Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-18 00:00:00

SHOCKING DEATH FROM STARVATION

On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Wakley, the coroner, held
an inquest at the Three Colts Tavern, Cambridge-road,
Bethnal-green, on the body of Rebecca Malpas, aged 38
years, who died from starvation, under the following

circumstances
Jessie Hill, of No. 4, Three Colts-lane, Bethnal-greeli, de-
posed that the deceased was a single woman and occupiedtwo
rooms, for which she paid 3s. 7d. weekly. The deceased was
very eccentric, and would never allow any one to enter her
rooms. She was very dirty in her habits, and always came
into the passage- to pay her rent. On Thursday afternoon
last a little girl knocked at the deceased's room door, but no
answer was returned. Witness's husband then entered the
apartment and found the deceased lying upon the floor in a
state of insensibility. A messenger was sent for Mr.
Shaw, who promptly attended, but the deceased expired
immediately after his arrival. The deceased was in a state
of nudity, and lay upon a heap of dirty rags, which
were completely covered with vermin. The deceased
had no relatives, and was supposed to be in possession of a
large sum of money, but only a few coppers were found in
her room. The deceased was in the habit of picking up
bones and rags in the street, which she sold at the marine
store dealers. There was a mangle in one of her rooms
worth £l2, good furniture, and several silk dresses, with
good clothing in the other apartment. Both the rooms
were in a wretchedly filthy state, and had not been cleaned
out for years. There were no signs of food in the place.
Mr. James Vaughan, the summoning officer, stated that
when he searched the room, he found a book showing that
the deceased had money in the Moorfields Savings Bank.
Mr. Bartholomew • Shaw, surgeon, of Cambridge-road,
said that he found the deceased in a dying state, with pulse
low and stertorous breathing. The extremities were cold,
and the pupils of the eyes dilated. She was in a perfect
state of nudity. The deceased died from exhaustion, brought
on by starvation and the want of the common necessaries
of life. _ _ _

The Coroner asked the first witness if the deceased had
ever made application for relief ? when she replied in the

negrative

Other evidence having been adduced,
The learned Coroner remarked upon the lamentable
nature of the case, when _ _ _ _

The Jury returned the following verdict : " Died from
exhaustion and destitution, through the want of the com-
mon necessaries of life, and that no application was made
to the parish authorities for relief." _

At the close of the inquiry the Coroner said there was
not an ounce of fat on the whole body of the deceased, who
had voluntarily deprived herself of food.

--,---

THE SUICIDE OF TWO SISTERS

On Wednesday morning, William Carter, Esq., coroner
for the eastern division of Surrey, resumed and concluded
in the board-room of Camberwell Workhouse the inquiry

relative to the deaths of two females, who were fauna
drowned in the Grand Surrey Canal, under circumstances

which led to the belief that' they h'ad committed suicide
together. The inquiry was adjourned for the identification
of bodies, and the following evidence was given
yesterday :
Elizabeth Fletcher deposed that she resided at No. 4,
Georze-street, Camberwell. She saw the bodies of the de-

lay last, and at once recognised them as
wo nieces, Jane Elizabeth and Sarah Aun

Buckle, aged respectively 32 and 29. Witness had not seen
them for some time, and was not aware where they had
resided. The deceased Jane gained her living as an ironer,
and Sarah was a dressmaker and milliner. Their uncle, how-
ever, dying, they came into the possession of a large sum of
money, when they both ceased to work. They bought
expensive furniture, and lived in an extravagant manier
until the whole of the money was gone, and they became
deeply in debt, and latterly were perfectly destitute. The
money .was left to them about three years ago. The father
of the deceased was formerly a schoolmaster at Camberwell.

Mrs. Elizabeth Paris, the wife of a coffee-house-keeper,
carrying "on business in High-street, Camberwell, stated that
both th females came to reside at her house on the 4th of
September last, and remained there up to Thursday week.
They were very meanly clad, but they informed witness that
they were going to receive the sum of £5OO, in consequence
of the death of an aunt, and she accordingly engaged to
give them board and lodging at 28s per week, but age had
never received a penny during the whole of their stay. On
Thursday week, the 3rd inst., they asked her to lend them
1, or -e.l thoir return. •
some clothes to go and see their lawyer, as they had none fit
r.) 1 to go out in. and they would pay

ness lent them what they required,but they never came hack.
Witness was confident that they were perfectly moral in their
onduct, the youngest not leaving the house for three
When they left on the Thursday she told
they were

__ sue was afraid . _ deceiving her.
She never heard anything more of them until
their bodies were found in the canal. When they
first came to her house they said they had been_to.,.their

aunt's, but she ;oad not take them in, and if she
had not done so they intended to go_to the canal

witness

women wore were part of those that witness lent them, some

articles, however, being missing. Witness never tnrettikTuu
to prosecute ,them, but she told them that it was impossible
that she could maintain them any longer. They were ex-
ceedingly affectionate to each other.
The Coroner having summed up, the jury returned the
chat the deceased persons destroyed

verdict

morary mental

lerangement

......•..1-

j
The annual service for the repose of the soul of the
Empress Josephine will be celebrated this day, at eleven
o'clock, t
in the church of Rueil, near Paris, where heir
remains are interred.

SECOND EDITION.

NORTHERN TIMES OFFICE, FRIDAY, 9 A.M.

NATIONAL FEELING IN GERMANY

HAMBURGH, March 17.—1 n Saxony, the Rhine-
lands, Wurtemburg, and Bavaria, a majority of
veterans have sent back the St. Helena medal. This
movement of German patriotism is spreading.

MINISTERIAL MODIFICATIONS IN THE
REFORM BILL.

The Times exhibits the possible workings of the modifica-
tions of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. A judicious
expenditure of £20,000 create 200 or even 300 county free-
holders; and disturb the county constituency to the extent,
may be, of 5 per cent. But the same addition to the small
boroughs would be, in some cases, even at the rate of 50 per
cent., and in all would most seriously disturb the popular
and residential character of the suffrage. No Parliament,
in its senses, could ever leave constituencies liable to be
swamped, and in effect destroy in this cheap and easy way.
Mr. Disraeli, then, must either give up the principle of
borough freeholders, or his now-boasted forbearance to the
small boroughs. This, however, means little else than the
abandonment of his bill. Whether that would imply also the
surrender of his office is a delicate question, which the
House of Commons will probably decide for itself.