The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-05-17 00:00:00

PROFESSOR HUXLEY ON THE PRESS.

At the annual dinner of the Printers' Pension Cor'
por'ation, held at the Freemasons' Tavern, in London,
on Tuesday, Professor Huxley in proposing the toast
of "The Press," referred to the power and influence
of the Press of the present day, which he remarked
was an embodiment of intellectual activity, and had
been up to this time a noble instrument for the
advancement of knowledge. After some observations
on the liberty of the press, the learned Professor oon-
eluded by saying that—" At the risk of being thought a
Balaam, he would venture to point to another little
cloud which it seemed to him, though no bigger than a
man's hand at present, mi4ht be espied in the horizon.
There were already signs that as writing had super-
seded speaking and printing had superseded writing,
so, perhaps, before many generations were over speak-
ing would resume something of its ancient sway. Such
instruments as the microphone and the telephone
were not now more imperfect than the pr3nt-
ing press of 400 years aco as compared with
the machines of the present day; and should
those instruments undergo, as it was not unreasonable
to suppose they would, as great a development, it was
not impossible that the Englishman of the future,
Instead of dividing his attention in the morning between
his Times and his bacon, might be able to give his
entire attention to his bacon by having the speeciaes
made on the previous night in the House of Commons,
and the general intelligence of the day, ground off by a
small barrel-organ on the breakfast-table; the very
tones of Royal and illustrious petsonages might be
heard by the multitude; poets, who, by the way, were
notoriously bad readers of their own poetry, might be
heard reciting their own verses; and on such occasions
as that which had brought this company together, they
might uncork the bottled speeches of the most dis-
tinguished orators of the day, should those great men
not have time to attend."

THE DISCOVERY OF A BODY IN
EUSTON SQUARE, LONDON.
On Friday morning in last week, the remains of a
woman were discovered in a coal cellar at No. 4,
Euston-square, London. The rumour of the discovery
soon after it was made extended far and wide, and as
afternoon' advanced the crowd of persons in front of
the house and in Euston-square was so large that it
was found necessary to' place a number of police on
duty. The remains having been carefully collected,
were placed in a shell and conveyed to the mortuary
of St. Pancras Workhouse.

On Tuesday an investigation was opened by Dr.
Hardwicke,coroner,at the St. Pancras Coroner's Court,
when much interest was evinced in the pr )ceedings.—
The following report of the case is slightly condensed
from The Times of Wednesday
The Coroner, on the opening of the Court, said the jury
had already assembled at the house No. 4, Euston-square,
and had viewed the premises, and would now go to the mor-
tuary and view the remains.
William Stroman, a lad about 15, was first examined. He
said he hal been errand-boy to Mr. Bastendorff, at 4,
Euston-square. On Friday morning he was sent by Mrs.
Bastendorff to clean out the cellar, as some people who were
lodger.' had some coals coming in The cellar door was not
locked, and be went in to pick up some of the coals that
were there. He had picked up one basket of coals, and
then found a large bone and foot in it. He went into the
shop and told Albert Savage, one of the men, who went
back with witness into the cellar and saw the bone and the
foot. They then found other bones
Joseph Savage said he was in the employ of Mr. Basten
dorff as a japanner. About had-past nine on Friday morn-
ing the boy Stroman came into the workshop and said he
had found some bones and a foot in the cellar. He at first
aid net believe him and sent his blather Albert down. The
latter soon afterwards returned and said there was a foot
and some remains in the cellar, but whether they were
those of a man or a woman he could not say. Witness went
down to the cellar and saw the remains and helped to pull
them out. HI thought they looked like the remains of a
woman by the clothes. Be saw the arms were severed from
the body. Ile became alarmed and then went and told Mrs.
Bastendorff.
George Fulcher said he was carman to Messrs. Woods,
coal merchants. On Friday morning he went with a ton
of coals to 4, Enston-square, and was told that the cellar was
not ready. He went down and saw a boy picking up coals,
and he went up the area steps and said it would take an
hour if they went on that.way ; and he said, 'Why not let
me clear it out nlyself 2" Witness was about to use his
snivel, when a man came in and sprinkled a lot of white stuff
over the cellar. Did not notice any smell He saw there
was something under a mound, and said, " Give me the
shovel and I will clear the cellar." Witness then took the
shovel and began to shovel, and saw tnere was a lot of bones,
and asked how long it was since that cellar had been used.
'lle man said about three years: Witness saw that there
were a human head and bone.. The man dragged the heap
to the front of the cellar. itness saw the man draw out
the remains, and then went for a policeman.
Thomas Holman, police-constable, deposed that he was
called by the previous witness, and on going down into the
area he saw the witness Joseph Savage, and asked it he was
the gavernor. Fulcher said, " Look nere." Witness looked
into the cellar and distinctly saw a human head and some
other remains. He did not see any white powder about or
perceive any very bad smell.
Savage was re-called, and, in explanation of the statement
of Fulcher that he saw some one throw some white stuff
over the cellar, said, when the discovery was made he went
and told lire. Bastendoril, and she gave him some chloride
of lime to throw over the cellar, and he did so, as he fancied
there was a bad smell.
The constable Holman, in continuation, said the remains
were covered up in what appeared to him to be a cloth
wrapper. He then saw Mr. Bastendorff, who was in bed,
and he said he knew nothing of the matter. Witness re-
ported it. at once to Inspector Baxter, at Albany-street
Station.
Mr. Silverin Bastendorff said he was a fancy cabinet and
bamboo worker, and resided at 4, Euston-square.• Be had
eight or ten men in his employ. Between nine and ten
o'clock on Friday morning Mrs. Bastendorff came up to him
and said there was something in the cellar, or a human being
had been found in the cellar. He went down to the area,
where a police-constable said there was a human being in
the cellar. Witness then went with• Savage and some of the
others into tie cellar. Ile saw a lamp of something lying
there which looked black. Two other constables came down
the steps almost at the same time. One of the constabli-s
said they had better fetch a doctor, and Dr. Davis was sent

