The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-16 00:00:00

The Poor-law Inquiry at Bethnal-Green.

Simpson.
The Court adjourned till this morning.
A meeting of the Dublin Corporation was held
yesterday, the Lord Mayor in the chair. A report
was read from the Board of Superintendence stating
that, in consequence of the present system of ap-
pointing officers to the city prisons persons physically
unable to discharge the duties had been nominated
as officers, and that therefore the Board of Superin-
tendence could not be responsible for the safe cus-
tody of the prisoners. Alderman Tarpey denied the
charge made in the report as to unsuitable appoint-
ments having been made by Government ; but Mr.
Devitt and Mr. Sullivan asserted that broken down
policemen had been appointed, and that it was ab-
solutely necessary that a parliamentary inquiry
should take place to ascertain the truth of the charges
that had been made against the Board. A resolu-
tion to this effect was adopted.
We have had a very severe frost here for nearly a
week. Yesterday the ice on the pond of the Zoolo-
gical Gardens in the Park was strong enough for
skating. Large numbers of gentlemen and ladies as-
sembled there yesterday, and an accident occurred
which was near proving fatal to many of them.
Professor Iloughton, the secretary, has published
an account of the occurrence, from which it appears
that the ice was perfectly safe on the shallow part of
the pond, but not so ou the deep end near the city.
A rope was drawn across to warn the skaters and
visitors to keep off the deep water, and marked
" dangerous." The public unfortunately disregarded
the warning, and towards 2 p.m. crowded in large
numbers on the deep end of the pond, where the ice
was smoothest and most dangerous. A group of
ladies and gentlemen crowded together in one spot,
and the ice gave way, precipitating them all into
the deep water. The ice ladders and life buoys of
the society were immediately brought into requi-
sition, under the superintendence of Mr. Carter and
the men in the employment of the society, who did
their duty steadily and bravely, and were assisted
by 58 D, Michael Travers, who risked his life re-
peatedly in aiding the men of the society to work
the ice-ladders. Mr. A. T. Foster, of Lincoln's-
inn, Mr. Stephen Creaghe, Mr. Wm. Barlow, and
Mr. E. Cooper, at great risk to themselves, aided
in breaking the ice and relieving the " jamb" of the
ice-ladders, which at one time threatened to become
very dangerous. When the sufferers were removed
from the water they were carried to the superin-
tendent's house, where it was found that the fol-
lowing required medical treatment :—The Misses
Owen (3), Miss Simmons, Miss Flint, Mr. P.
Deaker, Mr. R. T. Foster, and Mr. Monks. They
were promptly treated by Professor M'Donel, Dr.
A. W. Foot, Dr. Wade, Dr. A. L. Owen, Dr. Per-
cival, Dr. Green, and, aided by the kind nursing of
Mrs. Carter and her female servants, were shortly
pronounced out of danger.
At a general meeting of " the laity" of the Dublin
Conservative Registration Society, held on Satur-
day, Mr. B. L. Guinness, M.P., in the chair, after
exh(,rtitig the members to increased exertion, the
D.pott stated that —" The necessity for the Conser-
vative party at the present eri3i.; to exert their in-
fluence, either by energetic personal action or by
increased contributions to your society, is manifest,
especially when we see the giant efforts our oppo-
nents are making to sap the foundations of our most
cherished institutions, and, by alliances of an ultra-
Democratic nature, deliberately planning the sub-
version of our time-honoured, truly liberal, and
free Constitution."

At a meeting of the members of the Royal Irish
Academy yesterday the secretary read a letter from
the executors of the late Mr. Halliday, stating that--
" Mrs. Halliday had decided on presenting intact
to the Academy her husband's entire collection of
pamphlets, tracts, and papers relating to Ireland.
Having been left his property absolutely, she was
desirous of paying that tribute -of respect to his
memory, and at the same time of preserving to the
Academy so valuable and unique a collection."
The Rev. Dr. Carson said he felt much pleasute

