The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-15 00:00:00

SHOCKING DEATH OF A FEMALE.

Yesterday Mr. Baker held an inquest at the Wool-
pack public-house, Brick-lane, Old-street, St. Luke's, re-
specting the death of Ellen Foulke*, aged 36 Tears.
Edward Foulke'', of No. 181, Great Pear free-street, •
shoemaker, stated that the deceased was his wife. She
had been subject to fits for the last fire Tears, and also
suffcred from paralysis. Witness had applied to the re-
lieving officer (Mr. L-gge) with a view of getting her into
the workhouse, at the same time offering to pay the parish
fire shillings per week for her maintenance. Mr. Legge
subsequently visited the deceased, but objected to admit
her unless within accompanied the deceased. Witness
then applied at the workhouse of St. Luke's, where he
caw one of the clerk., who sent Mr. Syy' m thei parochial
officer, to see the deceased. Re examined her, and gave
witness a written order for Mr. Legge, recommending the
dcemsed's removal, but Mr. Legge refused to assist witness
any further. On Wednesday last' after dinneroviMess made
up the fire, and left the deceased sitting iu a chair facing
the grate, and on his return :about three o'clock the time
afternoon be opened the door, when Le found the room
tilled with smoke. Witness entered the apartment with
great difficulty, and stumbled over some thing which he im-
mediately discovered to be the body of his wife. Witness
dragged hermit with her dress nearly consumed, and her
legs, thigh*, chest, army, and face frightfully burned end
blackened. The flooring boards of the room under where
the deceased laid were then burning, and the deceased was
quite dead. On subsequent examination of the pl,ce, wit-
ness found several limiter matches on the fluor, and he was
of opinion that the deceased must have trodden upon one
or more of them and thereby set fire to her clothing. The
deceased had been a patient at St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
and was of weak intellect. It was not always safe to leave
her alone, and witness generally performed the hetmhold
work after his meals.

By the foreman—Had offered the parish authorities a
security for the payment of the fire shilizogs weekly, and
had mentioned to Mr. Legge the name of a responsible party
for the payment of the money. Hal resided in St. Luke's
six veers.
Lana Reeves, a lodger in the same house wu next celled,
and stated that she heard the alarm on the day in qttestion
just after the husband returned home. He was a very
steady man and witness always considered the deceased to
be of unsound mind.

At this stage of the proceedings the summoning officcr
was directed to send fur Mr. Legge, the relieving officer,
who said I certainly visited the deceased and found that
neither she nor her husband belonged to our parish. We
cannot fill our workhouse with persons who do not belong
to us. Mr. Syson, the parochial surgeon, had no power to
order the deceased into the workhouse, all he did was to
recommend her removal. The board would not deviate
from

their general rule.
A Juror—Did you lay the cue before the guardians?
Mr. Legge—No, sir, I did not. I did not think it neces-
sary. The guardians would not thank me if 1 were to lay
such cases before tilt m. As the reifying officer of the dis-
trict 1 could not remove one without the other. I have
coly acted on delegated authority.
Several of the jury expressed themselves in very strong
terms at the evident neglect in the ease, aftcr which
The Coroner said it was to be regretted that the deceased
had not received some special attention from the officers of
the parish, more particularly after the urgent application
of the husband, who had stated that she was imbecile and
paralysed.
The jury concurred, and, after • long discussion, unani-
mously agreed to the following special verdict :
"Tat the deceased met her death accidentally, and we
I (the jurors) request the coroner to write to the Board of
Guardians on the subject of the applica,ion made by the
husband in Midsummer last for her admission into the

workhouse on allowing the sum of five shillings per week,
Ind security to be given, the paiticulars of which case ap-
peared to have been stated to Mr. Legge, the relieving
officer, who, on his own authority, derived from the general
order of the board, refused to admit the deceased without her
husband ; and we, the said jurors, are of opinion that some
better regulation should be adopted in future in casts of
such emergency as the present cue presents, the deceased
being paralysed and imbecile in mind."
The Coroner said he would write forthwith to the guar-
dians, and forward a copy of the verdict to them,
The inquiry then terminated.