The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-30 00:00:00

The Mysterious Deaths at Mile-end.

Yesterday Mr Humphreys, the coroner for the eastern
division of Middlesex, opened an inquest at the Crown end
Leek Tavern, Church-street, Mile-end New-town, on the
bodies of Frances Beckenham and Mary Ann Gribbin,
sisters, who were found dead on the night of Friday last
at the hou,e of the former, No, 21, Albert-cottages, in that
neighbourhood. The jury, chosen from among the principal
inhabitants of the district, went first of all to view the
bodies, which had remained in precisely the same state in
which they were found, except in so far as they had been
unavoidably disturbed in a post mortem examination.
Ou their return to the inquest room, the fit st witness
called was John Beckenham. He is a tall, stout man, about
60 years of age, paralysed on one side, and evidently of
weak intellect. He was led into the room, and while there
gazed about him in a vacant manner. In reply to questions
put by the coroner, who did not think it desirable to swear
him, he said ho was living now at 33, Great Bland-street,
Southwark, but up to Friday evening last had resided at
Albert-cottages, Mile-end New-town. He had been em-
ployed in the General Post-office, but had retired from the
service. The deceased woman Frances Beckenham was his
wife. She was about 31 years of ago. He left home about
10 o'clock on Friday morning last. His wife was then alive
and in the kitchen. He did not remember anything that took
place two or three days before, The Albert cottages belonged
to the Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwell-
ings of the Industrious Classes. Ho had nothing to eat on
Thursday or Friday, but on Wednesday morning ho had a
little food. His wife's sister, Mrs Gribbin, had been staying
with them three or four days. He left her in the parlour
along with his wife onFriday morning. She was then alive.
He did not know she had been ill, He saw them alive two
or three days previously, and they then appeared very well.
Mr Robert Nicholson, of 21, Underwood-street, Mile-end
New town, carpet planner and overseer of the parish, de-
posed that the deceased woman Mary Ann Gribbin was
his wife's sister. She was about 40 years of age, and was
the widow of James Gribbin, a musician, who used to lead
the band at Astley's. Mrs peckenham was also a sister of
his wife. On Friday night last, in consequence of a com-
munication made to him, he entered the house, accompanied
by his two brothers, Mr Ware, and Mr Johnson, a neigh-
bour. He opened the door with a key which belonged to his
father. They found the two women dead in the front room
upstairs. Mrs Beckenham being on the floor, and Mrs
Gribbin in a kneeling posture on the floor with the body and
head resting on her folded arms on a sofa. Mr Beckenham
was under the bed, and naked, except his shirt. They re-
moved him at once. For a long time past he had not been
right in his mind, but was harmless. The two women, he
was sorry to say, were much given to intemperance. A
surgeon was sent for and came. Witness also called in Dr
Gayton, and they both saw the bodies in the precise condition
in' which they were found. Witness had not seen the hus-
band for about a week before, but that was nothing uncom-
mon. The truth was witness was ashamed of them. He last
saw Mrs Gribbin on Sunday week about 2 o'clock, and Mrs
Beckenham about five or six weeks ago. Beckenham had a
pension of Ds a-week from the Post-office. Witness never
heard Mrs Gribbin threaten to injure Mrs Beckenham:
That was all he knew of the matter.

Mr George Ware, of No. 1, Albert-street-chambers, said
he collected the rents of the Albert-cottages, and called at
Beckenham's house both on Thursday and Friday last, but
no one answered the door on either occasion. He then called
upon the brother-in-law, Mr Nicholson, and went with him
to the house about 10 o'clock on Friday evening• lie
found the women dead, as already described. Ile thought
he saw Mrs Beckenham on Monday last, and had not seen
her since.

