The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-05 00:00:00

T STEPNEY.

ADJOURNED INQUEST-(THIS DAY.

The adjourned inquest upon the body of Philip Yorath,
a male child three weeks old, whose body was exhumed by
order of the Home Secretary, was resumed this morning at
the New Globe Tavern, Mile-end-road, before Mr.
. Humphreys, the coroner for Middlesex.
Mr. Best, the barrister, appeared to watch the case on
the part of the Rev. J. Bonwell, incumbent of St. Philip's,
Stepney.
The first witness called was
Mrs. Condor, who said—l reside at No. 4, Underwood-
street, Mile -end, and am a widow. I am a nurse. On
the 10th or 11th of September I was sent for to nurse a
lady by Dr. Godfrey's assistant. He accompanied me to
the place I was to go to. It was at the school-house be-
hind Stepney Church. When I got there I found Dr.
Godfrey, a lady, and Mr. Bonwell. The room was not
furnished as a bed-room. It was an empty room, with a
bed in it. It was made upon planks.
A Juror—Planks ?
Witness—l mean forms. There was neither chairs nor
tables in the room. I have never before attended as nurse
to a case of Dr. Godfrey's. I don't know the name of the
lady. She was delivered of a male child on the Friday
morning ; that was the morning following the night I went
there. It was about 12 o'clock when I first arrived at the
school-house. The assistant to Dr. Godfrey knocked at
the door, and I was then let in. I don't think the child,
when born, was full grown. Dr. Godfrey was present at
the birth. Mr. Bonwell was down stairs. The mother
had no milk for three days after the birth ; she did not
suckle the baby at all. I remained at the school-house
with the lady for twelve days. Dr. Godfrey attended as
the medical man the whole of the time I was there.
No one came to see the mother of the child during the time
I was there but Dr. Godfrey. Mr. Bonwell of course was
always coming in and out. He used to come every day. I
left the schoolhouse on the twelfth day after I arrived. On
the Tuesday week after the confinement I, the lady, and
the infant left the schoolhouse and proceeded to an hotel
over London-bridge. I don't recollect the name. I am sure
I cannot remember it. It was about nine o'clock at night
when we left. We went in a cab. The lady told the cab-
man where to drive to. When we got to the hotel we found
rooms had been taken for us. While we were there Dr.
Godfrey continued to attend. I went on one occasion to
fetch. him. The child had everything in the way of
. nourishment that could be got. It had fresh milk as well as
other things. It would not take its food from a spoon. I
considered the child ailing from its birth. Thechild refused
to take its milk from a bottle. This took place at the
school house. The master (Mr. Bonwell) took the top of
the bottle to see whether there was anything to prevent the
milk coming out. Having found that there was nothing to
impede the milk flowing, a second and third bottle was pr o-
cured, but the baby refused to take its food from either.
We tried to feed it with a spoon but he seemed to have
something in its throat that prevented its swallowing. No
medicine was given as it could not swallow. Dr. Godfrey
ordered chalk and magnesia, but the baby refused to take
it. The child refused all kinds of nouishment. The child
also refused its medicine, so it did not get any.
The Coroner—How many days were you at the hotel ?
Witness—l can't say. When the lady left the hotel
I did not go with them. By them I mean Mr. Bonwell,
the lady, and the baby. They went to the London-bridge
station. T don't know where they went ; I don't know
which of the railways it was. I never expected to see them
again; I however got a note requesting me to come imme-
diately to the hotel, and there I found the lady and baby
very ill. When the child died it was three weeks and a
day old. Dr. Godfrey was there on the Friday, but no
person but the mother and myself Nr.;:s present when the
child died, on Saturday morning at four o'clock.
Coroner—Do you mean to say that all this time you did
not learn the lady's name ?
Witness—l do. I don't even know now.'
Coroner—Who paid you?
Witness—Mr. Bonwell.
Coroner—Did you give information that the birth of the
child ought to be registered P
Witness—Yes. The birth of the child was registered at
at a place over London-bridge.
A Juror—That was the death. Was the birth of the
child registered at the time it was born at the school-house ?
Witness—No.
A Juror—You understand the difference between regis
tering a birth and a death.
Witness—Yes.
A Juror—Then, was the birth of the child registered a
Stepney ?
Witness—No.

