the people; and not to raise their staves unnecessarily, but as a last resource, and in self-defence only. The meeting had been dispersed before his division reached Calthorpe Street. He heard Mr. Stallwood (a preceding witness, who gave strong testimony against the Police), speaking to the Police in a very loud and vehement manner. Witness thought that he must have had too much wine. From the time he entered Calthorpe Street until he left it, he saw no violence created either by the Police or the people. The men had very little to drink—not half a pint of beer each. His orders were to assemble his division at the riding-school, and wait for further Instructions; which he received from a sergeant who came running up Gray's Inn Lane, and said to him, " You are to fall in." He did not see any stones thrown in Calthorpe Street.

Mary Ann Lletnilton, a servant at the Magpie and Stump public- touse, Fetter Lane, said she went to see the meeting on her road to her sister's. She key. the Policeman, Cully, standing opposite No.

17, Calthorpe Street, between three and four o'clock. He told her she had better go home, than go into that disturbance. The witness then continued- " While I was talking to him, I saw a man proceed from the mob, and rush towards him with an instrument in his hand; but I cannot tell what It was. lie said, " I shall do for the — ! " I said, " For Cod's sake let me get out and I rushed through the mob as fast as I could. I went home. The Police- man was talking to me at the time. When I saw him dead the next day, I re- sized him to be the same. The instrument was small. I cannot describe the in .:a who rushed on the Policeman, any more than that lie was a thin-faced mm, with a long nose ; I could not identify again. I.did n hun mint see strike tly Policeman. I never saw or knew the Policeman before. 1 was knocked ii 'w0 myself." liv a Juror—" I was not struck myself. I was not more titan two or three ?Moines there, and did not see the Police strike aTly one. 'I he ins9:nment S cued to be made of steel ; I only saw about the length of my finger id tt.' By the Coroner—" I did not hear the Policeman say, or see 1r 7r., tit) any thhig to the man who rushed towards bim before the rush was made.

The following conversation then took place between the Coroner and the Jury.

" Well, gentlemen, do you want any more evidence ? .The man was stabbed and murdered. (A pause.) If they had brought this young WOHIall here sooner, it would have saved at least two days of your time."

Juror—" I don't think it would."

Coroner—" Then I do."

The same Juror—,, There Nve differ."

Coroner—" Nothing- could have justified an individual going up in cold blood and stabbing another at the moment be was giving a girl good advice." The same Juror—. If I were to express what I feel, I would say I do not be- lieve one iota of what the girl has said."

Coroner—" No! "

The Juror—" No, I do not." Coroner—" Sic bas been making her statement upon oath ; and I don't know why her statement is not to be believed as well as your's or mine or any other person's.

Mr James Yewett, an Inspector to the Animals' Friend Society, said he helped to carry Cully up stairs in the house where he died : he held his head in his arms till he expired. He afterwards, on his road home, saw a man in Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, who told hint that he knew how the Policeman had been stabbed, for he saw it done, lie mentioned this to two Bow Street officers, who were standing near him ; but they seemed to take no notice of it, except telling him to ask the man's name : but he thought that it was their business, and that he had done his duty in giving information to the officers. Mr. Henry Hunt said, there was a man in the room whose son had been present at the homicide, and his evidence might be material. The Coroner said, it would be as well to examine the son ; who after- wards made his appearance, but his testimony coetained no new fact of importance.

_lir. Stanwood then handed up an anonymous letter from a HRIII NVI10 SI;l2Cd himself to be the murderer. The letter was sent to Mr. Stan- wood by the twopenny post. As it was not signed, it could not be received in evidence. It contained a strange story of a smiffle with tho I'olice ; in which the writer said that his nose was smashed, and his eye forced out of its socket; and that he had stabbed Cully and two other Policemen. The letter had every appearance of being a hoax. Several other witnesses were examined, hit no new feet, of im-

portance were elicited. A Police constable said that it variety of stones were thrown by the mob.

