The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-19 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Yesterday afternoon an Inquest was held before J. Le PIPIt
Esq. Coroner, touching the death of John Fitch, a prisoner, eon.
fined within the rules of the King). Bench prison.
The Jury were composed of persons within the walls, who, art,
being elven), went to the late residence of the deceased, situated
No. 10. Crescent-place, Lambeth-road. On entering the roem the
want, of the unfor unate deceased were obirious ; not a bed or bed.
stead, 88y, even a chair, was to he seen, and the corpse of the de•
ceased lay stretched upon two deal boxes, covered with a co, r,e
cloth. The Jury returned horror 'stricken with what they had se. P
a
Mary Bell. widow, sis.er to the deceased. sewed that the ee.
meted heel been In the custody of the. Marshnl about twelve rimed and had latterly been an out. i'ktient of the Smith London Infir.ts mem Wormed had had medicines, which of late she had reg.-
holy administered. He died on Sunday morning, at eight u'eltek,
in her opin on front want.
Mary Fitch, the widow of the deceased. stated that her etti,b,4
had, formerly been a master coach.builder. in Apollo-buildings.
Walworth, but within the last eighteen months had fallen into
difficulties, and about twelve months since had been arrested, sot
confined in the King's Bench urieon. The deceased wee obliged
to sleep on the eats in the chapel for upwards of two months. with
his clothes on. This was during the winter; and after he got into
a room be was compelled to sleep on the floor, for want of a bed.
stead. lie was shortly after taken ill, and petitioned the Duchess
of Buccleugh for:relief . as she had often heard of the repeated
benevolence of her Grace, she called in about three reeks, tut her
Grace was out of town ; witness and her husband were then without
common necetneriee. An inflammation of the intestines soon took
place, which incapacitated her husband from attending to any busi-
ness. Witness applied to the Marshal for the rules gratis, which
was at fleet refused. but upon a eurgenn's certificatebeing produced,
the Marshal granted the rules. She then applied to St. Mary's,
Newington. for parochial relief; they at first gave her half a croon
per week ; but that being inadequate to their support, she apphed
for further relief. and they granted an extrs slypence weekly; and
thin,with
themselves.
iheexcePi
h"Sofea trifle given to them, was a!1 they hid
to support and her husband had frequently existed
upon one penny loaf and milk and water day by day. Beer had
lately been distributed at the Bench, but the deceased had not been
so fortunate as to get any.
One of the turnkeys said that the deceased was not upon the
poor box, consequently he was nut entitled to the privilege of the
donation.

Juror—Three who were opon the poor box had 201 b. to their
share, and did not know how to dispose of it.
Witness had since received a shilling per week front Lambeth
Chapel Society Fund, in Cheyne Terrace.
Juror—Did the Doctor ever intimate to you that your husband
wit in want of proper nutriment ?—Yes. and the Doctor gave me
half.a.crown, to procure some necessaries, out of his own pocket.
All we have had to exist upon lately has been 4s. per week.
Robert King, landlord of the house occupied by the deceased, de.
d that the deceased came to live with him on the 12th of Jan. posed
and since that period deceased and his wife had been in • state
of comparative starvation ; indeed, such had been their distress,
that atrhough he was only ajotuneyman bird-cage maker, with a
wife and three children to support, he could Lot find it in his
heart to prima payment of his rent. Witness now and then, when
be weld afford It, gave deceased a drop of broth ; they owed bias
twenty-four weeks lodging, at 2s. 6d. per week.
Jahn Weare deposed that he had known the deceased since 1615.
Hearing dr his distress he sighed him. and occasionally relieved
him t sometimes he took Mm something nice. which he ate with
• the voracity of a waif. Deceased. Timbals to his going into the
Bench, enjoyed a good slate of health.
Ewen M•Andrews, physician, said he attended the deceased
'about three months, who had laboured under a disease of the intes-
tines, and an enlargement of one of use glands or the neck of the
bladder, and he had no doubt the deceased died of that disorder of
very long standing. He visited the deceased
.generally twice a
week.

The Coroner %aid, as the evidence was gone through, he awaited
to record their verdict. _

One of the Jury he thought the wife of the deceased had
been very inattentive. The rest of the Jury cried " Shame—
shame;" upon which the Juryman replied, that he alluded to bet
not getting the deceased into an htnipitai
The Coroner informed him that that could not be done t the de-
ceased being a prisoner within the Rules, it was out of the jurisdia
tion of the Marshal to send him to an hospitsl,
The Jury unanimously expressed their doubts as to the testi.
moray of the physician; it had been sworn by several witnesses
that the decesatd was in want of food, and without common ne-
cessaries.

f heJyry returned a verdict—That the deceased John Pitch died
through starvation.
The inquest lasted six hours.