The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-05 00:00:00

DEATH FROM STARVATION.

Mr. W. Payne, the deputy-coroner for the
City of London, held an investigation last evening, at the
Langbourn Ward School-rooms, Lime-street, City, re-
specting the death, from starvation, of James Brooks,
aged 4:3 years.
John Standing deposed that he was a labourer out of
employment, and that he had walked up from Brighton in
search of work. On last Wednesday he met the deceased
at the corner of Northumberland-alley, in Penchurch-
street. Witness said to hits, "Are you out of work ? "
and he replied, " Yes ; I am going down here to try and get
• bit of bread." Witness then accompanied the deceased
to the relieving officer in Northumberland-alley. The
deceased went in first, ac.l witness stood outside. When
he caul° out he had about six ounces of bread in his
hand. It was a bit about the size of the fourth part of
a half-quartem loaf. It was not as large as a penny roll.
That was all that he had got. Witness then went in to
the relieving office, and he saw an old gentleman and a
woman there. The old gentleman said, " Where do you
live ?" and witness told him that he had come from Croy-
don, and that he was going to Hampstead. The old gentle-
man wrote that down in • book, and he was then given
about six ounces of bread. He got nothing else. Witness
gave the name of Edwards. They were complaining at
the time of • mail woman that was in the relieving office.
The woman cut the bread and handed it to witness, and
before she did so the old man said, " You must cut it
smaller." Before that was said the woman had
given a man a bit rather larger. The old gentleman
then said, " You will have to cut it rather smaller
than that, or else there will not be enough
for them." There were twenty people waiting at the
time. When witness came out he saw the deceased stand-
ing near the office. He said that he was then going to try
and get work on the underground railway. It was then
two o'clock, and he said that he had had nothing to eat
or drink that day. He also stated that he was a Devon-
shire; man, and that he had no lodgings. They then went
under an archway near a warehouse at Crutchedfriars, and
they stood there to eat their bread before they went to the
railway to look for work. After eating the bread the
deceased walked about a dozen yards, and he then leant
forward and pressed his chest against an iron post in the
street, and he said, " 1 have got a pain in my chest ; it's
the wind." lie appeared to be short of breath. He then
walked on until he got to the crowing at the corner of
Leadenhall-street, when be reeled backward, and he
would have fallen, only that a gentleman caught
hold of him by the arm, and he was placed
lying on the pavement. The day was very cold, the
snow being on the ground. The deceased was so cold
that when he was eating the bread he could hardly bold
it in his hands. A gentleman went for the police and a
doctor was brought. The deceased was then carried into
a surgery, where he died. Witness had called at the
relieving-office at 12 o'clock in the day, and he had heard
a man say, " I'll give you relief when I get rid of this
mad woman." Witness then remained away until 2 o'clock.
He had walked up from Croydon that morning. It had
taken hint three hours to walk the 10 miles in the snow.
On his way up from Brighton he had tried to get work.
Police-constable Buzzard, 701, City force, said that he
was called to the deceased on Wednesday last. He was
insensible, and witness, assisted by another constable
and a gentleman, carried him to Dr. Crosby's, in Pen-
church-street. The doctor examined him and asked him
whether be had a home. He shook his headand said belied
none. He died in the shop. A pair of spectacles, a piece of
soap, two parchments, and a police notice were found in
his pockets. The documents proved that in 1864 he was
sentenced at Exeter to three years' penal servitude for
stealing fixtures. In October last lie was liberated from
Portland prison under a ticket of leave signed by the
Right Hon. S. H. Walpole. He then came under the
care of the Prisoners' Aid Society.
Dr. Thomas Moore Crosby, Penchurch-street, said that
the deceased was brought to his surgery in a state of col-
lapse. Witness laid him down before a fire and pressed
his chest. The whole body was cold. His eyes were
sunken and half closed. The pupils were wildly dilated.
When his mouth and lips were moistened with brandy he
gasped, and witness thought he was going to rally. He
then said that he bad no home. While a cab was being
sent for to take him to the workhouse he vomited and
died. He was suffering from faintness and cold. He was
as cold as ice. He died from want of food and the very
low temperature then prevailing. If he had been
given • basin of hot soup be would have been alive now
in witness's opinion. lie was cold and frozen. There was
no other cause for death but acute starvation. It was a
death from syncope, from failure of the heart's action. He
only wanted warm nourishment. Witness's impression
was that he would have rallied if he bad had a warm meal.

