The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-18 00:00:00

SHOCKING DEATH FROM STARVATION.

INQUEST. —(THIS DAY.)
This forenoon Mr. Humphreys, Middlesex
Coroner, held an inquest at the Prince of Wales Tavern,
Holywell-lane, Shoreilitch. on view of the body of Joseph
Holman, aged 61 years, who was found dead from disease
and destitution.
Martha White, 8, Crown-court, Curtain-road, a char-
woman. said that deceased lodged with her for a month
past. He was a tailor, but for the lest fortnight he hail no
work and no money. He was ill and pour • he had no food
but what witness could give him. On Tuesday he got worse
and she got him a little wine. She went to the relieving
officer, and got a doctor's order, which she gave at N. 45 to
Mr. Collier. The deceased was found dead the next morn-
ing. Mr. Collier called in the afternoon. Witness had
done what she could for the deceased ; but she could only
give him what she could afford.
George Busby, a sawyer, who appeared to be very old
and infirm, said that he slept in part of a bed in the same
room with the deceased. Witness sat up with deceased
until 4 o'clock on Wednesday morning ; he was then very
bad, and witness shook bands with him, said " Good-
bye," and Rent to bed. In the morning deceased was
found dead in his bed.
Robert Bird, another sawyar, said that he slept in the
same bed as the last witness. When witness went to
sleep at 2 o'clock on Wednesday morning deceased had the
rattles in his throat. Ho was dead when witness awoke iu
the morning. The landlady did all she could for the
deceased, giving him wine or brandy at times. He had
nothing of his own.
Mr. J. Poole Collier said that he was parish "surgeon,
and as such received an order about 9 o'clock on Tuesday
night last to attend the deceased. He called at thehouna at
10 o'clock on the same evening, but could not make any
one hear. He called again at I o'clock next Jay and
found the man dead. The body was a mere skeleton ;
the emaciation was extreme. The post mortem examina-
tion showed that there was not a particle of fat on the
body • the man had suffered from starvation. The lungs
were lammed, and death arose from the disease and star-
vation. Even if witness had seen the poor Mill on Tues-
day night, nothing could then have been done for him.
Martha White, recalled, said that the deceased had not
made any application to the parish during the month he
lodged in her house ; but she believed he had once been an
inmate of the workhouse. He said he had not a soul be-
longing to him in the world.
The Coroner having summed up,
The jury returned a verdict. " That the deceased was
found dead from the mortal effects of disease of the lungs,
and that his death was accelerated by starvation."

An explosion of fire damp took place on Thurs-
day at a colliery near Bishop Auckland, whereby one man
wail killed and three seriously injured. About the name
time ins South Shields colliery the lives of • hundred men
were placed in great peril by an explosion caused by •
miner using gunpowder to dislodge coaL The works in a
portion of the pit ware blown to pbeoss.
Mr. Francis Cain, second officer of the Cyno-
sure, received at Liverpool amiss, yesterday 600/. damages
from the London and North Western Railway Company
far isjuties sustained in a collision on the th of last
?derail.