Yesterday Dr. Markham, one of the inspectors of
poor law for the London district, held an inquiry, as
a Commissioner of the Poor-law Board, at Bethnal-
green Workhouse, into the charges made against
Mr. Massingham, one of the district medical officers.
The facts of the case may be briefly stated. On Mon-
day, the 6th, an inquest was held upon a woman
who died after childbirth, under such circumstances
that the jury, in their verdict, said that the " con-
duct of the parish doctor (Mr. Massingham) was in-
human in not attending the deceased when the
parish order was given to him, there appearing to
be nothing to prevent his doing so ; and the
jury also considered "that he is unfit to be
continued as the parish doctor, and should be re-
quired to resign his appointment." The guardians
immediately held a special meeting, and, having
suspended Mr. Massingham, sent a report of the
case to the Poor-law Board, and this inquiry was
ordered.

The first witness called was Matilda Grimmo, the
sister of the deceased woman. She stated that the
deceased was the wife of a working man, and had
obtained an order for admittance to the Lying-in
Hospital. The pains of labour came on at about 9
o'clock on Wednesday, the 2d inst., and a cab was
sent for to take her to the hospital. The weather
was so bad that the cabman would not go under a
fare of ss. The money was raised with difficulty,
and then the cabman would not go unless paid 7s.
Time was thus lost, and the woman was confined on
the floor of the room, and was safely delivered.
This was at 11 o'clock. About 6 o'clock the same
evening witness obtained an order for Mr. Massing-
ham's attendance, and she went with it to his house,
which was not, she said, five minutes' walk from
where her sister was lying. She told him, she said,
that her sister had been confined, and he said that
he could not come that night, but would come in
the morning. She told him that her sister com-
plained a great deal of pains, and he replied that
they were after-pains, for which he would give some
medicine. The next morning, finding her sister
very bad, she went at half-past 10 o'clock to Mr.
Massinglaam's, and saw him sitting in the parlour
reading the paper. She asked him to come and see
her sister, who, she said, was apparently dying. His
reply was, " I cannot help that ; I cannot come until
my usual time of coming round." The son of Mr.
Massingam came at half-past 11 ; the deceased died
at half-past 12. When the son came he applied
mustard poultices. He remained about 10 minutes.
Mr. Massingham came about an hour and a half
after the death.
Amelia Fox, a nurse who delivered deceased,
stated that she went to Mr. Massinghatn's on the
morning of the 3d, at about half-past 8. Mrs.
Massingham was in the shop, and she informed Mr.
Massingham, who was in an inner room, that he
was wanted. His reply was that he could not be
seen for half an hour, and witness went back and
sent a little girl.
Annie Ferry, the daughter of deceased, aged 15,
stated that she went to Mr. Massingham at half-
past 10 o'clock on Thursday, the 3d, and said to Mr.
Massinglia.m, whom she saw, "Please, sir, my mo-
ther is dying." Ile replied, " Fiddle-de-dee, non.
sense. If your mother was put to bed yesterday she
can't be dying to-day." Witness stood crying, and
he said to her "Don't stand crying here, that won't
bring her back again."
Mr. H. Harris, the medical offieer of the City of
London Lying-in Hospital, who made the post
mortem of the deceased, gave evidence showing that
she died of inflammation of the lungs and effusion of
serum in the bag of the heart (the pericardium). He
said no power could have saved her on Wednesday;
