SHAMEFUL OUTRAGE AT NEWCASTLE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 268, 12 November 1874, Page 2

SHAMEFUL OUTRAGE AT NEWCASTLE.

One of the moat disgraceful instances of cowardly ruffianism that has tver disgraced N"> Wcaatle, occurred on last Sunday evening. Ju t as the fcra'u from Maitland arrivedj and the passengers (*bout a hundred) hal landed on the platform, the ca tain of the French barque La Paix pointed out to senior-constable Finnegftn, who was on duty at the station, a maa named Kocorde, who had deserted f loia. that vessel at Nel-on, New Zealand, and robbed him. The captain, at the same time, informed consfob c Finnegan that a warrant had been issued for the man's apprehension, and requested him to take the man into custody. Constable Flnnegan at oneedid go, w,hen four foreign seamen who had just come by the train, interfered to prevent the man's arrest, and held Finnegan, and hustled him about the platform till the man, had escaped through the railway gates into {Scott-street As soon as he could got away from the four men, Finnegan pursued his man down the town, and, getting on his track, followed him up one street ami down another, and at last recaptured him hidden away in some -straw; attached to Thompson's Commercial Hotelj and conveyed him to the lock-up Whilei Fimwgan was in pursuit of Rocorde, big superior officer was. being; shamefully, maltreated by the four men just • allude-i to. Sub-Inspector Thorpe had just left the trainj and bad reached Scott-street, when some one called out "Mr Thorpe, they're murdering Finnegan." He turned bock at once, and saw Finriegon then in the hands of these foqr ruffians. Mr Thorpe at once seized hold of two of them by the collar, and attempted to drig them away from Finnegan. IrTthe struggle, the man Rocorde got away, and the, four men then turned upon Hub-Inspector Thorpe, and brutally ill-used him, kicking him in the face while he was on the ground. The Inspector had no weapon but his fists against four powerful men, and, to the disgrace of every well-dressed biped, we cannot call them men. on the platform, not one had sufficient pluck to etep forward to Mr Thorpe's Resistance, but suffered those dastardly cowords, who disgrace whatever, flajr they may have sailed uuder, to kick the officer and destroy almost every article of clothing he hsd on him, without interfering. To the credit of the police force, be it re-i corded that Sub«lnspector Thorpe stuck to his men and grappled with one to the last. This man was rescued by the rest, and theo, coward-like, they all ran away. Mr Thorpe pursued, and as soon as the dauaer was apparently over, some of the bystanders helped in arresting the ruffians. At this moment, constable Finnegan returned, and lent bis assistance in capturing these disgraces to manhond. After some delay they were all placed in durance vile. The face of the SubInspector is shockingly mangled, and hi? note broken. His clothes, it Is stated, were torn' from his back, and were saturated with blood. There is as much credit attaching to SubInspector Thorpe and Senior-Constsble Finnegan for the brave manner in which they performed their duty, as there is ignominy affixed to those miserable apologies f<r men, who stood quietly by and saw the dastardly outrage committed. To add to the shame of this affair, a poor fallen woman, whom many of these dilettanti would not deign to look upoo, came to the rescue, and forcibly held one of the ruffians back aa he was again about to k=ck Mr Thorpe in the face while he was down. The case was partly heard at the Police Court, and adjourned till Wednesday next,— Newcastle Chronicle.