The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-07 00:00:00

THE EXTRAORDINARY' INQUIRY AT

STEPNEY.

ADJOURNED INQUEST-THIS DAY.

The adjourned inquest upon the body of Philip Yorath,
an infant three weeks old, reported to be the illegitimate
child of a young lady, was resumed this morning at the
New Globe Tavern, Mile-end-road, before Mr. Humphrey,
the coroner for Middlesex.
Mr. Best, the barrister, again attended to watch the case
on the part of the Rev. Mr. Bonwell, the rector of St.
Philip's, Stepney; and Inspector Whicher, of the detective
force, attended by direction of the Commissioners of the
Metropolitan Police.
The first witness called was
Selina Manning, who said—l an attendant at the Sussex
Hotel, Southwark. In August last a lady and her child
were stopping at the hotel. I don't remember the date of the
month when they were there. The child died on a Satur-
day morning. In the discharge of my duties I was in and out
the room the child died in frequently. I have seen the child
fed and also fed it myself. When they came on the first
occasion they remained a week. I saw the child the night
the mother arrived. I appeared very well and continued
so the whole of the first week they remained. They left on
Saturday and returned on the following Monday, being
absent two days. I fed the child that Monday from a bottle.
It contained warm milk.
Coroner—Did the child take it ?
Witness—Yes.
Coroner—Was it afterwards sick and rejected the food 1'
Witness—Yes.
Coroner—When you fed the child did the food pass down
its throat ?
Witness—Yes.
Coroner—How long after you fed the child was it before
it was sick ?
Witness—About a quarter of an hour ?
Coroner—Did you blow of any medicine being given to
the child ?
Witness—Yes ; some white powder.
Coroner—After the return to the hotel 1'
Witness—Yes.
Coroner—Do you know what it was.
Witness—No.
Coroner—Who gave the child the medicine.
Witness—The mother. It was not sick after it. I don't
know where the medicine came from.
Juror—How many times did you give the ohild food.
Witness—l gave it about as much, and as frequently as
the nurse. I cannot say how often. I have held the
bottle to the child's mouth for an hour at a time, twice a
day. I can only recollect the child vomiting twice.
Cross-examined by Mr. Best—After the child took the
medicine it did not vomit. When I saw the child last it
seemed ill and in a weakly state. It looked as if it would
not liv3 long.
The Coroner—Do you know whether the child had
diarrhoea when it returned to the hotel.
Witness—No ; I do not.
The Rev. Mr. Bonwell said—l am incumbent of St.
Philip's Church, Mile-end. Attached to ray church are
some schools. They are at present closed for want of funds.
There are two houses attached, one for the school-master
and the other for the mistress. My private residence is at
33nhornhill-creseent, Islington, and, being at a distance
from the church, I frequently sleep at the school-house.
On the 12th of August, a lady of the name of Elizabeth
Yorath was confined of a child in the school-house. She
was an unmarried woman. She was at the school-house
with my consent, After the birth of the child, I procured
everything that was necessary for the comforts
and sustenance of the infant. I called in a
medical man to attend Dr. Godfrey. He had
never seen Miss Yorath before. Dr. Godfrey attended the
child also at the Sussex hotel. Whilst at the hotel the
child dig. Dr. Godfrey was in attendance on the child up
to the time of its death. I saw him once after it died. I
was requested by the mother to get an undertaker to bury
the body, and looked about in the street and found one.
I asked him what would be the chow to bury a child that
had been born a little before its time, and at his own con-
venience. He said he had a funeral to attend in a few days
It Ilford, and it would be 18s and the fees. During the time
I was at the school-room I frequently saw the child fed. I
.w it had great difficulty in retaining the food on its
stomach. Tlip little the infant took must have passed its
throat. I don't think it swallowed much for the last week
of its life. I saw it vomit once whilst it was at
the hotel. I cannot say the food did not pass down
its throat the last week it was at the hotel.
Coroner—l must ask you this question. Had the mother
before her confinement been in the habit of calling upon
you at the school-house ?
Witness—Yes.
A juror—How often after it was at the hotel did you see
the child fed.
Witness—l cannot say. I saw it fed every day before it
left the school-room.
Juror—As a clergyman of the Church of England did
you baptise the child ?

