The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-07-18 00:00:00

A MYSTERIOUS HOUSE IN PIMLICO.

At the Westminster Police-court on Monday Mr.
Snook, inspector of nuisances to the parish of St.
George's, Hanover-square, applied to Mr. Partridge
for an order, under the Nuisances Removal Act, for
forcible admission to the house No. 25, Alderney-
street, Pimlico, which for years, he said, had been
furnished and untenanted, the eccentric owner, a
widow lady living in High-street Pimlico, declining
to permit any person to enter it. At the last meoting
orthe Works Committee of the vestry the inspector
stated that he had failed to serve a notice on the
owner of the house, which was in a very bad state,
the area being full of dead cats and decaying refuse.
It was further stated that the mysterious owner could
never be seen, and that she looked into the street
through holes in the door, which she stopped with
corks. The area had now been swept by the police,
but the house was inn most dilapidatedcondition and
in a filthy state. The windows were smashed and
some of the furniture and fittings had been removed
by thieves. Crowds congregated round the house,
and all sorts of rumours were curron:, in the locality.
Mr. Partridge directed that an order should issue
for forcible entry of the premises on the sworn in-
formation of the Inspector that a,nuisauca
,dangerotis
• to health existed.

BURIAL CLUBS AND THE POOR.
imong the applicants to Mr. a'Eyncourt at West-
minister police-court was an elderly woman of re-
spectable appearance, who asked advice under the
following circumstances :—More than 25 years ago
she and her husband, then living at Chiswict, joined
the St. Patrick's Burial Society, their contributions
being 2d. each weekly, and the amount insured for
being £7 10s. each. They had never been one week
behind in their payments to the agent, and wste there-
fore greatly upset a short time ago when informed
that the society could not meet its liabilities and that
their funeral money would not be paid at their de-
cease. Mr. d'Eyncourt asked the applicant what
reason was assigned by the agent for such a course.
The applicant said she was merely told that there was
no money left, and that they (the society) had
been robbed by one of the secretaries, "or
something." The agent gave her the circular of another
society, and said that she and her husband
might continue paying their contributions to that, bit
they would not receive anything like the or.iginal
benefits. In fact, it would be a fresh thing altogether,
and she would be only entitled to £1 12s. at her
husband's death. She was the younger, and .E 2 would
be paid at her decease. She would not accept such
an offer after paying regularly during all her married
life. Mr. Webb, the chief usher, said he thought it
right to inform his worship that a similar application
was made in respect of the same society a few days
ago by another poor person who paid her contribu-
tions for many years. The club seemed to have been
started many years ago, and it was largely subscribed
to by the poor Irish, the name of the late Cardinal
Wiseman and other church dignitaries appearing oil
e title pages of the book of rules. The present
licant, Mrs. Dillon, was known to him (the usher)
hard-working respectable person, who for many
s past got her living with a fruit and vegetable
b w. Applicant said she could not read, at she
wo d hand to his worship her contribution cards
(so e were dated as far back as 1862, and they
ack wledged hundreds of weekly contributions of
4d. r. d'Eyncourt said he regretted to say he did
not e how he could assist her, but at any rate
furth r inquiries would be made in the interest of
herself and other poor persons in a similar position.