The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-29 00:00:00

A CHILD STARVED TO DEATH.

An inquiry was held by Mr. H. Raffles Walthew,
deputy-coroner, late on Thursday night, respecting
the death of Margaret Jackson, aged one year and
three months, who expired in the workhouse of St.
George'-in-the-East, on Monday last, from the
effects of starvation and habitual neglect. The case
excited a great sensation in the neighbourhood, and
the court was crowded. The mother of the deceased
child is in custody awaiting the result of the inquest.
the is also charged with a murderous assault with a
poker upon a person named Johnson, who ventured
to remonstrate with regard to the treatmant of tha
unfortunate deceased.

Mrs. Eliza Howell, 27, Upper Chapman-street,
St. George's, said, that Charlotte Jackson, the
mother of the deceased, lived in her house since
August last. On last Saturday witness heard
the deceased crying as usual, and finding the
door unlocked, she entered, and saw the child
lying completely naked on au old flock bed, and in
a frightful state f emaciation. To her know-
ledge the child had not been washed for a week
previous. Witness communicated what she knew
to the police. Mrs. Jackson was the wife of a
person employed on board the ship David Mal-
combe, and she drew every month £2 ss. from the
firm of Messrs. Dunbar. She also earned money at
coat making. It was her constant habit to leave
the child without food, and go out, locking the door,
so that no one could get near to give it anything to
eat. The child used to cry dreadfully, and witness
used to take up food, but was unable to give it, on
account of the door being locked. Jackson never
left the child anything, but used to go out and get
drunk for days together. Witness sometimes re-
monstrated, but was invariably abused and told to
mind her own business. The door was sometimes
left open, and witness used to give the poor child
food. Deceased was, in witness's opinion, starved to
death. Witness never saw the mother give it food but
once, when witness handed her a bit of bread for it.
Mrs. Theresa Johnson, who resided in the same
house, said Mrs. Jackson was a bad mother, and
never bought food for the child. She was not sober
for the last five weeks. Before that time Mrs.
Jackson was employed at coat-making by witness,
who used to insist upon her giving the child food ;
but since then she appeared to give it nothing at
all. It used to cry piteously. Last Thursday wit-
ness said sae would fetch a doctor for deceased. The
mother said she would have witness's life if she did
such a thing, and seized a poker and beat her fear-
fully about the head, laying it open. She inflicted
frightful gashes on the temple, the ear, and the side
of the head. In attempting to protect her head,
witness's arm was dreadfully injured, and witness
was tendered insensible by the blows, and would
have been killed but that some neighbours rescued
her. (The appearance presented by the arm and head
of the witness produced a strong sensation in court.)
Mr. W. Royston, relieving officer to the union,
said that on Saturday the last witness came to him
from the police station, and informed him that the
child was dying from starvation and neglect, 'and
that the mother was then lying drunk. He sent
to insist that the mother should present herself
with the child, and she did so. He then had the
child forcibly removed from her, and he gave her
in charge to the police. The child was kept alive by
great care until Monday morning, when it died.
The Coroner said that great credit was due to
the relieving officer for his promptitude in the mat-
ter. It was clear from the evidence, as given by
the witnesses, that the mother was criminally re-
sponsible for the child's death, and he should ad-
journ the inquiry for the purpose of having her
brought before the Court.