but he could not speak as to what medical attend-
ance could have done if she had had it on Wednes-
day.
Mary Ann Massingham, the wife of the district
surgeon, was then sworn. She remembered a woman
coming on Wednesday, Jan. 2, with an order for
Mr. Massingham. She said she had got an order for
the doctor for a poor woman who had been taken
ill. Jr. Massingham asked some questions, and the
reply was it was all over some hours and he was not
wanted. All she wanted was a bottle of medicine
for the after-pains. She gave him a bottle and said,
" I suppose you know what to give ?" and he replied
" I suppose I do." He gave the medicine. She stated
that it was a midwifery case. Ile asked, "Am I
wanted directly ?" and she said, " You are not
wanted at all." When she had the medicine, she
turned round and said, " You will give her a call,
doctor, to-morrow, ou going your rounds ?" Wit-
ness was in the shop next morning from half-past 7.
No one called for the doctor until 8 30. At that
time a woman called and wanted to speak to him.
She was told he was not up at present. While the
woman was there he came down, and witness told
him he was wanted. He replied, " I shall be disen-
gaged in half an hour." Witness did not tell who
it was wanted him, for the woman never said where
she came from.
Stephen Sadler, the relieving officer of No. 1 dis-
trict, stated that it was usual to fill up the orders,
and he could not say why the one given for deceased
was not filled up. The impression on his mind was
that he was told the delivery was over, and he
thought it was hardly right to call it a midwifery
case. Had he been called upon before delivery be
should have written upon the order " urgent." Ile
did not consider this as an urgent case from the de-
scription given to him. The order represented an
ordinary case of sickness and not urgent, and should
be visited as soon as the medical officer could get
the time to visit. Ile had visited the room occupied
by deceased and her husband, and be found it com-
fortably furnished for a working man—that was to
say, there was everything necessary. It was on
Thursday witness visited the house, and the husband
said he did not want anything from the parish, for
that might be given to some who wanted it more
than he did.
Ann Searle, who stated she was waiting for medi-
cine when Mrs. Grimmo came in with the order,
gave a similar account of what had taken place.
The same story was told by Miss Massingharn, who,
it appeared, was also present when the child came,
and she allowed that her father said, " Fiddle-dee-
dee, nonsense," to the child.
Mr. Ma.',,singharn's answer was that the order did
not describe any urgency about the case, and that
lie was not informed of any urgency until Thursday
morning, when he was delayed from going by an at-
tack of
he dysentery.fsaid
througi hislllisa mistakingns‘ve herrtothel forittle girlano another
child.
Mr. Defriez, a medical gentleman, deposed that Mr.
Massingham had been under his care for dysentery.
The sister of the deceased woman was further ex-
amined, and stated that the reason she did not ap-
ply for the order earlier was because the relieving
officer's place was closed between 11 in the morning
and 5 in the evening.
Mr. Howard, clerk to the guardians, acknowledged
that this was the case, as the relieving officers were
then out visiting, but he said an order could have
been obtained at the relieving officer's residence.
The poor people, it appeared, were not aware of this.
The husband of the deceased woman was interro-
gated, and it was elicited that he, deceased, and five
children lived in one room, for which they paid 2s.
6d. a week. He had 18s. a week for his labour, and