LydiaC4 oozee, of 46, Spicer-street, said she had known
the deceased women many years. Last Tuesday morning,
übout 10 o'eleek, Leekeulaum emu) uud adied her to go

and sit with his wife. He then left, and she found him at
his house when she went. Mrs Beckenham wag then in
the kitchen, partly dressed. She was sitting by the fire,
and not quite sober. They appeared to haTe
been
drinking over night. Mrs Gribbin, who was in bed
when she went, got up and sat with a blanket roand her
shoulders. She was not quite sober. All three app eared to
have slept in one bed. Witness went out and broug ht a pot
of beer in the afternoon, about 2 o'clock. There was no food
in the house at that time. Mrs Gribbin complained
of great
pain in the stomach, and lay on the sofa groaning and
vomiting. Atter the pot of beer they had a quartern of gin
among the three of them. Witness left about 9o' ;lock in
the evening, and she had brought no more beer or drink
before leaving. They had nothing to eat in the time. Be fore
she left Mrs Gribbin did not dress herself. When she left
the husband was standing near the passage window, his
wife was sitting by the fire, and Mrs Gribbin on the sofa,
undressed, except the blanket. She had been sick for two
or three hours, but the vomiting had ceased betoro she lett.
They occupied a sitting room, bed room, and kitchen, all on
the same floor. Mrs Gribbin had told her the pain in her
stomach arose from want. Mrs Beckenham was pretty well
when she left. On leaving she asked witness to call next
morning, remarking that she should have a fine night e`,
it. Witness called next morning about 10 o'clock, and
repeatedly afterwards, but could get no answer. Air Beck
enham was dressed when she left. She saw no quarrel be-
tween them on the Tuesday. She never saw the women ally
more alive. Mrs Gribbin was certainly ill when she left.
Henry North, landlord of the Prince of Wales public-
house, in the neighbourhood, deposed that Beckenhatur the
husband, called there and got half a gallon of beer on Tues-
day evening between 8 and 9.
Dr Gayton, of Brick-lane, Spitalfields, who had been
called in to see the bodies,deposed in effect that on entering
the room he found the Lody of the woman Gribbin kneeling
on the floor and against a sofa, and with the head resting
on the left hand. The body was fully dressed, and thie,
clothes were covered with vermin. The other body, whie"
was that of Mrs Beckenham, was lying on its back in
corner of the room, near the bed room door, with the heed
within the bed room. It was dressed only in a chemise,
petticoat, and jacket, all of which were open in front of the
chest. The legs were quite bare. It was resting en a
greatcoat, through one sleeve of which an arm was drawn.
The place was very dirty, but bore no appearance of abject
poverty, nor was there the least symptom of any struggle'
He afterwards made a post mortem examination. The body
of Mrs Gribbin was that of a middle-aged stout woman*
There were no appearances of violence upon it. The fee°
was very much discoloured, apparently from the position
in which the body lay, and there was a little blood about
the nose and lips. The brain was that of a spirit drinker'
There was no fracture of the skull nor of any other bona
observable. The mouth or tongue presented no traces of
corrosive poison. The left lung was partly congested. The
stomach, which seemed almost empty, was removed
for
analysation by Dr. Letheby, together with portions, of the
liver and small intestines. The liver was enormous lY en-
larged, weighing 91b or 101 b. Two glass slides
prepared
for the purpose, were placed by wirness over the motif h, but
gave only negative results when applied as a test for p tnenie
acid. There was no odour of poison about the bodies. The
body of Mrs Beckenham was apparently that of a younger
woman, and was very much less decomposed than the other.
There were no marks of external injury, except a bruise en
the forehead, extending down to the bone, but without any
corresponding mark inside the skull, and a largo bruise on
the back of the head. As in the other case, there wore 21°
traces of any corrosive poison in the mouth or throat. The
stomach and intestines were nearly empty. Portions of theta
were reserved for Dr. Letheby.
By the Coroner—After the results of the post marten&
examination, ho would rather not give an opinion as to the
cause of death until an analysis had been made.
The witness Nicholson was recalled and shown an empty
flask bottle, which he said ho found on the floor of the room
in which the bodies lay, near that of Mrs Beckenhanit and

which smelt of gin.
as ad.
On the suggestion of the Coroner, the inquest vi
journed until Wednesday, September 7.