The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-04 00:00:00

THE EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY AT STOKE

NEWINOTON.

INQIIMST.—(THIS DAY.)
This morning Mr. John Humphrey', coroner
for Middlesex, held an investigation at the Victoria Tavern,
Stoke Newington road, into the circumstances of the finding
of certain bodies on the premises of Mr. Henry Chapman,
undertaker to the parish of Hackney.
The inquiry was held nominally on the body of a female
child unknown.

Mr. Ellis, clerk to the Hackney Board of Works, watched
the one on behalf of the pariqh. Mr. Lewis, sec., of Ely-
plaos, appeared on the part of Mr. Chapman ; and Inspec-
tors Stacey and Langdon watched the ow oa behalf of the
COMlllieldoooll of Pohoe.

The
wag crow easeded.peared to excite greet interest, and the court
ap

The jury proceeded to view the premises and the three
bodies of the deceosed children, which presented a revolting
aPralllicl asked whether the inquiry would be really into
all the came, though nominally into one.
Mr. Lewis said that the inquest was only upon one body,
and he should therefore object to anything extraneous.
The Coroner said that if Mr. Lewis objected, then he
should bold inquests nom all three bodies.
Mr. Lewis said that Mr. Chapman was quite prepared to
meet inquiry in all the imam
Mrs. Martha Metcalfe, 9, Victoria-grove West, having
been swore, mid—Lest June, on the 7th, I was confined by
Mr. Kenny. The child the jury have seen I believe to be
the same. Mired only half an hoar. Mr. Kenny gave •
certificate. I believe the one produced Is the same. I gave
it on the Tuesday evening after the Sunday to Mr. Chap-
man. He took the child away to bury it.
By Mr. Ellis—l paid Mr. Chapman 7s. I have got the
receipt at home. Mr. Kenny gave the certificate on the
Maiden
By Mr. Lewis—The child did not cry. I am tertian it
lived half an hour, sad was not still-born. The certificate
that it was still-bore was, therefore, not correct.

B~ the Coroner—l ~m not were that themis difference
in the fees for still-born children. I did not ask for any
special kind of certificate. Of my own knowledge, Ido not
know deceased heed half an hour.

Mr. Valentine then described the finding of the various
coffins and dead bodies on Mr. Chapman's premises, as has
been already published. The two bodies which were most
decomposed had been operated on by lime. There were two
empty adult coffins. One had a name (Lucy Walter) and
the lettere "H U " on it. Those letters showed that it
hod belonged to the Haelmey Union.
By Mr. Ellis—There were a number of other coffins on
the premises. The coffins in which the deceased were found
were not in the place where the other coffins were ; they
were under a bench in a shed. The adult pauper's coffin
was in a shed on adjoining premises in the occupation of
Chapman.
By Mr. Lewis—There were coffins in a date of mennfsc-
tare on the premises. There was a soxiona smell from
dead bodies. Two out of three bodies were no longer offen-
sive. The smell decidedly was that of dead bodies being
habitually kept there.
Mn. Metcalfe produced the receipt given to her by Chap-
man :

"To a still-born black coffin lined and taking away to
enter, 7.. Paid H. Chapman, for J. Nicholls."
Dr. Tripe, medical officer of health to the Hackney dis-
trict, said that he found a female ehild, apparently dead
about three weeks, along with two others. He could not
see the coffins until he had them moved from under the
workbench. The child was 18 inches long—the ordinary
length of a new born child. There no marks of violence or
fracture. The other children were 20 inches long,
they were either new bora or very young. The head
of one child fell off when he wired it. The flesh
was gone from the other child, but the bones were whole.
Both bodies were very dry from the action of lime. One
had been dead about a year, and the other about three or
four months, but he could not say exactly, as the action of
lime was very uncertain.
Alter further evidence was taken the jury returned the
following verdict to the effect "that the said female child
was found dead under a certain bench on the premises of
John Henry Chapman, at No. 1, Johnatreet, Stoke New-
ington, and that the said child was still-born ; and the jurors
also find that the said child had been taken for interment
by the said J. H. Chapman, who received money for the
perpone of He interment, and that he had neglected to
in ter it."
The proceedings then terminated.