The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-14 00:00:00

THE DEATH OF FIVE CHILDREN FROM

SITARVATION.

An inquest Wa 3 held at the Town Hs,'•l, C3rdiff, on
Tuesday last, on the body of Ellen Welsh, aged two

years.
The Coroner informed the jury that he held this in.
quest in consequence of a communication from Mr.
Paine, respecting the death of five children under cir-
cumst;.nces so extraordinary as to call fur strict investi-
gation.
It appeared from the evidence adduced, that John
Welsh, an Irish labourer, arrived hi this country with
his wife and seven children, shortly b.,fore last Christ-
mas ; and about five weeks since he deserted his unfor-
tunate family, leaving them wholly destitute, in a miser-
able lodging-house, 24, Litt!e Frederick-street. The
family at this time consisted of Margaret Welsh, the de-
serted wife, a girl of 16 years of age, a boy of 13, a boy
of 9, a girl of 7, twin, (hay and girl) of 4 years, andSa
girl of 2 years ; and their oniy means of subsistence was
ss. per week earned by the eldo.t girl, and an occasional
or at the most 2s. per week, earned by the mother
by picking potatoes landed from the vessels, as her time
was much occupied with the younger children. Such a
sum was, of course, too little to provide food for a family
of eight persons at the present rate of provisions. From
a fe.ding of shame she did not apply to the relieving
officer until last, Monday week, when he gave her an
order for medical assistance, and some necessaries for the
' children. Mr. Paine attended with his usual prompti-
tude, but found that the boy, aged 13, had already died ;
and from the symptoms described had evidently been
labouring under an attack of hooping-cough. The ema-
ciated state of the other four children induced inquiry,
and he found that they were not suffering from any
disease, but from actual want of food. The relieving
officer, under his direction, furnished the sufferers with
wine and other necessaries, but the aid had come too
late, and one by one the four younger children dropped
off. One of the twinS, a girl, aged 4 years, died on
Thursday ; Bessy, aged 7 year., died on Friday ; the
twin boy died on Sunday ; and Ellen, aged 2 years, on
Monday. Mr. Paine made a post-mortem examination
of two of the bodies on his own responsi;illity, and the
result clearly showed that death had been produced en-
tirely by the exhaustion consequent upon a want of pro-
per sustenance.

Hannah Allen, the landlady of the lodging-house,
said that Margaret Welsh had done all in her power f r
the children, and suffered hunger herself rather than de-
prive them of the little food she bad to give, but she
manifested the most extraordinary reluctance to apply
for relief. In the words of the witness, •' She had not
the courage' to go to the relieving officer."
The Coroner remarked that it was very much to be
regretted that the poor woman had not made application
for relief in time; but it would only aggravate her misery
to return a verdict of censure.

The Jury concurred in this view, and several of them
expressed their opinion that there was no blame attribut-
able to any of the officers of the union, as the relief
afforded was ample and was promptly given, Mr. Paine's
exertions especially having been most praiseworthy.
They returned a verdict. "Died from exhaustion, pro-
duced by want of proper sustenance." Monmouth
Merlin.

•
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