The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-18 00:00:00

STARVING IN MARYLEBONE.

Yesterday afternoon, at 3 o'clock, -Lir. Wakley, coroner
for the western division of Middlesex, and a jury of the
inhabitants of Marylebone, assembled at the Marylebone
Workhouse, New-road, to investigate the death of Eliza-
beth Mann, alias Franklin, the unfortunate woman who
was found in a dying state, huddled up with her four
children, in a state of nudity, in a room of 7, Walmer-
p lace, Crawford-street, under the shocking circumstances
briefly noticed in The Sun of Saturday last.
The proceedings excited intense imerest, and a large
number of the directors and guardians of the poor were
present.
The Coroner inquired if there were any relatives of
the deceased woman present to give avid once.
Mr. Boyle, the summoning officer, said the whole of
the children were in bed in the workhouse, but that Mr.
Mushet, the surgeon, stated that it would endanger the
life of the elder girl if she were removed to give evidence.
The respective ages of the children are Elizabeth, 13,
Eliza, 12, Susan, 10, and James, 6 years.
Mr. William Boyd Mushet was the first witness exa-
mined. He said he was surgeon of the workhouse, arid
at present medical officer of the infirmary. The deceased
was brought there about 7 o'clock on the evening of
Thursday last. She was quite insensible. He saw her
on Friday morning, when she was in the same condition.
Her pulse was low, but she was able to swallow a little
wine. She died about 11 o'clock on that morning.
He had made a post mortern examination of the body
twenty hours after death. The body was in a dirty
state. There was slight ecchymosis about the thighs.
Deceased appeared about 42 years of age, and
was a well-formed woman. The immediate cause of
death was in the head. There was a tumour about the
size of a walnut, only perfectly round, at the base of the
brain. There was about 2oz. of serum at the base of the
skull, and there was congestion of the blood vessels of
the membranes of the brain. The heart was healt:iy and
the stomach was empty. The cause of death he should
take to be effusion into the brain.

-...-- ... ...,. ~ ...
Mrs. Mary Spilman said she resided at 7, Weimer-
place, Grawford-street, Ind was about leaving the house
on Thursday night last, as the landlady said she expected
the broker to be put in for rent. She was not a care that
any one was up stairs until Thursday evening between
4 and 5 o'clock; when, on going into the back yard, she
saw a boy perfectly naked picking up some crumbs of
bread lying about and eating them. She was much net,
nished, and told her husband, who was sitting at tea, end
then brought the little child into the room, aid, seeing
some bread on the table, he craved for it, and her hus-
band gave him some. They then ascertained from ben
that he had a mother and soniefsisters up stairs, and, at
the desire of her husband, she went up with him to the
first floor back room, to which he pointed as being the
place where she would find his mother and sisters. She
opened the door and a shocking picture presented itself ;
the poor mother lay in one corner of the room, and the
other children crouched near her, one of the elder chil-
dren being doubled quite up, her head being on her feet.
They all were as naked as they were born. She endea-
voured to rouse the woman, but she appeared quite in.
sensible. She then came down and told her nusband
what had happened, and that she thought he had better
thear pdtir ot weres} trna
go fora policeinau, or do something- He went for Mr.
he did not think
Collett, one of the workhouse inspectors, who procured
blankets and covering from his own hscauidse,
under the direction of Mr. Tubbs, the relieving overseer,'
sent for Mr. Elkins, the surgeon of the district. Mr.
Elkins attended to the mother, and the children
retlinorv.ei\dfain,dlaetc, ainb
question,atonstwheerittiofiramary.
tion of the two elderchildren was so great
it would be advisabl to remove them from their beds
to come before the Court. They were, however, s
quite
sensible. The younger children were better.
Susan, the third child, an intelligent little girl, ten
She was
years, was shortly brought into the Court. 8b
placed in a chair, and appeared to have suffered very
touch. She was exceedingly pale, and her eyes much
sunken, but otherwise there was not that extent of
ema-
ciation which might have been expected, coesider gln
amount of privation she nad undergone. In answer to ---0 thethe
coroner she sari she could read and write, and knew
She
recollected it
was very wicked to state that which was untrue.
recollected being in the workhouse before, When they
went out her mother went to live at Waliner -Pince' Her
name was Franklin, and her father was
a
Since they had been at Walrcer-place their father
hal
carpenter.
sent her mother some m . oney to buy food Her mother
did not get tipsy, but she had complained of pains in the
head for a lung while. Toey had cried to her for bread,
but for the last fortnight before the lady found them she
had never spoken a word. They did not have any food
till they were found on Thursday afternoon
vious Monday. That was got by from thepre-
her eldest sister. Her
mother would not go to th, workhouse, because she said
she had no clothes to go in,
Mr. Tubbs, the relieving offic '
tion, said that the mother, where er! in answer to a ques-
very sullen disposition; arid
when in the Loose, was of a
brought in before she
as well as her children were neatly in.t.ie same wretchnl
state as they were found on this occasion.
1s occasion. she demanded.
to go out three or four times; and on the last occasion
Mr. Potter, one of the guardians,was for nearly a quar-
ter of an hour endeavouring'
to:dissuade her from
ll
dome:
e
so, but she persisted. S, -
and'
went out with her enildren O
the 11th of September,
nothing. more hal. been heard
of her until the - ediscovery was made on the Thursday
afternoon.

The Coroner remarked tint he was quite willing to
adjourn the inquiry until such time as the elder children
might be i❑ a fit state to appear before them if the jury
thought proper; but he really could not see what advan-
tage would result from further pursuing the history of
this case, which, although very shocking, was very simple.
Fr,un the state of the poor woman's brain it was quite
clear that it had rendered Ler wholly incapable of doing
anything for lirselt or her children, and hence the
frightful state of destitution into which they all fell. His
only surpti4e was that the elder girl, 13 years of age, had