The Foreman—" What do you mean by a variety?" Witness—" A few."

A Juror—" Really, this inau's evidence ought not to be taken."

The Foreman—" He does not seem to understand what he is saying."

The Coroner—" I remember the line, ' A fine variety in one.' "

The Foreman—" The poet did not speak of stones, but of a lady.'

The Coroner charged the Jury, after an ineffectual attempt of the latter to procure the order issued by the Home Secretary. He said that the evidence of the woman Mary Ann Hamilton proved that the man was murdered ; and that the verdict of the Jury therefore should be " Wilful murder, against some person or persons unknown." The Jury retired about seven o'clock ; and in about half an hour re- ported, that sixteen out of seventeen of their body had agreed to a ver-

dict condemnatory of the conduct of the Police, but that one was op- posed to that verdict. About half-past eight, a similar communica- tion was made. The Coroner said they would agree when they became a little more hungry; at half-past nine, they returned the following' verdict.

" We find a verdict of JusvrstAnr,t ITOMTCIDE, on these grounds,--that no Riot Act was read, nor any proclamation advising the people to disperse; that the Govern- ment did not take the proper precautions to prevent the meeting from assembling, and that the contact of the Police was ferocious, brutal, and unprovoked by the peoplo: and we moreover express our anxious hope, that the Government will in future take better precautions to prevent the recurrence of such disgraceful transactions in the 111etropolis."

,The reading of this was accompanied by loud cheering in the room.

Ile Coroner wished the Jury to reconsider their verdict. The homicide was not justifiable: it was wilful murder, either by some one they did, or by some one they did not know.

The Foreman said that they had anxiously and patiently considered the matter, and had given a deliberate and conscientious verdict. Coroner--" You are called upon to say how Robert Cully came by his d -

eath

and the only evidence you have to decide upon that, is that of the young woman' who saw him stabbed."

Several of the Jury exclaimed—" We do not believe her ; no, not one of us." Coroner—. And why not ?"

A Juror—" Because site was contradicted by other witnesses. She said she was two minutes talking to the Policemen, and it was proved by all the other witnesses that that was impossible. She was tutored."

Another Juror—" She was; she was tutored by the Police. She acknow- ledged to having been with them ever since that day. Why ask us to give a verdict against our consciences?" Coroner—" You say there was no precautions : I think there were plenty of measures."

A Juror—" There were no measures to prevent the meeting; and the means employed to disperse it were disgraceful." .Foreman—" We are all of opinion that if one hundred Policemen had occu- pied the ground, this man would not have been slain." Another Juror--" We only wonder that there were not more lives lost." .Coroner—" Well, gentlemen, your verdict is, that Robert Cully was killed With Justifiable Homicide." - Jurors--" We do."

Coruner, tu the Foreman—" Well, Sir, I shall strike out all the rest." iDruiviag his pencil across all the words that followed "Justifiable Ho- micide."] Forentan—" I cannot agree to that, Sir." AU the Jury—" Nor any of us."

Forenian—" Before God and our country, on our solemn oaths, we have given the eubject all the consideration in our power ; aad that paper, which I have heeded to you, contains the judgment in which we me unanimously agreed. If you steike out any part of that, it is not our verdict." Jury—" Certainly not." Foreman—', We have told you our verdict ; but we would not give a verdict of juetifiable homicide, standing by itself." Corouer—" So you say it was justifiable, because some persons broke other persons' heads, some half hour after the man was murdered."

Foreman—" If proper measures had been taken, either by readiug the Plot Act or a proclamation, or any other means, we would not bring in a verdict to justify the homicide. Therefore, to let the verdict go abroad alone, would be very dangerous, and it might be thought that we justified the stabbing a Police- loan who was legally employed." Coroner—" But you can give a conscientious verdict without libelling any one."

Foreman—" It is no libel."

Jury—" Certainly not."