to this unfortunate one. On this disastrous voyage

she left Glasgow on the Ist of October last, in
command of Mr. Gilbert C. Scallow, who holds a
certificate of competency No. 26,380. She left port
at about 4 p.m., at nearly high tide, the wind being
from the westward, moderate, and the weather fine.
She had a crew of 14 hands all told, and carried a
cargo consisting of 550 tons pig iron, and of other
cargo general 121 tons, exclusive of water and ship's
stores. She was bound for New York, in Ame-
rica, and carried no passengers. About the
third day after leaving port, when off Rathlin
Island, in the county of Antrim, vessel began to
make water, which, as appears by the evidence,
alarmed the crew, who on two or three occasions
went aft and requested the captain to put back to
port, and at last insisted on this being done, and
accordingly the ship was put back and reached
Greenock safely. Ou the 11th, 12th, and 13th of
October her topsides were carefully caulked—a sur-
vey having been held by the surveyor for Lloyd's,
I and another—a portion of the cargo having been
discharged to lighten the ship, to enable them to get
at the bends, where a leak had been found out.
The leak appears to have been stopped after the
caulking, and the cargo was again put on board ;
but shortly after this had been done it was found
that the ship again began to make water, when a
second survey was held by the Surveyor of Lloyd's,
the Surveyor for the Underwriters, and Mr. Robert
Steel, jun., shipbuilder, of Greenock. The result
of this survey was that it was deemed necessary
to unload the ship and put her into dry dock.
On Oct. 21 the ship was docked, her yellow metal
sheathing taken off, and her bottom dubbed bright,
when it was found that the butt-ends were much
strained, requiring caulking, and that the ship
herself had sunk perceptibly amidships. It was
then determined to shore the ship up, and knockout
the ways under the keel, whereby the vessel appeared
to recover her original shape. This having been done,
she was thoroughly caulked from her keel to her
bends or wales, and her bottom covered over with
a coating of tar and pitch, but the yellow metal
sheathing was not replaced. It was also deemed
necessary to strengthen the ship, which was done
by putting in seven pairs of iron riders fore and
aft the ship, from the beams to round the turn of
the bilge, and bolted through ; the ceiling planks
were also fastened with iths of an inch iron bolts.
After these repairs the ship was considered fit to re-
ceive the cargo which was put on board, leaving out
103 tons of pig iron, which made the total on board
of ter being docked—pig iron 447 tons, and her cargo
121. tons. The pig iron on the first occasion seems
to have been all stowed in the lower hold ; but on
reloading the ship, at the suggestion of the surveyor
for the Glasgow Underwriters' Association, 300
tons appear to have been stowed in the lower hold,
and 147 tons on the planks placed in the lower hold
beams for that purpose ; and the Court was
satisfied that the pig iron was properly stowed ;
that is, grating fashion, to raise it as much
as possible to make the ship easy in a sea-
way. The cargo having 'been taken on board, it
did not appear by the evidence, which was somewhat
conflicting, that the ship was overloaded, as, in the
opinion of most witnesses, she was in good sea-going
trim, her draught of water being, as near as could be
ascertained, about 14ft., even keel ; nor does the ship
appear to have made any water
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lyingGreenock,
remained at the Tail of the Bank a few hours. She
put into Lamlash Bay, the wind being strong against
shipta
her. When the weather moderated she proceededon
Thursday,her
voyage,
Naonv. and
22, appearshe having
o hv e
beengone
pumped until
out every two hours up to this time. After leaving
Lamlash Bay the wind was fair and od m erate and
the weather fine. On Thursday morning,
when
about 160 miles to the westward of Mized Head, on
the coast of Ireland, it was found that the ship had
begun to make water much more than usual, which
leakage continued to increase up to between 10 and
11 a.m., when it was determined to steer for the
nearest point on the Irish coast. At about this time
the ship's head was put towards the land with all sail
set, the breeze being fair and commanding, and the
pumps were still kept going. Some time in the after-
noon of this day—the time does not appear by the
evidence to be correctly known—all hands were
called to the pumps, and were kept on deck taking
spell and spell at them till about 4 p.m. on the fol-
lowing day, the 23d, when they were knocked off to
clear away the boats. Shortly after 4 p.m. on this
day the jolly boat appears to have been got over the
side, but was unfortunately stove in and capsized in
getting her round the stern. The longboat was got
on the hatchway ready for launching, also the gig,
the former requiring a few slight repairs, which
were done by the carpenters. The pumps were
again manned after about half an hour, during which
time all bands had been engaged getting the
boats ready. By the evidence of the carpenter,
about this time, or maybe somewhat later in
the afternoon, it would appear he proposed to the
captain to connect the two bilge pumps to the main
pumps, and work the four together, the pumps being
worked by a fly-wheel and crank ; but the captain
objected, upon the plea that he had not sufficient
men to work them together, therefore this addi-
tional means of keeping the water under was not
tried. By the evidence, it appears that a brig was
spoken a day or two before this ; but on this after-
noon, the 23d, at about 3 p.m., a steamer was seen
some distance off ; the smoke and mast& were visible,
not so her hull. When this was reported to the cap-
tain, or when lie himself saw the steamer, he re-
marked, " It is no use making any signals of dis-
tress, as she is too far off." And here we may bring
to your lordships' notice that the Torfrida had no
signal gun, no code of signals, no skyrockets or blue
lights, in fact only the British ensign and a burgee,
on board. The pumps at 5 p.m. were remanned by
the whole crew, and kept going until nearly 8 p.m.,
but they had never been able to make them suck
since the evening previous, that is Thursday, the
22d, but from that time the water had been gra-
dually gaining upon them. Just before 4 p.m. of the
23d sail had been reduced to two topsails and fore-
sail. Evidently at that time there was, in the opi-
nion of the master, little chance of saving the ship.
About 8 p.m. orders were given by the master to