The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-19 00:00:00

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[PRICE SD.

>E FIRE IN WHITE-
CHAPEL.
Yesterday, an inquest was held nt the London
Hospital, on the bodies of Samuel Taylor Pitt, aged
thirteen, and Priscilla Pitt, aged nine, who died in
consequence of injuries received at tl:e disastrous fire
in Whitechapel on Saturday, the particulars of which
were published in yesterday's Sun.
James Morris, belonging No the fifth company of
the second battalion of the Grenadier Guards, said
that on Saturday morning last, between two and
three o'clock, whilst passing through Whitechapel,
he saw smoke issuing from the premises of i\lr.
Watkinson. He immediately raised an alarm, and
then attempted to break open the shop door. He saw
some parties standing at the first floor window ; he
called to them to jump out, but they refused at that
time. He, however, had one child handed down to
him, which he conveyed to a house opposite, and
from thence it was removed in a cab to the hospital.
It was very much burned over the legs and feet. lie
went back and tried to get into the house for the
purpose of saving the boy, but could pot, on account
of the fire raging so furiously. He next assisted to
get the mother out of the window. When he first
noticed the smoke no one appeared to be stirring in
the house.

This witness, from the testimony of the other par-
ties, appeared to have rendered the most essential
service in saving those persons who escaped ; and se-
veral of the jury recommended the coroner to write
to Colonel Astell, the head of the battalion to which
the witness belonged, requesting him to overlook the
witness's dereliction of duty in not being in barracks
on the night of Friday, on account of his meritorious
conduct at the fire.

Mr. Watkinson said that the premises No. 45,
Whitechapel-road, were in his occupation. On Fri-
day night he was awoke whilst asleep in bed by a
knocking at the street door. He got up, heard glass
cracking, and found the room filled with smoke. He
immediately shook the deceased boy, who was sleep-
ing in the same bed, and told him to escape out of
window, as the place was on fire. This he considered
he had done. He then ran up stairs to Mr. Pitt,
who, with his wife and family, were sleeping on the
second floor, and told them that the house was on fire,
and ordered them to get out as quickly as possible.
He next took up a little boy and ran down stairs w ith
him to the first floor, and handed him out of window.
The father of the children had previously got out of
window, and witness considered that he had taken

the deceased boy with him, as he had to pass
through the room in which he was. The mother
having come down to the same window with the de-
ceased girl at her side, she fainted at the window. He,
however, at length succeeded in pulling her out of the
window, but she fell upon the pavement below. The
furniture and clothes were insured by witness for 501.
He turned the gas off from the main at half-past
eleven o'clock on Friday night, and went to bed at
twelve, perfectly sober.
By Mr. George Brace, solicitor to the Legal and
Commercial Fire-office—The stock in trade was
insured for 2501., and the fixtures for 501. more. He
had never been apprenticed to Mr. Pitt. He was not
aware that Mr. Pitt had premises in other parts of the
country. He knew that he had had a fire in Lambeth,
and then he was insured in the West of England Fire-
office. He claimed a sum which was disputed by the
company, and he was paid considerably less than he
charged. He was also aware that Mr. Pitt had had a
fire in Tooley-street, but was not then insured. He
also knew that he had been in business at Norwich,
but had failed there. Witness did not think there
was anything in the place likely to ignite sponta-
neously. The premises were to let six months ago.
The house surgeon having described the nature of
the injuries the deceased had received which were
the cause of death, the jury returned a verdict,
" That the deceased died from the effects of burns,
but how the fire occurred there was no evidence to
prove."

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