Queen vs. John , James Jr. and William Donnelly, Assault and Wounding Constable Bowden, Reid and Courcey, 1876
Province of Ontario
CITY OF LONDON
County of Middlesex
The examination of John Bowden take on oath this 10th day of March in the year of our Lord 1876 at London, in the City aforesaid, before the undersigned I'm one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the said City and County in the presence and hearing of John Donnelly and James Donnelly who was charged this day before, me for that he the said John Donnelly and James Donnelly at Lucan in the County of Middlesex for that they did with others assault, beat & wound certain constables [...].
This Deponent John Bowden upon his oath, saith as follows:-
I am a County Constable of Middlesex. On the 24 February last at Lucan I had a warrant in my hand for the arrest of James Donnelly. The warrant was issued by L Lawrason J.P. London to arrest James Donnelly and Robert Donnelly on a charge of assaulting beating & wounding Rodey Kennedy. I proceeded to Fitzhenrys Tavern when I saw the Defendant James Donnelly & William Donnelly [...] John Donnelly had his coat off and came up to me & caught hold of me. [...] John Donnelly said to Reid "let me go [illegible] I'll kill you. [...] then I heard a pistol shot don't know who firedit. I then called for ever man in the tavertn to assist in arresting and securing the prisoner. [...] he escaped from me & went towards the bar, [...] I seized him there again at the bar, and he said "you son of a bitch if you don't let me go I'll kill you" Then William Donnelly presented Revolver close to my face & said " you son of a bitch if you don't let him go I'll shoot you" I still held on and he fired at me. The shot did not take effect. [...] William Donnelly fired again and this shot at me was directed about 4 or 5 feet. [...] Then William Donnelly struck me several blows with a heavy cane. [...] When I got up and got my watch & hat, I saw only two remaining in the Room, Hodgins and another that I did not know — and John Donnelly was gone [...].
(signed) John Bowden