VIOLENT ASSAULT UPON A POLICEMAN

     On Wednesday evening, at six o’clock, as police constable Chas. Abraham was proceeding along the Portsmouth-road, from Petersfield, he met two suspicious-looking men a short distance from the road branching off up Bullinge-hill to Buriton. Having challenged the men with being deserters, which they denied, he took the shorter man of the two by the coat, which he opened, telling him that he had on a military shirt and braces, and while in the act of lifting the legs of his trowsers to look at his shoes, he was struck violently in the face by the taller man. Staggered for the instant, from the force of the blow; he attempted to seize his assailant, who thereupon started off at a sharp pace along the road, closely followed by Abraham, when, after a chase of about 60 yards, he seized him, and a struggle took place, during which the shorter man, who had followed up closely, unperceived, struck the policeman with a heavy stick, with all his force, across the breast. A second heavy blow was then given with the force of both hands on the left side of the head, which brought him nearly to the ground, half stupified, but still retaining his hold of the tall man, and while in that position a third blow was administered upon the same place by his brutal assailant, when his victim became insensible. Luckily a young man of the name of James Kelsey was on the turnpike road at some distance and witnessed the latter part of the assault upon which he hastened to the spot. It appears that while the prostrate policeman was on the ground, that several other severe blows and kicks were given. Upon recovering the police constable observed the men running back along the turnpike and turn up the road to Buriton, and taking the bat and coat of his taller assailant, which he had left behind in his hurry to escape, proceeded as well as his partly disabled state would allow in pursuit, accompanied by Kelsey, on to Buriton, where they were close upon their track, up a road leading to the hills, but night coming on further pursuit became useless and an escapement was effected.