The jury, after some deliberation, returned the follow.
ing verdict :—" That the deceased died from want of food,
and that his death was accelerated by cold, and the jury
recommend that some warm nourishment should be given
to the destitute during the cold weather, and they wish
the guardians to take the matter into their consideration
immediately."

IMPRISONMENT OF NOTORIOUS PRIZ E-F IGHTERs.
At the Derbyshire sesions, before Mr. Evans, M.P., and
other m rates, Joseph Goes, Peter Morris, George
Holden, oomph Wareham, and James Mace surrendered
to their hail, on a charge of unlawfully disturbing the
public peace at Croiudl, on the 28th of November 1866.
The prisoners pleaded guilty, and, through their solicitor,
asked to be allowed to go at large, as they all earned their
livelihood in respectable employments, upon entering into
their recognizance' to come up for judgment when called
on. It was proved by the superintendent and inspector of
police that they had not been assaulted or ir.sulted by the
defendants when told to desist from fighting. The clmir-
man said that though engaged in an act they bad
not interfered with the police ; but it had been proved by
a recent case in Sheffield that the course which the de-
fendants requested him to pursue towards them did
not put • stop to prize fights. He should, therefore,
inflict a substantial punishment for the offence. The
sentence was, that they be severally imprisoned, with
hard labour, for one calendar month, and at the expi-
ration of that time be each bound over in his own recog-
-11i21111014 in the sum of 40/. to keep the peace for twelve
months.

THE OAKS EXPLOSION.—BARNSLEY, FRIDAY.—
In a short time the No. 2 shaft, which is the only one that
remains open, will be closed. The scaffolding had so far
that it was expected that by this evening or
to-day it would be ready to be lowered down, after which
a large quantity of soil and clay will be thrown upon it, so
as to close the shaft entirely. It appears from the
books of the general committee that the number on the
books at the present time are divided into three
classes. The first, widows and children, shows
that there are 152 of the former and 346
of the latter left destitute. There are four men
and ten women destitute, who are parents of
those lost in the pit. There are 59 persons who were
partly dependent on eons lost by the explosion. There
are three men, three women, and ten children belonging
to those who were burnt in the pit, and are still alive and
in a fair way of recovery. The total amount of subecrip-
tions of the Barnsley fund amount to 7,1521. 6s. 4d. A
subscription is going on in the town for providing the
widows, orphans, and those dependent with a tea this
day (Saturday) in the Salem School-room.

THE LATE TRADES' REFOEM DEMONSTRATION.
The adjourned meeting of the trades delegates was held
last night at the Sussex Hotel, Bouverie-street, for the
purpose of receiving the financial statement of the late de-
monstration and deciding on the future course of action.
Mr. G. Potter occupied the chair. The secretary reported the
proceedings taken by the Working Men's Association in
reference to the action foe breach of contract against the
lessee of Ashburnbami grounds, and a resolution was
adopted confirming the action taken by the association.
The treasurer then read the financial statement, from
which it appeared that the cost of the demonstration
had been 6551. The following delegates were appointed
as auditors—Mr. Judd, tin-plate worker; Mr. Jeffery,
bricklayer, and Mr. Wolff, farrier. A delegate wished to
know whether the trades were going to take part in the
proposed demonstration of the Reform League on the 11th
of February. The chairman said each trade would act as
it thought proper, but that the delegates, as a body, had
no power to take any action in relation to the proposed
demonstration. The following resolution was then
adopted :—" That in the opinion of this meeting of dele-
gates of • the London trades, should the present govern-
ment not introduce a sat isfactory reform bill, another demon-
stration of the London trades should take place early in
the year; and that the committee take the necessary
step, to prepare for the same on a larger scale than that
held on the 3rd of December last." The meeting then
adjourned until the 26th inst.
THE LYONS SILK MARKET. —The Salut Public
of Lyons says :—" Transactions in the silk market have
again this week preserved • course of a rather uniform
character, and prices still tend upwards. Short supplies
are principally the cause ; but purchases made by the ma-
nufacturers of Switzerland and Germany in our market
must also be taken into account. Shanghae letters to the
20th November announce considetable activity is business
there, and firm prices for fine fabrics, which are becoming
scarce. In coarser sorts, on the contrary, rates are lower.
The sales for the fortnight amounted to 2,000 bales, and
from the Ist June to the Bth November to 17,700 as tam-
pered with 35,530 during the same period of 1845."