Coroner—" It certainly appears that there was a good deal of knocking about an one ,itie arid the other."

Forewan—" It was all on one side."

Coroner-4, Why, the Police did not stab." Foreman—" Mr. Coroner, we are all unanimously of opinion that if they hail acted with moderation, the deceased would not have been sedilied. The woman who swore otherwise, we do not believe. It is plain she was tutored ; and the little girl who was brought up to tell us that she saw the stali given—young and ignorant as 'die was—was still artful enough to keep Itoh the iinportant fact that the man who stahlied the Policeman was violently LUILv,! first, as she • acknowledged when I pressed her in ccoss-exanibtion.'' Thu conversation was continued some thee longer. The Foreman said, that one hundred PeliCelilen upon the ground in tiiea iorning would have dispersed the meeting, or the expostuhnions it le.. ..Viagistrates would have prevented it.

Corot] er—'4 so you think that a meeting to overturn tle. eat was a justification of this lient;eille ?" Foreman—" No, Sir, far from it. We are all of us it tel have families, and some stake iii the country. Indeed, I think there is twee of a hut have some little propo tv. We all of us ;Lie of one opinion about the hur.opriety of that meeting, and we are far front liking mob meetings. If the Police had acted with propriety, we would all of Uti have turned out to assist and protect them at any risk. ("Hear, hear ! front the rest of the iney.) Coroner-44 Why, every precaution was take, " Foreman—" Oh, Sir, certainly, they prepared ou ails of dispersing- the meet- ing - and how "vie those mem. enli.1.‘yed ? We idame the Government and the 'Police because they Rutile no ;lib:milt to prevent the meeting." Coroner-4, Time were proclamations ford,i4!cliig- the niu,lie:;, posted all over the tow IL" A .11,1 font tot l,i, wIth. Sir, owl 1 sily t1;:a I s:::c II. of 1/u SIC posied uh! thy Toestloy, the flog ttle oweting." Coroner—" Instead if holuiricg how the man was kill, .!, hr,;' the Police and other F.iiple for (wire ditlixent Forel:rait—" It is the conduct of I hose people which .; that vt.! .het. p: had hroa tai,en pt te,,; r:;;, rbard.2r."

u'. ii g,it lag :Jo

Several .1 twors—" Iler evidenee was disproved. She is not v credit."

A Juror—" /hare s,en her ,trioking gin on the le..ols t)t. with it cnoc.1 Pei:cc/ma, trait u,wt she admits she h:!:: of the Inca ; p.'' A noth,,e Me is y,'ill there drinking. floe:2114e swore ILI.: thonii,g that she was ill (1 /1111') p lii y, home, as she LA been ordered not to at long." Poreinan—" We can give no lithor verdict. We are of opinion that this man would not have lost his i In LA prolier measures been taken. No um saw the stab given. We ame of api:aelt Mat it was given in the confusion it IAAh the violence of the man hii.e.e1.• ens :west."

The Coroner persisted in reeuiring the Jury to reconsider their ver- dict ; which they poeitively refused to do. A good deal of altercation tool: place. The Jury said that they had fasted since ten o'clock, and prwested against the conduct of the Coroner. At length, at about half-past eleven, the verdict was received, and regularly entered upon the record. The persons inside the room, amid the crowds outside, cheered the Jury with g..cat vehemence, and the proceedings terminated.

A reward of IOW. and a free pardon, is offered in Tuesday's Gazette, to any one, except the actual perpetrator of the crime, who shall dis- cover the man who stabbed Cully, the Policeman, "so that he may be apprehended and convicted of the said murder."

Mee, the Chairman of the Coldbathfields meeting, surrendered him- self to the Magistrates at Bow Street, on Wednesday. Sir F. Roe called upon him to enter into his own recognizance in the sum of 2001. and to find two sureties in IOW. each, to answer for his appearance at the Court of King's Bench daring the present term. lie was then committed to Clerkenwell peison.