The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-22 00:00:00

f DEATH FROM STARVATION.
A shocking case of destitution has just occurred at
Worcester, where a woman named Dovey was left for 24
hours by the parish authorities without relief during her
confinement, in an empty house, without a bit of covering
for her newly-born babe, which was consequently killed
by the intensity of the frost and want of proper care. It
appears that the relieving officer was applied to by the
sister of the child's mother, but he at first refused to at-
tend to the case, because the woman had had a child be-
fore, and actually did not make any further inquiries
into it until after a lapse of 24 hours. Meanwhile the
child died.
The facts developed on the inquest, which was held on
the body of the infant on Friday, are really startling, as
showing the amount of misery suffered by some of the
poor during the late inclement weather. The inquest
Was field beton. Mr. J. Tymbs, coroner, at the Gloucester
Arms Inn, and the following are extracts from the evi-
dence:—

e
whatever
:hos. Anna,tr,tteee3l(e.l4,s,etor:tai,irpte Pool,oomissi
eu(aph)c,ti,erimrioeitiitlrh;:%id,%tt•ifinnftesohhwece• I,i)invol:ef.aaranistitt:cen:,,ol,l:cs,,oednrt
ih:eislei
ripe: ooafonorusdenoendf
nothing
h.
laiirionnarggh-
leimerPt32:iusetl'iein
,
in the room in which tile woman was lying, weather
ilrn, iedgr pi:(3),:r
it. -street,
r aetnehty:
but an old gown. There vvas a very little
fine in the grate, but there was no bed or fin future either
other part of the house. The woman had for her
pillow two bare bricks. The midwife went on to say,
that she delivered Dovey of the infant, which was full-
grown and apparently very healthy. The woman had
no :lothes for the child, and her partner (a man named
Boultin, with whom she lived, but to whom she was not
married) was fhliga d to strip himself of his shirt, in
order to t.ffiird a covering fur the child. In this old
shirt the child was wrapped. The midwife, though the
parties were too poor to pay her for her services, was
so struck with their misery and destitution, that she
subsequently purchased with her own scanty means some
baby-linen for the child, which she found on the second
visit to be very cold. On the following day she visited
her patient again, and found her in the same destitute
condition in which she had left her. The woman ob-
jected to go to the workhouse, and said she should soon
get about again. Her child was then lying on her bo-
som. It appeared fast sinking, and was very cold. She
considered that the child died rather from exposure to
the cold than from want of proper nourishment.
Elizabeth Scott, Sarah Dovey's sister, corroborated
the testimony of the first witness as to the destitute con-
diti.n of her sister and Boulton at the period of her sis-
ter's confinement. On the day after the confinement she
went to the relieving officer of the district (Mr. Crisp),
and applid to him for assistance to the lying-in woman.
Crisp applied abusive epithets to Dovey, and said he
should not go to her that day. Witness told him that
if they had not some immediate help, both the mother
and child would be lost for want, for they had not a bit
of food in the house, Boulton having been unable to
work for three weeks, in consequence of lameness. Crisp
replied that it would only " serve her right," and with
that humane observation on his lips, Mrs. Scott left him,
She believed the child had died from vt ant of proper
protection from the inclemency of the weather.
Mr. Woodward, surgeon, who was not called in until
the child was dead, gave his opinion also that it had died
from inflammation of the lungs, brought on from cold.
Mary Grubb and Elizabeth Davis gave similar evi-
dence to the previous witnesses as to the destitute con-
dition of the mother. The former, by direction of Mr.
Sidebottom,the police magistrate, took to the house a
blanket to cover the woman, and gave them Is. for pre-
sent necessities. This was after the affair had become
known. There was no fire at all in the house during a
considerable portion of the time while the woman was
lying-in. _

Mr. Crisp, the relieving-officer, was called in by the
Coroner, and questioned by him and the jury as to his
omission of duty in not furnishing the starving family
with necessaries when tippled to. He denied that he
had been told by any one that the woman was destitute
of bedding. When questioned as to his reason for not
having attended to the case for 2 I hours after informa-
tion had been given to him, he stated that he understood
that tea and gruel had been given to the mother and
child, which was all that it was desirable to give to them
at that stage. M any of the jury expressed themselves
.strongly as to his conduct, alleging, from their own
knowle.,ge, that this was not the first case in which the
officer had been charged with neglect.
At the close of the inquiry the jury returned the fol-
lowing verdict :—" That the death of the deceased was
caused by exposure to the inclemency of the weather
without proper clothing." Theyalso appended to their ver-
dlet the following censure on the relieving officer:—" The
lury cannot separate without expressing their opinion
that there was neglect on the part of the relieving-officer
in not giving more prompt attention to the case."

THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.—The Trafalgar transport,
Captain Rieleirdson, Lieutenant Wooldbridge, agent,
arrived at Spith as last evening, about six o'clock, from
Ascension and the Falkland Islands. She left the Falk-
Loids on the 19th of September, arrived at Ascension on
the 16th of o,:tober, and sailed thence for England on
the 29:h. Ascension continued healthy. The only
vessels of war there were the Devastation steam-sloop,
hearing the broa iyendant of the Commander-in. Chief'
on the West of Africa Station, Commodore Sir
Charles llotham, K.C.B ; the Tortoise, store and guard-
ship, Commarinder Morrell ; and the Snap cutter, fitting
for a slave cruim.r. Tee Ac:mon, 26, Captain Manse],
sailed the day b,foro tee Tiafalgar arrived off Ascension,
on a cruise. By th's arrival we are informed that the
settlement at the Falklands was in a very bad plight,
the people having nothing but lean beef to live on;
nothing a Lie could be procured, and not a vegetable of
any description was growing at the settlement, which
is situate on a black /scat• bog, by which it is
surrounded for many miles. The sheep had nearly
all perished. Fro n t•:e inducem2nts held out
by the Governor, the Pusey Hall, of London,
hod come over from the coast of Patagonia for
supplies, there being no I. ss than 11 ships waiting on the
coast to !we've her report, but she was obliged to re-
turn to them with only 12 days' provisions for herself,
and that she would not have procured had not the
transport opportunely arrived. Trere are about 100
inhabitants on the island. Wages are from ss. to 6s.
per diem, but this was given by the Government.
Most of the emigrants are employed in making roads,
&c. When the Government employ ceases how the
people are to be employed and fed appears a mystery.
Farming is out of the question, as a depth of from 3 to
10 feet must be dug through the pat before anything
like soil can be met with, and in that wretched and in-
hospitable country we are told nothing flotrishes, the
wind constantly blowing from the southward; and, al-
though some of the harbours are good, they are difficult
of approach, owing to much foul weather. The Governor
was very unpopular.
On the Bth of November, in lat. 6 30 N., long. 29 45
W., the Trafalgar spoke the barque Victoria, of and for
Hamburgh, from Valparaiso; on the 14th of November,
in lat. 18 45, long. 33 54, the Lady Falkland, of Jersey,
from Pernambuco; and on the Bth inst., in lat. 47 26,
long. 21 41, telegraphed the Daphne, 18, Captain Onslow,
on her way to Spithead, from the Pacific and Rio, with
freight. She may, therefore, be expected to heave in
sight at Spithead momentarily.

PRIAE MONEY.—Notice has been given to Com-
mander Cumberland Iladaway ho, as first lieutenant
of the Espoir, commanded that vessel on the coast of
Africa More the arrival of Commander Hands), and
the officers and crew of the Espoir now on the coast,
that an account of the proceeds arising from the capture
of the slave-vessel Carem, January 5, 1845, will be re-
gistered on and after the 25th December next.
UNIVESIT Y INTELLIG E NCE.—OXFOR D 7 DEC. 19.

—We understand that Mrs. Tatham, of Iffley, near Ox-
ford, reli, tof the Rev. E lward Tatham, late rector of
Lincoln College, in this university, has founded a scholar-
ship in Lincoln College, of 501. per annum, to be held
for four years by any young man born or educated in
Buckinghatnshire. if duly qualified. It is to be called
the Tatham Scholarship.
THE LATE RIGHT HON. THOMAS GRENVILLE....
It is stated that the Hon. and Rev. George Neville
Grenville, the Dean of Windsor, will come into pos-
session of property, in conquence of the death of his late
venerable relative, of the value of between 20,0001. and
30,0001. per annum. The Dean of Windsor took the
arms and tame of Grenville, in 1825, on succeeding to
the property of his maternal kinsman, Lord Glas-
tonbury.
DESTITUTION AND DEATH.—On Saturday Mr.
Baker held an inquest at the King of Prussia, Cart-
wright•street, Rosemary-lane, on view of the body of
Charles Hale, aged 77, a ♦endor of lucifer matches. It
appears that the deceased lived in a room, No. 11, Peter's-
street, which presented the appearance of the most de-
plorable destitution. O❑ Tuesday last he called on a
man of the name of Graham, residing at the next door,
and complained of his ;privations. He had a cup of
coffee and some bread. The following day, as he bad
not been seen, his room was entered, when he was found
upon the floor, with his clothes on, and benumbed with
cold. A surgeon was sent for, who was unable to re-
store animation. Mr. Johnson, the medical man, said that
death was the effect of cold and privation of the common
necessaries of life. Verdict, " Natural death."

ONE OF THE RIVER PIERS BROKEN BY THE ICE.
—So closely and thickly did the ice collect around the
piers near Temple Bar, that it broke one of them in
two, and rendered it impossible for the steamers to land
their passengers upon it, or for the coal barges to be
moored, as they are wont to be, alongside it.
STRANGE FRIAR OF A POINTER.—A few days
ago a party of gentlemen were shooting with Mr. &
Parkec, of Bestwood Park, when one of them winged a
pheasant, part of which was shot off, and, of course, dis-
abled the bird from flying; it succeeded, however, be-
tween flying and running, in reaching a fir tree, the
bottom boughs of which nearly touched the ground.
From hence the bird rapidly ascended from one bough
to another, until it reached the topi
being
oheei
mgat
felinehno (edluuttihlritrersy.i
oib
iesisTrhohenee
pointer, anxious to retrieve his game, immediately corn•
en-
deavourings
t
e
frm sure-
tooted tenehcdeeddi tahssuecet ascending
rddadei
situation
icgwteuhnatidethli the tree
however,
te‘ary
as
oNeo,
ienzrle:
dl
oeoi
rwi
n
h
tumbled from the top to the ground, and although much
stunned with the fall, yet the faithful dog kept the bird
secure in his mouth.—Nottingham Mercury.
RICE MILLS IN LIVERPOOL.—There are now
building:in Beckwith-street, Park-lane, two extensive
rice mills, one for the American and the other for the
East India trade. In addition to these, there are in this
town a large mill in Bedford-street, near Lower Parlia-
ment-street; one in Brownlow-hill, formerly Mr, Shep-
herd's flour mill, with half a dozen others. These mills
have been in full work even night and day since the
great falling off of the potatos, &c. Rice has come into
general use since this dreadful calamity, and tends to
keep down the price of Firead. —Liverpool Journal.