for.
By the Coroner: I have ,been in the house about three
years, and let the upper part of the house furnished and
the drawing-rooms tuVurnished. I have had several
lodgers there. I think I could tell who they were. They
were a genteel lot of people. I had 18s. for the second-
floor front and 7s for the second-floor back per week. The
attics I have let, the front for 83., and two little rooms at
be. a week. I may have had about 20 different lodgers. I
have let the drawing-room floor, but until lately it has
been vacant seven months. A Mr. Hickiubotham had
them for 18 months before that, and a Mr. Brooks before
him. I kave also let the parlours occasionally furnished.
My wife mostly took the money. Brooks had a coal cellar
next to this one. This cellar is approached through the
scullery, and I have used that myself for coals. There was
a place for a padlock, but there has never been one on it It
was always open. I had coals in about ix weeks or two
months ago. They were shot down the cellar from the coal
elate. Mr. Thomas, of 6, Seymour-row, supplied those
coals. No lodger in the house bad a cellar except
Brooks. He left two years and a half ago. I do not re-
collect the cellar being cleared out beicire this. It was
cleared out for the new-comers, also of the name of Brooks,
who required a coal cellar, and I gave up my own cellar, as
I had some wood in the other cellar. I went into the cellar
about Christmas and picked up a bone, which I thought was
a sheep's bone, and it had some flesh on it. I took it into
the kitchen and showed it my wife, saying, "What a wasteful
girl that servant must be, throwing away half legs of mutton."
That was what I took it for. I went and threw this particular
bone back again into the cellar. lam not a judge of human
bones. I did not detect at that time any unpleasant smell
in the cellar.
By the Jury: My wife has usually gone after references
when lodgers have come in, but sometimes we had no
references. When lodgers went away I did not know where
they went to. I do not recollect being asked for refer-
ences, I took the house from Mr. Kemp, the house agent,
I understood the previous tenant was Mr. Milnes, a
sculptor. Ido not know what has become of him. My
lodgers always came in at the front door. One of the
workmen, Harry, and my brother used to come through
the area door to go and open the back shop, which opens
into the mews. 1 nave at one time let one of ,the kitchens.
I may have changed my servants five or six times since I
have been there, but never gave one into custody. Tnere
was a woman in the house as housekeeper when I went
there. I do not know when she went away, or where she
went to. So soon as I got the keys from Mr. Kemp I gave
orders to take in my furniture: but live or six days
elapsed before my furniture was taken into the house.
In pnswer to Mr. Jones, witness stated that the outer
gate of the area was kept locked, and there were horizontal
bars all over the area of No. 4.
Mr. H. P. Davis, M.R.O S., said: I reside at No. 1., Huston-
square. About ten o'clock on Frday merniug I was in-
formed by the police that there was a body in a cellar at No.
4, Euston-square. \ I went there, and saw a mass of human
remains just in front of the cellar. At first sight they all
looked black and charred, but which I afterwards found was
the effect of coal dust. I found that the arms and legs were
dissevered from the body, and that part of one of the feet
was gone. I had the remains placed in a shell for
removal to the mortuary, so as to be enabled to make
a more minute examination, which I performed, as-
sisted by my sons, and in the presence of other medical
gentlemen, the following day. The head was quite
denuded of flesh, and the scalp hung back with patches of
hair upon it. Mere did not appear to be any marks of
violence en the head. The hair was of a light brownish
colour, but diversified, and from the ateion of time and
place, there was no seeing what its exact colour was. She
had lost the greater portion of her teeth. There were
seven teeth remaining in the lower jaw and the four
centres in the upper. Judging by the teeth more espe-
cially, the deceased must have been a woman of from 60
to 55 years of age, The arms and the legs were dissevered
at the joints, and one of the feet was entirely gone, as also
the hands, except a few bones, On closely examining the
body, there was apparently a curving of the spine to the
right aide, but there was no proof that it was a natural
curvature, It might have been caused by a compression
of the body in that direction. In regard to the viscera, the
remains of the brain were a soft, semifluid. Wi,h respeet
to the heart and lungs and liver, these were mere traces
that they had existed There were no traces of eyes, but
in the sockes there was what was supposed to be lime or
mould. lie hardly thought it was lime. Judging from
all elvonostances he thought she must have been a woman
of sft. 4in. or 51n,, at least. The cartilages of the nose
were entirely gone. It was impossible to say whether the
flesh had been eaten away by rats. There Were, no doubt,
the remains of a cord round the neck as he saw it, but when
he went to touch it it crumbled to pieces. Some, however,
was taken by the police inspector. However, on examining
the neck there was clearly the indentation on the dried
flesh remaining. It was a piece of rope about the thickness
of a clothes or sash line.
By the Coron( r: It was almost impossible to say how long
the body had been where it was found' it might have been
three years or more than three years, or it might have been
but one year. It depended mainly on the action of the
atmosphere or what the retnams were brought in contact
with. There were plainly the indeetations made in the neck
by the cbrd, It was impossible to say what was the cause of
death, She might have been poisoned and the reps put
round her neck afterwards, If arseniesivisted' it would be.
found there now. fie could not say whether antimony
would be found,
TllQoOn Was here understood to intimate that he
thought It advisahle to Wed Protestor Pepper, who was