The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-01 00:00:00

INQUEST UPON A DECEASED LUNATIC AT

Yesterday en inquiry was held by Mr. Wakley, at
the County Lusatia Asylum, as to the death of Mr. William
Parsons, thirty-three years of age, and formerly butler in
the service of Mr. Frederick WoodSridge, who resided at
Wavendoa, sear Newport Pegnell, Buckinghamshire.
Several witnesses were examined with reference to some
alleged acts of cruelty perpetrated upon accessed while in the
Marylebone infirmary. It appeared that be hadeomplained to
his wife of violent* committed towards him, and the coroner
closely questioned the keepers as to their knowledge of such
transactions. They denied that they had used personal
violence to the deceased, bat admitted that they had often
heard him falling about in his padded room, frequently
from the top of the walls eight or nun feet high.
John Blencowe, one of the attendants of Swivel' Asylum,
received Parsons on his admission on the 22nd. He took
him to the bath-room, pat him in a bath, and habited him
in the Asylum dress. He was marked with severe bruises
on various parts of the body.. He whistled while being
bathed, and resisted being dressed, but had no objection to
the bath. He refused having any dinner. His face was
greatly
.braised, it was yellow and green. His right leg
was so injured that he could not bear his stocking being
pet on. He did not commit any violence towards any one.
Wiliam Byrne, another attendaat, said that when de-
ceased wee reeeivid, his right leg was very much inflamed
mar the ankle ; he had a bleak eye, and was otherwise
much bruised on various puts of the body. He was very
feeble. He was put into a padded room, but so fastenings
were placed on his limbs. He was so weak that witness
was obliged to feed hiss with a spoon. He wee then ordered
Into the infirmary. He offered no sort of violence.
John Tipper, the infirmary attendant, had charge of
deceased as the 24th. He took about a pint of beef tea,
but would have nothing else but water. He had many
bruises about the head and other parts of the body.
Mrs. Parsons, widow of the deceased, said that when she
went to the Middlesex Hospital, five men were tying down
her husband, two being at his head and three at his feet.
A sheet, twisted like a rope, was tied across his chest. At
that time he sods* very reasonaba, and asked her to take
I him away. He said that they h treated him so roughly,
that they would kill him if they continued it any longer.
After this they loosened him all bit his feet, and he became
perfectly quiet. Without these straps and sheets he was
perfectly quiet and composed.
After some further evidence,
The room was then cleared, and, after • lopes of about ,
1 twenty minutes, the following verdict was returned :
" That the death of the said William Parsons was caused
by a mortal exhaustion, produced by mania and • natural
I disease of his brain, and also by a mortal irritation produced
by braises on divers parts of his body, caused by falls in an
I improperly padded room in the Ilarylebone Infirmary.
i And the jurors further say. they consider that it was creel
i of his master, the said Frederick Woo.thridge, Eq.' to send
the unfortunate William l'arsons to London, as he did,
while the said William Parsons was in an insane state of
mind ; and they consider that the treatment of the said
William Parsons in Middlesex Hospital and in the Mary-
leboae Infirmary was not at all creditable to the character
of those institutions."
11 The inquiry, which lasted seven hours, then terminated.