The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-09 00:00:00

LBY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. 1

GRAVEsEND, Saturday Morning.
Arrived, Dec. 2—Blyth, from Dantzic; Cosmopolitan,
steamer, from Hamburg ; Neva, steamer, from Dunkirk
Belgian, steamer, from Ostend ; Moselle, steamer, from
Antwerp.

DEAL, Satruday Morning.
Passed—Lope de Page, screw steamer, from London for
Corunna.
Anchored—Strathspey, from London for Otaga ; Cal-
liope, from London for Masulipatam.

SHOCKING DEATH FROM STARVATION.—Yester-
day evening Mr. Richards, deputy coroner, held an inquiry
at the Black Dog Tavern, Church-street, Bethnal-green,
respecting the death, in the street, of Charles Prosser, aged
43 years. Thomas Cole, 36, Old Nichol-street, said that
the deceased, who was his brother-in-law, was a furniture
packer, but, through paralysis, he lost his employment in
September last. He had a wife and four children dependent
on him. His wife, who was now in the workhouse laid up
with fever, told witness that they then lived at No. 2,
New-court, Spitalfields, under Mr. Henry Wearing, and
that they had lived there five years. They were, however,
unable to pay a sum of either 3s 3d or 5s (witness could not
remember which), and the landlord seized their goods and
turned them out, and they had no place to go to. Mr.
Wearing gave them a pot and two chairs, and they came to
witness's house, where they all lived in one room. They
were often without food, and the wife got fever, and had to
be removed to the Fever Hospital. Deceased got relief in
bread and meat for the children from the parish, but he
tried to support himself by odd jobs. Some of the children
getting the fever witness also took into
the and having to go
the Fever Hospital himself, the deceased was left without
a habitation. Police-constable Briggs, 164 H, said that on
Tuesday he was on duty in Church-street, Bethnal-green,
when he saw a crowd gathered around the deceased on the
pavement. The deceased was very thin and miserable-
looking. Ho was so ragged that he had to wear an apron
to conceal the fact that he had on only the remnant of a
pair of trousers. A party was giving him brandy. Witness
said to him, " Where do you live ?" and ho answered, " I
have been turned out of my lodgings at a lodging..
house." Witness proceeded to remove him to a lodging_
house in Swan-street, but he died on the way, and before a
doctor could arrive. Upon searching him witness found in
his pocket 81d. in coppers, and a petition, in which he
stated his misfortunes, and from which it appeared that he
had got various little sums varying from 3d to 4d., and in
two instances to a shilling —in all 6s. 2d. Dr. F. J. Burgess
said that he was called to the deceased, and found him to
be dead: The body was very much emaciated. The post-
mortem examination showed that thero was no food in
the stomach or intestines, and that death had resulted
from collapse of the heart from want of food. There
was no smell of drink-. George Cole stated that on Friday
last deceased's wife came out of the Fever Hospital be-
cause her children had got fever. She met the deceased in
the street by chance, and she remarked " that he was so
cold—that he was as cold as death." He gave her 2-id. out
of fa that he then had. He was a sober steady man, but
since he was plunged in poverty he drank when he could
get it. Mr. Burrows said that the workhouse people
sent down to bring the deceased into the house on Tuesday,
but they found that he was then dead. The wife and four
children were however taken into the workhouse, and they
were all now dangerously ill. The Coroner having re-
marked upon the melancholy nature of the case, the jury
returned a verdict " That the deceased was found dying,
and did die, from the mortal effects of collapse of the heart,
caused by the want of the common necessaries of life."