The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-09 00:00:00

Ihe Home for Illegitimate Children.

On Saturday afternoon an important investigation involv-
ing the management of an institution of which the Marquis
Townshend and other benevolent persons are the patrons
established for the nursing and care of illegitimate children,
at No. 35, Great Coram-street, Russell-square, under the title
of the " Infant Home," took place before Dr. Lankester,
coroner for Central Middleiex, at the Guildford Arms,
Guildford-street. The inquest was held on the body at
Charles Webster, aged eight weeks, the offspring of a young
woman, a servant, which had died suddenly in the institu-
tion. The mother of the deceased was present.
The Coroner remarked that from circumstances which had
come to his knowledge in connection with the extraordinary
mortality which had occurred in the " Home," being from
a report ho had received 50 per cent., or 35 out of 70, he
thought it highly desirable, both for the sake of tho insti-
tution as well as the satisfaction of the public, that in this
instance a rigid inquiry should take place.
Mr. N. H. Stevens, of 14, Finsbury-crescent, honorary
surgeon to the institution, stated its character and objects,
which was to help those who by treachery had been betrayed
into the misfortune of being mothers of illegitimate
children, and who are anxious to recover themselves to re-
enter service, by receiving and nursing their children, so as
to enable them to regain their character by removing the
obstacle out of their path, and making a return to reputa-

tion, self-respect, and usefulness possible. For this purpose
the Home, which was a branch of the " Infants' Home," in
Bryanston-place, Bryanston-square, had been established
and illegitimate children were received, nursed, and cared for
upon certain conditions and guarantees at a nominal charge
of 2s. per week. The deceased was one of these little un-
fortunates, whose mother had been seduced under very
heartless circumstances, and on its admission some few
weeks back was in good health. It took cold, and bron-
chitis supervened, and during the early part of last week
it died very suddenly. A post-mortem examination in-
dicated that it had died from the disease named, and it
was stated that it was common in infants to do so from
its effects. In reply to the "question as to the large
mortality, Dr. Stevens explained that, being the offspring
of vice, the great majority of, the children were admitted
in a half nourished and most emaciated condition, and

frequently died two or three days after their admission.
After they had been in the institution for some little time
improvement was, however, very great, and the health of
the children on the whole was perfectly satisfactory. Such
diseases as had attacked the children had arisen purely
from a constitutional susceptibility ; but the health of the
majority had been considerably and undoubtedly improved
by their residence in the Home.

After hearing other evidence as to the care and attention

with which the unfortunate children were treated,
The Coroner remarked that it was a gratifying fact to find
that so far from any blame attaching to the institution, it
was just the opposite. He viewed the establishment of such
an institution as a step in the right direction. It was sadly
to be feared that the crime of infanticide, now so shockingly

prevalent, might be traced in a groat measure to the straits
and dreadful desperation to which poor young persons wero
frequently reduced, and that too often, in the first instance,
the murder of their offspring was the consequence, and then
in the failure of any other means of subsistence they were
tempted to betake themselves to a life of sin and shame.
Such an institution was, therefore, most praiseworthy, and
as to the mortality, no doubt it arose from the circumstances
so fully explained by the medical officer.

The jury fully concurred in the views of the coroner,
and a verdict of "Died from natural causes" was recorded.

THE NEW SCOTTISH JUDGE.—Mr. David Mure,
M.P., Lord Advocate under Lord Derby's Government, is
likely, we have some reason to believe, to be appointed to
the seat on the bench vacant by the resignation of Lord
Mackenzie. The gown is understood to have been de-
clined by the Solicitor-General and by Mr. A. R. Clark.
Mr. Mure's appointment will create a vacancy in the re-
presentation of Bute, for which he was returned, at the
general election of 1859, by a majority of only nine over
,Mr. Lamont, of Knockdow, the Liberal candidate.—Scots-

man.

A BALLET GIRL FRIGHTFULLY BURNT.—
Another of these lamentable accidents, which un-
happily have been of too frequent occurrence, took place
on Friday night at the Britannia Theatre, whereby a young
woman, a ballet dancer, has sustained very serious injuries.
The unfortunate girl, whose name is Ellen Geary, was en-
gaged as one of the corps de ballet. Her services were first
called into requisition in the transformation scene of the
pantomime, which comes on about nine o'clock. In order
to give effect to this change it is necessary that the corps
occupy different positions on the stage—some on an emi-
' nence at the side of the wings, and others on the stage.
Geary's position was one of those at the wings, to reach
which she was in the habit of ascending a wooden ladder,
placed somewhat closely to the wing lights, in conse-
quence of which the manager, who it is evident took some
precaution against a contingency such as that just hap-
pened, placed a man at the foot of the ladder to guard
the dresses of and to assist the ballet girls in their ascent.
The girl, it appears, was behind time in going from the
dressing room, in consequence of which the man,
who had previously been at his post, ventured
to go away for a few minutes, in which interval
Geary arrived, and without waiting for the return of the
man, at once ascended the ladder, and while doings o, thed
back part of her skirt caught. She instantly discohvere
the fact, and, with great presence of mind, flung_
kept in
upon her face. A wet blanket, which.
" always
sprt
readiness at the prompter's door, was thrown ovsdinT:, er khe ,
well as a bed, which is used in one of the s.tchsene .isthaet
once extinguished the flames, but, notr.
girl was frightfully burnt up to the shoulders. Dr.
was immediate attendance, and recommended her re
moyal to St. BartII9IQMOWII hospital.