The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-15 00:00:00

DEATHS FROM STARVATION.

A lengthened inquiry took place on Wednesday even-
ing at the London Hospital, before Mr. Baker, the co-
roner, relatite to the death of Hannah Bagley,
aged 21, who died in the Whitechapel workhouse
on Monday last. It appeared in evidence that on
Friday evening last the deceased went into the tap-
room of the Black Horse, Brown's-lane, Spitalfields.
Mr. Barker, the landlord, saw that she was very ill, and
he instantly sent for a doctor. He also gave her food,
as she seemed to be almost starving, and then took her to
the station-house. The deceased said that she had been in
service in Spitalfields ; that her relations were in Glouces-
tershire ; and that she had not had any food for four
days but that which she had received from Mr. Bar-
ker. By the orders of the inspector she was then
taken to the Whitechapel workhouse. She was there
provided with food, which she ate voraciously, but she
soon became insensible, and died at three o'clock on
Monday morning. Mr. Millar, the surgeon of the
workhouse, said that the deceased had died from in-
flammation of the lungs, produced by exposure to the
cold and want of sustenance. Verdict, " That the de-
ceased died from inflammation of the lungs, produced
by exposure and want."
On Tuesday night, an inquest was held before Mr.
Payne, at the George, Old Bailey, on the body of
William Short, aged fifty, formerly a private in the
Grenadier Guards, but more recentfy an out-pensioner
of Chelsea Hospital. From the evidence it appeared
that for three years past the deceased had lodged at a
miserable house in a narrow turning called Bishop's-
court, immediately opposite Ncwgate. A person named
Cliff tenanted the room, to whom deceased paid one
shilling per week for sleeping. Cliff and a boy sleep-
ing in the same room, but in a separate bed. The de-
ceased's pension amounted to one shilling and a halfpenny
per day, which was paid quarterly, his next pay day
being Tuesday next. When without money he was in the
habit of borrowing from a person residing in the next
house till his pay day. On Sunday week last the de-
ceased was found to be ill, end unable to leave his bed ;
and although Cliff and the other persons residing in the
house knew this fact they did nothing for him. The
person alluded to above called on him, and asked if she
should make a fire (seeing a sack containing coals in
the room) ; when he replied, " Pray don't ; for if you
do, Cliff will throw tne out of the window." On Satur-
day last she called on him again, and, on his saying he
would like an apple-pudding, she made him one, but
was unable to say whether he ate it or not. The
boy who slept in the same room said he had never
seen the deceased eat anything, and it was his
opinion he died of starvation. Mr. Lynch, surgeon,
said he saw the decased on Sunday morning, and found
him dead ; he had never seen such an appalling sight
before. The body was lying on an old mattress, and
was covered with vermin and filth ; it was a mere skele-
ton ; the knees were drawn up towards the face, appa-
rently for warmth. There was no covering on the bed,
and he was stark naked. He found the deceased had
laboured for some years under a severe stricture, and
his opinion was that death arose from an organic dis-
ease, greatly accelerated by the want of warmth and the
necessary comforts of life. Verdict—That the deceased
died from an organic disease, accelerated by the want of
warmth and the comforts necessary to life—the Jury at
the same time censuring the conduct of Cliff.

KIRIALDY B URGHS.—We understand that 110
signatures have been appended to the requisition to Dr.
Bowring; of which three were from Dysart, twenty-four
frotu Pathhead and St. Clairtown (which are both included
in-the Parliamentary boundary of the burgh of Dysart),
and the remainder from Kirkaldy and Linktown ; but
it does not appear that any of the electors in Kinghorn
or Burntisland are friendly to him. The general feeling
in Kirkaldy is, that the Doctor has no chance even though
be come forward, as it is well known many have given
their names in the hope of hearing Dr. Bowring, but do
not consider themselves pledged to give him their votes.
The original intention was, not to send the requisi-
tion unless one-third of the electors subscribed it, but
it has been despatched with little more than a fifth, though
the most active means were used to obtain signatures.
Should Dr. Bowring be so ill-advised as to present him-
self, he will find that the unanimous support of his requi-
sitionists will not be forthcoming. The opponents of Col.
Ferguson are getting fiat on the matter; but he is no
friend to the Colonel who represents him as indifferent to
the opposition. Such cannot be the case. He wishes to
be Member for the burghs—and unanimously if possible .
as he is well aware that a contested election creates ani-
mosities and heart-burnings which even the lapse of many
years seldomentirely obliterate —.Edinburgh Observer.
The lower we descend into the scale, the greater
tolerance of violence and the greater powers of reparation
and renewal do we observe. When a salamander's head
has been cut off, the wound has healed. If the head of a
planaria from our ponds is divided longitudinally a cer-
tain way, the wound heals ; if completely,
other new matter
will be deposited and join the two heads into one of great
size, with one or two additional eyes; or each half will
become a new head. If the whole body is divided, except
at the tail, Siamese twins are made, which pull discordantly
and tear asunder their bond of union, and become inde-
pendent. Not only does a planaria acquire a new head
after decapitation, but, if the two beads which have been
produced by division are removed, others have sprung up
three times in succession, and, the animal being then di.
vided throughout and its head cut off, one head only was
now produced. If the animal is divided across, the an-
terior half swims off, and even sends forth a tail; the tail
sinks, but after a few days sends forth a head. If cut
across into three, the anterior and posterior proceed thus,
and the middle part shoots forth both a head and a tail.
Nay a planaria has been cut into ten pieces, and each has
become a perfect animal. —Dr. Elhoison on .Huntan Phy-
siology.
FALSE ALARMS.—Either some pettifogging
politicians, or some penny-a-liners, have been mischievously
misleading even the leading journals of London, with
Chartist wars in this county. There is as much truth in
such reports, as in Mr. At' rood's vi;wa of a KtLisian fleet
at the Nore.—Menntouthshire Merlin.