The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-07 00:00:00

MISERY AND DESTITUTION.

Tuesday an inquest was held at the Carpenter's Airns,
Brook-street, Lambeth, before Mr. Carter, Corone, for
Surrey, on view of the body of Richard Pratt, aged forty-
five, who, with his sister (now in Lambeth workhouse),
were discovered in a state of the utmost misery and desti-
tution, at a miserable abode in Trafalgar-court, in the
neighbourhood, and shortly after which the deceased diet
from the effect of such privations. The case was one 01
an extraordinary nature, the Coroner having held an in-
quest about two years back on a brother of the deceased,
a ho perished under precisely similar circumstances, at the
time being with the same sister, who is now lying in a do'
plerable condition from exhaustion produced by eold, and
a ant. The Jury, on being sworn, viewed the body of the
dee-ased, which was in a most deplorable state at emacia-
tion. The house, consisting of four rooms, was in a ti:thy-
state, and, with the exception of two or three old broken'
chairs, was entirely destitute of furniture.
Mary Harrison deposed that she was a widow, and oc-
cupied the adjoining house to the deceased and the female
who passed as his sister. They had lived in the house
about three months, during which they were scarcely ever
to be seen. None of the neighbours were acquainted .
with their means. They, however, appeared to
be
superior sort of persons, but of very eccentric habits..
Witness had not seen either of them out for a consid.eP
able length of time, and it was a matter of great, sur-
prise how they existed. The shutters at the !trier part of the house were almost always closed. On Friday
morning, at an early hour, witness could distinguish
groans in tl.e house, and shortly afterwards she ex-
pressed
her suspicions to others that something serious was
amiss. Between nine and ten o'clock the same morn-
ing she and Mrs. Thompson knocked at the street door
for a considerable length of time. No answer was re-,
turned; but at last the door was opened by the sist‘Jrl
who was scarcely able to crawl. She was almost spe,...ieh.
less from apparent want and cold. The decease,] was
lying on the floor of a room up stairs. He was r.iive, but
insensible and groaning. There was no fire in, the room,
nor bad he any bedelothing to cover him. The sliver was
unable to give any account of the lamentable condition they
were both in. Mr. Golightly, a surgeon, shortly attend-
ed, but before his arrival the deceased expired. Informa-
tion of the shocking circumstance was afterwards given se
the parish officers, when the sister was removed to the
workhouse. The only provision in the house was a feav po-
tatoes and onions. Some meat bones were in a corner of '
one of the rooms.
Isabella Thompson, who accompanied the last witness
into the house, was examined, and gave similar testimony.
The Coroner inquired of Hepburn, the beadle, whether
the unfortunate people bad ever applied for parochial
relief?
Hepburn replied that they had not. The timer, who
has since been taken into the workhouse, had somewhat
recovered, and stated that her deceased brother possessed
landed property in the country, and bad he lived a few •
days longer they were going to take possession of it. He
had ascertained that neither of them had any money, and
there could be no doubt they had experienced the extreme
of misery and privation during the late inclement season.
The jury said it appeared that the unfortunate people
had too much pride, even in the depth of misery, to apply
for parish relief.
In answer to a question from the foreman, the beadle
said that no papers or documents were found in the house
to show whether the poor creatures had any relatives or-
friends to appeal to in their distress. Tho sister up to'
the present time was most reserved. She was, however„
likely to recover. The parish intended to bury the de- ceased.
The jury returned a verdict " That the deceased, dir d
from exhaustion, produced by the want of the comtr.on necessaries of life, and exposure to the cold during the
present inclement season."

SIR THOMAS DICK LAUDER'S "LEGENDARY
TALES OF THE HIGHLANDS."--These tales abound in
rich
humour, are told with great naivete, and embody many
local legends which, without the aid of Sir Thomas, must
have perished before they saw the light. .Theii fssc:na"
t ions have made us desert graver matters, and tua-ned long
hours into short, actually and figtiratively, by keeping us
nailed to cur arm chair till Jll6 watch ran down and the
fire wag burnt out. While threading Highland glensr climbing hills, renctlniing caves, chatting with pedestrians.
hunting fishing, lighting, and rollicking from place to
place with the,,d‘ininie and the sergeant, we have become"
absdutely oblivious for the time 01 everything else. To
those who have not read these Legends we eau only
they have lost a rich treat.—Edinborgh Advertiser
It is said Sir Thomas Stanley, Bart., is abotit.
to give up the Heoton fox-hounds, well known to this
sportsmen of Chinhiro,