The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-11 00:00:00

SHOCKING DEATH OF A CHILD FROM

STARVATION.

Mr. Win. Payne, the City coroner, resumed an
inquiry last evening at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, re-
specting the death from starvation of Jane Giles, a child
aged 8 months, who lost her life in consequence of the
poverty of the family in whose charge she was left.
Mary Ann Pitt, a miserably-dressed and half-starved
looking woman, said that she lived at No. 3, White-
street, St. Luke's, and that she was the wife
of a man who supported his family by killing
sheep at one penny each. He made on an average
four shillings a week. Towards the end of last month a
strange young woman called at witness's house. She said
that her name was Rebecca Giles, and she asked witness
to take care of the deceased for 211. fxL a week. She paid
the first half-crown and left. The next week she called
and gave her fourpence halfpenny. After that time she
never gave anything towards the support of the child, and
she never called for three months. On Saturday week
'linen found the child dead on the bed. She took the
body to the hospital. (The witness cried while giving her
evidence.)
Mr. R. Bond Moore, house surgeon, said that the body
of the child was much emaciated. A post-mortem exa-
mination showed that the deceased was suffering from no
disease. All the internal organs were healthy. The
stomach was perfectly empty. The child had died from
starvation. There was no other cause of death.
Coroner—Can you form any idea how long the child had
been without food

Witness—The deceased had suffered for long time.
Mr. Case said that he had gone to No. 3, White-street,
and he found the Pitt family in e state of the greatest
poverty.
Mrs. Pitt recalled, deposed that she had not applied to
the parish for assistance. because she had means to sup-
port the child. Her two little boys were partners in a
blacking bon, and the family where never on want of a
penny to buy food for the child. On the day the child
died a farthing's-worth of milk was bought for it, and it
was divided into two portions, and it got the milk in
the morning and in the evening. The child ate a small
biscuit, and it was given a little bit of meat and two small
pieces of bread and butter. That was all the child got. She
could not eat the bread. There was no need to go the
Wish.

. -
Coroner—The doctor says the child was starved.
Ellen Griffin said that the mother of the deceased was
a book folder. She was • widow. Witness did not know
where she could be found.
Mr. Case said that he had caused inquiries to be made
about the mother, but she could not be discovered. The
police said that they could do nothing in the case. Mrs.
Pitt Lad refused to give up the deceased to her mother,
because she would not pay Ls. that was then owing for the
child.
The Coroner said that the child had been deserted by the
mother, and she could be prosecuted for that offence. If
the jury brought in a criminal verdict against her the
charge could nut be less than murder. The woman Pitt
appeared to be in • very afflicted state about the death of
the child, and she evidently felt the lees of her very much.
But the question was whether, if not having the means
to give the child food she ought to be held accountable
for its death in consequence of her having neglected to
apply to the workhouse for assistance. The medical evi-
dence was clear as to the cause of death, and it was for the
jury to say what verdict they would return.
A juror said that food had not been wilfully kept from
the child, it had not been wilfully starved to death, for it
got what the others got.
The jury after some deliberation returned • verdict
" That the deceased chill died from want of sufficient food,
and the jury are of opinion that Mrs. Pitt ought to be
more cautious in the future, and that she ought to have
applied to the union for assistance."

Several of the German journals state that King
George of Hanover will probably soon repair to England.
MARRIAOE OF SIR EDWARD GOOCH, BART. —On
Tuesday the marriage of Sir Edward Sherlock Gooch,Bart.,
of Benscre Hall, Suffolk, with Ellen Emily, daughter of
Major R. A. Mulkey Hirst, of Tattingstone.place, Ipswich,
was solemnised at Tattingstone Church. A large circle of
relations and friends were present at the ceremony, which
was the occasion of great rejoicing in the village and its
neizhhourhood. The bridegroom, who was born in 1343,
is the seventh baronet, and succeeded his father in 1536.
NEWSPAPER PRESS Ft• NO.—At a numerous
meeting of the executive, held at the offices, 24, Cecil-
street, Strand, yesterday—Mr. George Godwin, F.R.S.,
in the chair, supported byllslr. J. A. Fronde, M.A., Mr.
Theodore Martin, Mr. David Keane, Q.C., and Mr.
S. C. Hall—Mr. T. H. Taunton, graduate of Oriel College,
Oxon, secretary to Lord Wharton's Charity, and late
assistant-secretary to the Royal Provident and Benevolent
Institution, was unanimously elected secretary to the
fund. There were nearly 100 candidates for the office.
THE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES AT ROCHDALE,—
Yesterday afternoon, a party of the members of the
Social Science Congress visited Rochdale, for the purpose
of inspecting the co-operative establishments in the town.
A special train left Manchester about 3 o'clock, containing
Mr. D. Dudley Field, Dr. Parkhurst, Mr. Webster, Q.C.,
Mr. J. H. Raper, the Mayor of Salford, the Rev. W. N.
Molesworth, and other gentlemen connected with the
congress. They were met at the railway station by the
committee of the various co-operative societies in Roch-
dale, and proceeded in conveyances which had been
Provided to the different establishments, which have
rendered Rochdale so famous in this movement. There
me now three co-operative societies in this town —The
Rochdale District Corn Mill Society (Limited), the Roch-
dale Equitable Pioneers Society (Limited), and the Roch-
dale Co-operative Manufacturing Society (Limited). The
Equitable Pioneer. Society, besides the central stores at
Toad-lane, has nine grocery stores, seven butcher stores,'
and establishments for drapery, tailoring, boots and shoes,
and clogs. The whole capital consists of 200,00 W. The
receipts for the past three months of the Equitable
Pioneers Society have been 62,684/., and of the Corn
Mill Society, 61,144/. A very interesting feature con-
nected with them is the educational department. There
is a library connected with each store, the aggregate num-
ber of volumes being nearly 6,000. There are also reading-
rooms liberally supplied. At the reading-room in connec-
ted with the Toml-Isuse department it was stated that the
society spent 174/. a quarter on the library alone. The
cotton mill in connection with the manufacturing society
was an object of great interest. The utmost mill, with
the new machinery, was now completed, and upwards of
50,030 spindles are at work, and 600 looms. The committees
of the different societies entertained the visitors at dinner
in the public hall. The chair was taken by Mr. Stott, the
Mayor of Rochdale, and about 200 guests were present.—
Mr. Dudley Field spoke of the pleasures it had given him
to visit that gent man, John Bright. (Loud cheers.)
Although he had never seen him before that afternoon, yet
he felt as if he had known him for 40 years. He was sure
that if ever he went to America he would be carried on the
shoulders of the people wherever he chose to go.