The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-30 00:00:00

DEATH OF A MISER.

In London an inquest has been held at tite Persevec
gine. Tavern, Brixton, respecting the. circumstances
attendiug the death °I Mrs Eliza, CF.41„,3.,,, a aniaa,
aged about aixty-tite.
me arm witness called was Mr., min, who deposed that
i,
the dece ci
ased had ocupied tg,, rooms in her beuse
yult„a net. el ,or the past twve mon' le
ths
site ere, et very singular habits, alit tor days together
aiit sem, to I v" nor is,flfli h% witness, Rod w tiot
„averse with any r mon in the house. Ott last Thursil iy
wiling she came downstairs slid complained of being ill.
The wituem,al. deceased if site should cell In a medical
mot butlie P aid no, that if she became worse she would go
to the hossi.sal, she walked about Is the conservatory for a
short tinO and then went up to her loom. About six o'clock
the too Jaing morning the witite,s, sent her female- servant
up t'' her room tit ink If she required anything fetched for her
brAtast She knocked at the door severaltimes but received
reply. aad witness called in a police-
constable, who forced open the room deer, and discovered
herlying on the floor quite dead. She sometimes sent tor a
pint ot ale which met, d her for about a month, and a small
ailllintity of bread opaline.
Sir Smith, the summoning and coroner's ollhier, said he
ee,eived information of the death of the deceased on the
reemiep lit quo.tion, anti went to the house. lie there saw
the hist witless, who showed him up steles to a room, and
there saw the ilecetved, who was lolly mewed, end lying on
a straw mattress. The lest witness and another woman took
elf her doilies, but he-foutid no money or other prowl) upin
them, lie then searched the room, and upon opening a box
found a tiumber of silk dresses, which appeared not to have
been worn for mouths. There was also a pa, of old stays,
will a pocket in front, sewn in different parts with
idol thread. Ile obtained a pair of scissors, anti with
them cut the pocket open, finding sovereigns. Hu then
searched another box and found a large gold waiter, a few
shitings, a pane, and some halfpence The relatives of the
deceased wore not known in the holite, but a note he dis-
covered caused him to go to 89, Kennington-road, where
he found the Buster of the deceased resided. She said idle
had not seen deceased for years, and after witness told
her she would be required at the inquest she said she
would not attend; she knew nothing about the matter,
and requested him to go to Mr. Vreiiswell, of the Divorce
art, who was her Tiephew, and to whom he gave up the

money.
The COMller said he ought not to have done that, as
there might have been a will loft by the deceased, or •
wirer relative living.
Mrs. Pion, recalled, said she found hi the room Li 2e.
fit
12 silver spoons, gold eye-glass, silver sugar-tongs, gold dia-
mond ring, and wedding tug.
Mr. Smith said all the food he found in the room was a
small portion of stale bread mad butter whblii had partly
been eaten by mice.
In reply to the coroner, Mrs. 'Nun said she had a Ivised the
deceased to have a person Into clean her room, bat she de-
clined she often said that she hadmoney and paid a rent of
ea a week regularly.
Mr. William Cromwell said the deceased was his mother's
sister. she was the widow of a retired gentleman she had
a private income arising from money in the Bank of England.
The witness last saw her alive about five years ago. She waa
very penurious, and. ould go without proper nourishment
to save money. She had kept away from her family. lie
was of opinion that her death was due to natural causes, but
accelerated from want of proper nourishment.
The jury returned a verdict "That the deceased
died from natural causes, accelerated by want of food
and proper nourishment, which she might have
procured.