The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-05 00:00:00

The jury having viewed the bodies (that of Elizabeth
Pullen having been removed from St. Stephen's dead-
house to the dead-house of the hospital), considerable
delay occurred in commencing the inquiry from the want
of accommodation for the jury, and the proceedings had
to be conducted without tables for the jury to write on
and take notes of the evidence.
The jury having been sworn,
The Coroner said that, as the inquiry was one of con-
siderable importance, he proposed first to take evidence
identifying the bodies, then medical evidence as to the
nature of the injuries from which the deceased persons
died of, and then such evidence as would show how and
why the building in question fell, and ascertain thereby
if any blame attached to any person.
Elizabeth Pullen deposed that she lived with Palmer,
the deceased, who was a labourer, about 31 years of age,
at No. 9, Little Swan-alley. The three children now
dead were hers, and resided with her and Palmer in
Little Swan-alley, at the time of the accident. She had
resided in the house on two occasions. She had been
back the last time about three or four months, and
occupied the first floor back. The front room of the
first floor was occupied by other persons. The Kings
occupied a room above. About four months ago she
lived in the room of a Mrs. Marsh, at 2e. a-week, end
continued her tenant till about six weeks since, when
Mr. Crane became the landlord of the premises, and she
had since that paid the rent to him. She had complained
to Mrs. Marsh of the state of the house. There was
only one room on the ground floor ; the floor
of the room underneath that she occupied had been
taken away. Last Saturday night week she com-
plained to Mr. Crane, when she paid him her rent, of
the state of the floor, and pointed out the broken state of
the flooring near the fire place. The wood was much
decayed. As he stood at the door he looked at the
place, and said be would look to it. He did not call
again until Sunday last, when he came for his rent.
On Sunday last she paid him again her rent, but nothing
had occurred then to excite her alarm. In the course
of the evening she fancied she heard a cracking noise,
and noticed it to Mrs. King and deceased, Palmer, and
said she should soon get out of the house.
By the Foreman—Mrs. King said at the time that she
had heard strange sounds, and that they had better get
out as soon as possible.
Witness continued—About nine o'clock on Tuesday
night she heard a cracking noise near the fire
place. It appeared to be in the same place
she had heard it before. She and deceased,
Palmer, had not then retired. All the family slept in the
same room, but in different beds. The children slept in
a bed under the place where she heard the noise. Her-
self, Palmer, and the baby slept in one bed, and the
three children new dead in the other. About 10 o'clock
they retired to rest, and about 5 minutes past 12 she
was awoke by her child. She got out of bed to give him
something, and walked the room with him for a short
time. She then heard a fearful cracking again. Her
hushing the child did not shake the room. The room
began to shake very much, and she awoke Palmer and
desired him to get up, as the house was falling. He got
up and went to the children, and she opened her room
door and alarmed the other inmates (the Kings, who
were over her head). Whilst standing on the top stain
outside her room door, one half of the floor of
the room gave way, the window fell, and was
smashed ail to pieces, as was also the fire•
place ; hearing the crash she tried to run down
stairs, and the shaking of the house threw down the
stairs, and she and her baby were thrown into the
street ; but how it happened she had no recollection.
She had made no complaints to the ward beadle or any
other person. She had not seen any of them round that
neighbourhood. She believed her mother, who lived in
the house before her, had complained of the state of the
house to a lady who visited the neighbourhood to distri-
bute charity amongst the poor occupants of the neigh-
bourhood. Crane accepted her as a tenant from Mrs
Marsh, about 6 or 7 weeks ago.
By the Jury—Last week she experienced difficulty is
doting the door, but it did not create alarm in her mind
as to the state of the house.
By the Foreman—Her other son, who was about 15
years of age, had not returned from his work when the
accident occurred. She saw him in the court shortly
after the house fell. She did not know where Crane lived,
She believed in Charles-place, Bell-alley. The boards in
front of the fire-place were all broken away and decayed.
There were no nails in them, and after sweeping the
floor she had frequently to put the boards in order the
best way she could.
James Frederick King deposed that he was a book-
binder. lie occupied the top floor back, over that of
the last witness. The other room on that floor was
unoccupied. He had lived i❑ No. 9 about seven months,
always occupying tho same room. During that time he
had complained of the state of the house. A. week
before the house fell ho complained to Crane of the dila-
pidated state of the house, particularly the state of the
window of the room ; it had a frame, but most of the
glass was broken. On complaining of it to Crane,
he said they might put in the glass themselves if
they wanted it. He paid Crane is. 6.1. per
week rent. When he took the room of Mrs. Marsh the
glass was then broken, but being unable to buy glees he
patched it up the best way he could. The fl )or of his
room was " thorough!y rotten and eaten away." He
showed it to Crane, who said, "Oh, you must make the
Lest of it." On Sunday morning. last Crane called for
the rant. He was unable to pay him, and again coin •
plained of the state of the house, to which Crane replied
" If you don't pay you know the consequences," and he
then left. On Tuesday night he was engaged preparing
his work for the following day. About ten minutes to
12 he and his wife retired to rest ; a few minutes after
he was aroused by a Bound, and he said " Hark, ho w its
hailing." His wife said it waano such thing for the stars
were shining. He and his wife, and his wife's sister
and four children slept on the floor, having no beds ;
shortly after hearing the sound he found himself below ;
the floors appeared to have "fallen in all of a lump
together ;" there was only a shop on the ground floor ;
the cellars went down a few steps ; he did not think any
of the ground floor had been cut away ; he had never
complained of the state of the house to any one but
Crane ; he believed the house had not been examined
by any one ; he had never seen a surveyor there ; Crane,
the landlord, lives at 19, Little Bell-alley ; he is a mes-
senger in some office in the City.
Mrs. King, who walked home, and appeared to be
suffering from the injuries received on Tuesday night,
deposed that about three months ago a person inspected
the house, and ordered the rooms to be whitewashed.
He inquired who was the landlord, and said the house
appeared in a very bad state. From the manner in
which the person alluded to came, she thought he must
have come from the Board of Health. She bad long
noticed the dilapidated state of the house. Pieces of
mortar used to fall from the ceiling. On Friday night
she and her sister awoke by a sound like the "unloading
of a cart-load of bricks." The noire appeared to pro-
ceed from between the two houses. She got up and
procured a light, but could not see that anything had
fallen. She did not mention it to any one the following
day, because. Mr. Crane was very hard upon them,
and she thought if she did he would think it
was done to get out of the place. On Sun-
day Seibert, who occupied the room adjoining Palmer's,
was hammering all day, putting a lock on to his door.
Mrs. Palmer said, " I don't think any of us will want
locks or bolts long for I don't think the house will stand
long." Witness then corroborated her husband's evi-
dence with regard to the noise on Tuesday right. She
got up with her baby, and saw in the fire-place a light
which came from below, and she said to her husband
she thought the house was on fire, and whilst saying
that she fell through the floor. She saw the crack the
side of the room nearest No. 8, from whence
the noise appeared to come. Mr. Reynolds and Mr.
Cox looked at the house in the spring of the year, but
she did not know their object.
By the Forereag-04 Friday night she and her Dieter