The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-03 00:00:00

The Charge against a Surgeon.

Yesterday evening the inquiry respecting the deaths of
the two children which were found on the late Mr. Charles
Law, as he was about to dispose of them surreptitiously in
the Kingsland-road, on Saturday week, was resumed by
Mr. Humphreys, Middlesex coroner, at the Black Horse
tavern, Kingsland-road. Mr. It. Dawson, solicitor to the
National Societyfor the Prevention of Child Murder, attended
to watch the case. Inspector Wiseman said the police had no
further evidence to produce. Dr.J.C.Griffiths, police surgeon,
said that ho was called to see the two children. The first and
stronger was 'a female child. The post mortem examination
showed that the lungs
ungswere not inflated, therefore the child
could not breathed,There were no marks indicative
could
have
of instruments having been used. It was a six or seven
months' child. It might have been born alive, but have
been purposely destroyed. There was no reason why it
should not have been born alive. Abortion skilfully pro-
duced
hwouldild
was
the have
on
left any marks on the child. The
other
effotund in Mr. Law's pocket. Wit-
ness could not say whether it had been born naturally or
child
otherwise. It was a six or seven months child, and the
lungs were not inflated. There was no reason why the child
should not have lived. It had been born about a day.
There were no marks of violence. The coroner then
summed up, and remarked that since the arrest of Mr. Law
no dead bodies of children had been found in Shoreditch.
If the deceased children had been the victims of abortion,
the crime was as bad as if they had been murdered. But
under the circumstances it was impossible to arrive at any
definite conclusion with regard to them. The statement of
Mr. Law was that he had not delivered the children, but
had merely undertaken to dispose of the bodies to save the
burial fees. The jury returned a verdict " That in the first
case the said female child was found dead in an unfinished
building, where it had been placed by one Charles Law,
and the jurors say that whether the said child was born
alive, and, if so, how it came by its death, the evidence
does not fully prove ; and that in the second class the
female child was found dead in the pocket of the said
Charles Law, but whether the said child was born alive,
and, if so, the manner of its death, the evidence is not
sufficient to show," In the evening Mr. Humphreys re-
sumed, at the Panther tavern, Hope-town, Bethnal-green,
the inquiry relative to the death of Mr. Law. Mrs. Eliza
Law, the widow of the deceased, said that her late husband
was in the station-house a fortnight ago. He was liberated
on the Monday afternoon, and cams home at 6 o'clock. ,His
intellect was quite gone. He did not know witness or any
of his family. He was irrational. He spoke of birds
and fishes. Subsequently fits came cn, He had before
suffered in the same way from delirium tremens, and Dr.
Walsh said that a relapse would cause either his death or
his detention in a madhouse. He died on the 'Wednesday
morning. The witness was sure ho did not take anything
noxious. He was a registered medical practitioner. Mrs.
Fimes, 1, Featherstone-buildings, City-road, confirmed the
evidence of the last witness. 11. Williams, 102 N, said that
be apprehended Mr. Law for disposing of the dead body of
a child. Sergeant Smith said that he booked the charge
against the deceased, and put him in the cell. Witness left
him at 9 o'clock on Sunday morning. He was perfectly
sound in mind then. Witness next saw him on. Mon-
day morning at Worship-street police-court. He called
witness-over to him in the dock and said, " I was taken
from Worship-street in a cab and they will take me there in
a van. Will you come with me ?" He then spoke to his
attorney. Witness thought that Mr. Law made a mistake,
or that his mind wandered. That was about midday. Dr.
Wm. 'Wallace said he was called in to see the deceased at
his house in Virginia-row, Bethnal-green, early on Tues.
day morning. He was suffering from delirium tremens.
Witness ordered him rest, nourishment, and stimulants.
Deceased died next day, Death arose from delirium tremens.
A man given to drink and locked up for two days, and ex-
hibiting aberrations of intellect on the Monday morning,
ought to have been seen by a medical man while in cus-
tody. Witness would have then given stimulants and
nourishment. Delirium tremens generally yields quickly to
treatment, and it was quite possible that if deceased had
been medically attended while in custody his life would have
been saved. The Coroner said that if the in carnation he
had received was correct, the deceased while in custody was
either out of his mind or was shamming insanity. It would
be very necessary to ascertain whether proper steps had
been taken to discover whether he was really in a state of
dangerous diseaFe, or whether the symptoms observed were
feigned. Police-constable Williams said that deceased ap-
peared rational when taken to the police court. He had
received coffee and broad and butter for breakfast on the
Sunday. When witness arrested him in the Kingsland-
road he called out for a person named Wyman, who was his
assistant. The proceedings were adjourned to investigate
the treatment of the deceased while in custody.