The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-20 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

Yesterday afternoon, at four o'clock. Mr. Seta: Jim and • re-
spectable Jury assembled at the Coach and Homes, Belton-stmt,
St. Giles's. to ingetre into the rause of the deaths of John Bray,
who was alleged to have been starved to death, and William Cat-
terwell, and John Scully.
The ease of the first-named deceased was first entered into; It
was one of the unfortunate infant children taken from a house in
Monmouth-court, where it was with • number of other children
found in a deplorable Neve, in the averments of a woman named
t'itherine Irvin, who is now undergoing her sentence of imprison-
ment in the Howse of Correction.
Mr. Biggs, Assistant Overseer, said the case was brought for-
ward in order that, as the child (although every possible care and
attention hail been paid to it) bad died in the workhouse, the pub-
lic might he in full possession of every ciresuretata.r and fact con-
nected with the treatment of it, that blame might not be supposed
to rest up any of the parochial authorities.
The l'hurt hwardens of the parish sere present.
Mr. Joseph Burgess, resident apothecary to the parish of St.
Giles'', stated, that some time since the deceased child, which WAS
five months old, was, by the Overseer', and other parochial ethos
cities, 'eucued from the care of a woman named Irvin, who is now
in the Douse of Corriction. In the mom where it was found there
were teieral other children, all of whom were in every deplorable
state ; they were, by order of the Magistrate+, sent to the work.
house. This child, heirg ag, young, was placed in the nursery. and,
in a very short time, gradually became well : it was then removed
to another past of the house, and there its onod state ol health gra-
dual:). decreased. At la.t its bowels became all cted, and, indeed.
in a very short time, was afflicted with a complaint called the
diarrlues, which, on Saturday last, caused its death. About three
weeks since the child's father came to the workhouse, and tank it
aver, but in the evening of the same day he brought the child
back, and said it was starved to death. When first brought into
the house, it was in a very shacking state ; it had a blister upan its
chest, ahich bad been much neglected, as a sore front the blister
was generating into an ulcer. and it was otherwise in a very filthy
state. The Overseers had directed this inquiry. The child, it was
believed, wan illei:ltimate.
A Juror sated if the father's address was known ?
One of the churchwardens (Mr. Backhoffnert said it was not ;
the child had beet placed with the woman as • kind of day.
boarder.
Mr. Borges* said be did not attribute the child's death to any
Illness caused by the woman's ill-treatment, as it had recovered
from that, neither did he think the father's taking it away bad
caused any bad effect, as the child being at the time teething, the
complaint might be the result of natural causes.
A Juror thought nn the child's being again received into the
workhouse, inquiry should have been made as to the father's abode.
Mr. Largess in reply to a Juror said, no change for the mole hail
taken place since the father had returned the child. He had not since
made any inquiries shout it.
The Coroner said if it could be proved the woman's ill-treatment
had in any way accelerated the child's death, she WAR still liable,
although she now was undergoing imprisonment, to be indicted for
capital Aimee.
Juror to Mr. Burgess—What was the primary cause of the
child's illness ?
Mr. Burgess—Why, I really think the woman's treatment ; but
it Tee'Verei front that, and died from the subsequent illness.
A letter from the father to the keeper of the workhouse, desiring
h:m to give the child to • young woman, was here prraluced and
read. fbe woman's name was Bexley, residing in Castle-street,
Ox ford-market.
Mary Ilnes. the nurse, said the child died from the causes de-
scribed by the first witness. While under her care it had every
thing that was nourishing ; plenty of every requisite ter children
was allowed and administered to them.
It was here stated that the father's address was known ; come.
sent{ y a beadle was dispatched to find him. In the intetim the
Jury, by direction of the Overamrs, were conducted over the work-
house, and certainly, for cleanliness, comfort, and indeed general
attention, the arrangements could not be exceeded by any other
establishment of the kind in the country.
Mary Donoughee, ar.ether nurse, was called, who proved the
state of the child when first brought into the workhouse, to be that
described by the first witness.
The Coroner then addressed the Jury, and said if the father was
present, in all probability he could give but little information re-
speetittg the state of the deceased, as it appeared the infant had
only been out of the workhouse half an hour before it was brought
in again. The Me, however, was a subject for their consideration.
The.lury. after a shnrt consultation, returned a verdict of " Died
by the visitation of God."
An inquisition was then held on the body of Joh+ Sadly,
aged U. who was brought into the workhouse on Friday night
last; be remained perfectly calm and conversant during the greater
pert of Saturday, although a strait-jacket had been previously pat
spew him. It appeared. that before
_he was taken to the work-
house, he had been beating his wife in a most shocking manner,
being Relied with a paroxysm of madness. A man named Dorn-
ma proved that he saw the deceased with a carving-knife in his
band, and before he could get to him, he cut his throat. The
deceased died in less than half an hour.—Verdict.—/manify.
In the ease of liatterwdl, a verdict of—Died fly the vieitatioa of
God, was recorded.

Yesterday an inquest was held at the Pavilion Chnp-house,
Newcastle street, Strand, before Mr. thous, I)eputy Coroner for
Middlesex, on the hotly of John Stevens, working engraver.
111 r. Patrick 31acdonald, of Buckingham-street, Strand, surgeon,
deposed, that he attended the deceased about half-past eleven
o'clock on Monday, at Messrs. Neale and Stalker's work-room in
Newcastle-street. He found him alive, but insensible. From the
km state of his pulse and coldness about his extretnitivs, he con-
ceived him to be labouring under a serious apoplexy. Witness
opened a vein in the right arm, but it hied very little. He remained
in the same lethargic state until two o'clock, when he died. lle '
has no hesitation in saving, he died in a fit of apoplexy.
Ebenezer Stalker, sworn, said the deceased was in his employ,
anti was about years of age ;ke generally enjoyed good health.
Witness was in the work-room, at half past ten o'clock, when he
complained of a giddiness in Isis head, which increased, and after-
wards he became quite insensible ; in that state he remained, and
never recovered. H'i,en the deceased came to his work in the
morning, he complained of a soreness in his month, and partly lost
the use of his speech. He was a very steady and industrious man,
and bore an excellent character.
The Jury, without hesitation, delivered their verdict.—" Died
by the Visitation of Cod."