Coroner—Do you know anything about the burial of the
child ?
Witness—No ; I know nothing about it. I left the dead
child at the hotel.
Cross-examined by Mr. Best—The lady had a very bad
confinement. There was a great deal of trouble taken to
get life in the child. I declare to God there was as much
care taken of the child as if it had teen my own. The
mother was very fond of the child. I- thought she would
go out of her mind when it died.
A Juror—Did the motherhave milk before the child died ?
Witness—Yes ; but the child refused to take it.
Elizabeth Bacon said—l live at 3, Westi-cottages, South-
end. lam not married. I get my living by hard work.
No lady of the name of Yorath, between 12th and 29th of
September, was living with me. I know nothing about
such a lady. All I know is that Mr. Bonwell called on me,
and asked me if any letters came for Miss Yorath to take
them in. I did receive some, and posted them in directed
envelopes. Mr. Bonwell directed the envelopes.
A Juror—How were the envelopes directed ?
Witness—l don't recollect the address, further than that
the letters were sent to Mr. Bonwell, Stepney.
Emma Mitchell said I reside at the Sussex Hotel, Duke-
street, Southwark. I have charge of the upper part of the
hotel. A gentleman of the name of Bonwell engaged a
sleeping room there last Tuesday for a lady, nurse, and a
baby. The gentleman told me it was his sister. The lady,
nurse, and child came the same night. They remained till
the following Saturday. They arrived about eight o'clock
in the evening. I saw the child every day. It never seemed
very lively ; it was quiet. It took the bottle freely, and
quite enough nourishment for an infant of its age. I saw
it fed with a spoon. I never saw the mother suckle the
child. After the lady left she returned in a few days. The
day after the child became poorly, on the Wednesday it
became ill, and the doctor was sent for. It died on Satur-
day morning, the 3d September, at about 11 in the morn-
ing. A doctor attended deceased. I never saw the child
take any medicine. I was not present when the child
died. I saw it shortly after. The body was removed cn
Saturday evening by an undertaker, who brought a shell
with him. I never heard that more than one doe-
• attended. I never know the name of the lady. Mr.
ffonwell paid me. On• the Wednesday after she left she
called and asked me if her brother had called.
Juror—Who did she mean by her brother?
Witness—Mr. Bonwell.
Juror—Did Mr. Bonwell ever sleep there ?
Witness—Yes, one night.
Juror—How do you know it was Mr. Bonwell ?
Witness—Only by reading it in the papers.
Coroner—That will not do. Have yott seon the gentle •
man here this morning ?
Witness—Yes, I have seen him down stairs.
Witness continued—l asked the doctor what was the
matter with the child after it died, but I got no satisfactory
answer. The child was very young, and appeared healthy.
When the doctor was sent for on the Wednesday, I saw
the child the following day. It was very much convulsed.
Warm milk was given to baby.
Coroner—Did it take it ?
Witness—Yes.
Coroner—Did you see the child on the Friday ?
Witness—Yes, it was still convulsed. On the evening
it appeared easier, but it died at 4 o'clock the next morning.
I don't know whether the doctor attended on the Friday.
I don't think the child was more drowsy the first week than
other children, but the second week it appeared to sleep a
great deal. When I saw it on Friday evening I did not
anticipate its death. •
Coroner—Then, as I understand you, the lady came to
the hotel on Tuesday and left the following Saturday. She
returned the next Monday and remained till the Saturday,
and then again left. During the whole of that time do you
mean to say that you did not learn the lady's name?
Witness—Yes. As the child died on Saturday morning
I asked Mr. Bonwell in the evening if he was going to re-
move the body. He said he had spoken to an undertaker
about it. I don't know the undertaker's name. After the
lady left the hotel for good, I found some stockings. There
was a name on the stockings, but I can't remember whether
it was Yorath. I will swear I cannot recollect. Tho
mother seemed to feel the loss of her child. As far as I
could see the infant appeared to receive every attention.
Cross-examined by Mr. Best—l have not been speaking
as a nurse. When Mr. Bonwell slept at the house, he oc-
cupied a different part of the house to the lady. When the
undertaker was in the room I was not. I did not see the
there.
put.lt is
ot
the
et the
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possible. Mr. Bonwell did
in hotels removed as Bien as
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not sleep in the house the night the child died.
tcoregweetdthdeorodiesisoffr.

Frederick James Gant examined. He said—l am surgeon
to the Royal Free Hospital. I have made a post mortem
examination of the body of a male child. It was in a shell.

I found the body of a nine months' child, much corrupted
lying on its right side. The face and head were a good deal
decomposed, the tongue protruding, the abdomen dis-
tnded. There were no external marks of violence. The
body appeared emaciated, the limbs particularly so. I,
opened the body and removed the lungs and heart. They
were fresh. I placed a portion of one lung in water and it
floated, showing that the child had breathed. The lungs
were quite healthy. Tho whole intestinal canal was a deep
claret colour. .I did not deem it right to open the intestines
alone, and I suggested Dr. Letheby should be consulted. I
placed the whole of the intestines of the body in a jar. On
opening the head the brain flowel out. I sealed the jars
and delivered them myself to Dr. Letheby.
Cross-examined by Mr. Best—To the best of my belief
the child is a nine months' child. There is not much differ-
ence between an eight or nine months' child. Eight months'