The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-15 00:00:00

FA ENTIA NI, T.s.lirvclay.
The inquiry into the alleged oral-admin istrtation of
the poor law in this workhouse was rcsurned this
morning by the Special Commissioner, Mr. J. Lam-
bert, the Poor Law Inspector, with whom was as-
sociated Dr. Edward Smith, the medical ai'viser of
the Poor Inw Board.
The proprietors of the Lancet w: re represented by
Mr. A. L. Smith, instructed by Mr. S. Potter, jun: ;
and the Guardians by Mr. Barrow; Dr. Anstie and
Dr. Stallard, the Lancet commissioners who reported
on this workhouse, were present, as were Mr. Bar-
ratt, the deputy-chairman of the guardians, and
many of the guardians.
Mr. Smith said he should apply to the Commis-
sioner to call for the guardians' minute book, and
for the medical officer's reports to the guardians
during the time Dr. Powell had been medical officer
of the union.
The Commissioner assented, and ordered the
minutes and reports to be forthcoming.
The late master, Sargent, here stood up and said
that he was as much concerned in this inquiry as the
guardians, and as he was undefended, he hoped the
Commissioner would give him facilities for the vin-
dication of his character.
The Commissioner said that, though the late
master was not at present a poor law official, he
should be allowed to put questions through him, the
Commissioner.

The inquiry then proceeded.
William Hatfield, an inmate of the workhouse, was
called and sworn. He said he came in first in Feb.,
1864, and remained in for seven or eight weeks. He
was in the middle ward of the infirmary, and was
afterwards shifted out into the large ward called the
"long ward." He was shifted there to look after the
patients, of whom there were ten at one time, and
nine at another time. He had to wash four bed-
ridden men, and fetched the water (cold) from the
tap. It was carried in the chamber utensil, which
the men had used, there being no proper wash-

basins. All the time he was in the infirmary there
was not a wash-basin for the whole three wards,
and all the bed-ridien patients had to wash out of
their chamber utensils. He came into the workhouse
in Dec.,1866, and he then found wash basins in the
wards and a new doctor (the present medical
officer).
Questioned by Mr. Barrow, the witness said the
Guardians came round two or three times while he
was there, but he never heard any one ask if there

were any complaints to make. He made no corn

plaints to guardians or master. In reply to ➢lr. A.
L. Smith he said he was told by the late master,
Sargent, to make the beds and otherwise assist, and
he did not consider it his duty to complain. He
made answer, too, to Dr. Smith that there were pails
in the nurse's rooms, but they were never used to
wash in, except in very "dirty cases," when, as it
was suggested, more water than ordinary was re-
quired. He stated further, on questions suggested
by the late master, that when he asked for articles
of the late master for " dirty cases" he got them
supplied. He had not, however, seen any other
books in the infirmary except Bibles and Prayer
Books. He had had no books to read from the late
master, nor had he seen any others have books.
James IVhite, another inmate, at present an
" able-bodied," stated that he came into the house
in 18G3, and was then a patient in the " long ward."

He was then bed-ridden and there for six months,
and it was always the practice while he was there to
wash the bed-ridden patients with cold water in the
chamber uteuils. He came again in 1865, and was
again bed-ridden. The same mode of washing the
patients was then still pursued ; but shortly after Dr.
Powell came, and washing basins were substituted
for the chamber utensils for the purpose of washing.
In 1863 the beds were not " out of the way" dirty,
and one had always to ask for the clean linen of the
master. Replying to Mr. Barrow, the witness said
that as soon as Dr. Powell came he began to in-
quire about the things used by the patients, and
matters in this respect were then soon altered. No
complaints had been made by the patients ; but the
witness added the manner of washing was not hid-
den, and any one coining there could have seen the
washing in the chamber utensils. In answer to the
Chief Commissioner, he said that the then paid
nurse, Ann Balchin, had seen this peculiar mode of
washing, and the guardians, he said, though they
might not have been there when this washing was
going on, could have seen there were no basins.
Never saw any small towels belonging either to the
union or to the patients. He acted as nurse on
each occasion of his being in the infirmary on his
so far recovering as to rise from his bed.
Louisa Chaplen, au inmate, who now did not
look particularly clean, said she came into the work-
house in March, in 1860 or 1861. She used to
" come in and out" in the first year, and slid used,
when in, to be washed in the bath-room of the re-
ceiving ward. When thus washed she used to dry
herself on the sheets which she lay in of the receiv-
ing ward bed. There was nothing else on which
the people in the receiving ward could dry them-
selves. No towels were supplied until Miss Stead-
man, the matron, came.

Mr. Barrow asked—Did you never complain to
the guardians of the want of towels ? to which the
witness answered—No ; if I had they would have
paid no attention to me.
Ann Balchin, a pauper inmate, said she had been
in the workhouse for two years. At first she was
in the washhouse, but now was cook. She renaem-
bored the Lancet commissioners coming. She showed
them the larder, which was then very dirty, but she
did not know of any smell in it. It was dirty from
not being cleaned out for some time. She had seen
guardians go into the larder in its dirty state, when
an inventory was being taken (on the 3d of October)
after Mr. Sargent had left. During the month of
September, when she first became cook, she only
cooked breasts of mutton for the sick. She had
cooked legs and shoulders of mutton, but only for
the master's table. Since the new master had been
there she had cooked joints for the sick. The kit-
chen was usually clean.
Questioned by Mr. Barrow, she said it would be
her duty to clean the larder if the door were open,
but it was always kept locked, except when the
master and matron were out. She knew the joints
she had cooked were for the late master because she
had taken them up to his table. She was cook only
three weeks in the late master's time, and then she
cooked only breasts of mutton for the sick. During
the new master's time she had cooked shoulders, legs,
loins, and breasts for the sick. She had commenced
as cook on Sunday, Sept. 8. She was quite certain,
when requested to be very careful in what she said,
that she had not cooked anything but breasts in
September for the sick.
Mr. Barrow here remarked that the Commissioner
would see the significance of his putting this ques-
t,

On when he stated that in the butcher's bill no
mutton was charged for but legs at 10c1. a pound.
Ile read the bills, which were for " beef, suet,
legs of mutton, officers' joints," and the mutton for
each of the four weeks in September was charged at
103. a pound, and the quantity for the sick was
about 401 b. a week. No breasts of mutton whatever
were charged for. The examination of the bills
caused a deep sensation among all, especially the
guardians, when• taken in connection with the evi-
dence just given. The bills were signed, "Exa-
mined and found correct.—J. SARGENT." In one of

the bills " mutton," without specifying what class,
WAS charged, contract price, for legs at 90. The
_ _ _

contract was only for legs and loins of mutton, no
other mutton being allowed for the sick, the other

inmates having other meat.
It was agreed that the contractor should be sum-
moned to give evidence, and that the previous
pauper cook should be sought as well.

The questions put by the late master werp if the