Police Constable Alfred Long

FALL OF FOUR HOUSES IN LAMBETH.
A WOMAN AND TWO CHILDREN KILLED.

Yesterday morning, at a few minutes before 12 o'clock, a terrible catastrophe occurred in Norfolk-place, Church-street, Lambeth. While Police-constable Long was passing on the opposite side of Norfolk-place he heard a rumbling noise, and saw the north-west wall of the Bell tavern come down with a fearful crash upon the roofs of Nos. 2, 3, and 4, carrying everything before it. At this time it was known that a Mrs. Morley and five of her children were in one of the lower rooms. On the neighbours and the police forcing an entrance, the whole of the family and Mrs. Morley were found buried beneath the debris, but they all escaped injury. The next house was tenanted by a mason named William Brown, his wife, and five children. Mrs. Brown and three of her family were in the lower front room, situated exactly opposite to where the main wall fell. Beneath a wooden bedstead, lying close to the wall, Constable Long discovered a little boy, who was crying piteously for help. He was at once rescued and conveyed to St. Thomas's hospital, where he was identified by his father as William Brown, aged three years. The poor little fellow is likely to recover. Near the same bedstead Mrs. Catherine Brown was found, fearfully crushed and quite dead, and within a yard of her were found Catherine Brown, aged 41/2, and Robert Brown, aged 18 months. Several stretchers were procured, and they were taken to the above institution, where life was found to be extinct. Last evening a gang of men were engaged in shoring up the front walls of the Bell tavern and also the front of the houses in Norfolk-place.

Source: Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sunday December 8, 1878

POLICEMAN STABBED.
Graphic Story of Midnight Encounter in Country Lane.

"I MEANT TO KILL."

Police-constable Long, of the Surrey Constabulary, stationed at Hersham, appeared in the witness-box at Kingston, yesterday, and related the story of his fierce encounter with Joseph Saunders, twenty-nine years, a homeless hawker, in which he was severely stabbed.
For a fortnight the young officer has been lying in the Walton Cottage Hospital, and still appeared weak and ill.
The charge against Saunders of having caused grievous bodily harm to Constable Long by stabbing him in the neck and shoulder with a large table knife, was, on the application of Superintendent Coleman, amended by the addition of the words "with intent to kill," the Superintendent stating that the prisoner had made a significant statement on the subject.
Police-constable Long stated that on the evening of Sept. 2, shortly before eight o'clock, he was on duty in Queen's-road, Hersham, when he saw the prisoner standing in the shadow of a lamp at the corner of the road. Seeing that he was observed the prisoner walked away. Witness had his suspicions, especially as the man was wearing rubber soled shoes, and followed him. Prisoner started to run, and witness took up the chase and overtook him, and as he took hold of him to take him into custody, the prisoner caught him round the neck, and at the same moment witness felt something like a pinch on the neck, but did not think at the moment that he had been stabbed. Prisoner made off again, and he followed and caught him, and in the struggle he received a blow on the shoulder, after which he felt a tingling sensation, and then felt warm blood running down his back. Prisoner again made off, and realising that he had been stabbed in several places, witness blew his whistle for assistance.
Mrs. Mary Smith, a married lady living at the Pavement, Walton-on-Thames, said she was in a house near by when she heard a policeman's whistle, and found the constable a little way off trying to bandage his neck. He was staggering about as if very weak. She blew his whistle for him several times, and having helped to bandage his neck, which was bleeding fast, she ran along the road towards Hersham village, blowing the whistle as she went. Some people went for a policeman and for a doctor.
The Chairman: On behalf of the Bench we wish to thank you for your conduct in this matter. You acted with great courage and discretion.
A little girl named Emily Saunders then told how the prisoner came to her mother's house on Sept. 2, and picked up a large table-knife and went away with it. She said she did not know the prisoner was a relation.
Dr. Sparkes, of Hersham, described the wounds the constable had received, and said that had the one on the back of the neck been in the front it might have been fatal.
Police-constable Tooth said that on the way from Brixton Gaol prisoner said, "I can't understand why I am not charged with intent to kill. That was my intention. I meant to kill him." Witness cautioned him, when he said, "That is so. And if you don't tell the magistrates so, I shall."
Superintendent Coleman having described the prisoner's arrest in a field of artichokes after a chase all night, the knife was then found in his possession.
Prisoner, who had nothing to say, was committed for trial at the Surrey Assizes.

Source: Lloyd's Weekly News, September 19, 1909, Page 4