Witness—Yes ; seeing there was no chance of its living
did so. I baptised it Philip, after the lady's elder brother.
Coroner—And that was the same body which you
directed to be put into the coffin by Mr. Ayres at the
Sussex Hotel ?
Witness —Yes.
By Mr. Best—On the 11th of August I was at Southend.
I returned to town about 10 o'clock in the evening. I
found the lady in labour at the school-house. Seeing there
was immediate danger I sent for Dr. Godfrey. He never
charged me a farthing. Dr. Godfrey advised the removal
of the lady, but she was too ill. I say most solemnly I
never requested Mr Ayers to bury the child as privately as
possible. As Ayres was going down stairs he asked me if
any one would attend at Ilford on the day of the burial. I
said no. Tho body was placed in a regular coffin, and
nailed up in my presence.
William Thomas Ayres—l reside at 78, Cross-street,
Borough, and am an undertaker. On Saturday, the 3d of
September, a gentleman called at my house. It was the
last witness. I first met him in the street. He asked me
what I would bury the child for, in as plain a manner as
possible, as there would be no person to follow I might
bury it at my convenience. I said it would cost 18s. I
took it at that price as no person was to follow. I said I
thought I was going to Ilford the following Tuesday, and
would bury it there. I went to the hotel by direction of
the gentlemen, and there placed the body in a shell, and
took it away. The coffin was of the ordinary description.
I fastened the coffin down by driving two nails into it. I
afterwards took away the bcdy. I received a certificate of
its death, but I have not got it now. I fancy it must have
been torn up by the children at home, as I cannot find it.
Juror—Don't you file them ?
Witness—No.
Coroner—Don't you resually give them to the clergyman
performing the ceremony ?
Witness—Yes.
Coroner—What become of the body after you left the
hotel ?
Witness—On the following Sunday I put the child in a
coffin containing a female of the name of Acocks. She was
to be buried from Lant-street. The body of Acocks was
not at my house. I took the body of the child to Lunt-
street and put it into Acock's coffin. Both bodies were
buried in one coffin at the Tower Hamlets' Cemetery.
Juror—Did the family of Mrs. Aoocks know you were
going to put a second body in that coffin ?
Witness—No.
Coroner—You then paid but one set of fees, and only
one burial service performed ?
Witness—Yes.
Coroner--And only one certificate was handed in ?
Witness—Yes; and that not given until the week after-
wards, as lam in the habit of burying there. The child
appeared to me to bear the us appearance of infants of
that age. The mother kissed it three times before I took
it away.

Coroner—When you put the child into the cal% with
theweite
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Juror`—Are
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you in the habit of doing these things ?
Witness--No, (Laughter.) It is the first time I ever
. such a.thing.
Coroner—That is as far as I intend carrying the case.
You can do as you please, Mr. Best, about examining Dr.
Godfrey,
Mr. Best—I wish to withhold nothing from the jury,
and I therefore wish Dr. Godfrey should be exanined.
Dr. Godfrey then said—l am a regular practitioner. I
know Mr. Bonwell. I have attended his family for up-
wards of fifteen years. I recollect Mr. Bonwell calling on
mo. I returned with him to the schoolroom, and found a
lady there in labour. I orderad instant removal, and a cab
was sent for, but from circumstances arising it became im-
possible to do so. It was a labour of great danger. It
was what is called a cross birth, and there was also flood-
ing. It was a premature birth. I should say the child
was about eight months and a week old. It was insensible
when it was born. I had to inflate the lungs, and use
other means to get life into it. The next dayafter its birth
I found it could not sUck. I attended the lady at the school-
room for 12 days. I was afterwards sent for to attend the
lady at the Sussex Hotel, Southwark. I saw the child
was then in a dozy emaciated state. I was told the child
had purging, and I then directed the nurse to get some
chalk, and put it into its milk. It was too weak to take
medicine—there was no particular disease to attack. It
was not a case for medicine, and medicine ought not to
have been administered. I saw the child two days before'
it died—it was in the same emaciated state The child
died from atrophic ablactantum.

Mr. Best—You did everything that could be done for the
child ?

Witness—Yes.
Mr. Best—You gave a certificate of its death ?
Witness—Yes.
Mr. Best—To what did you attribute death ?
Witness—Atrophy. The Registrar-General forbids the
use of the term "inanition," as being vague.
Coroner—Can you be positive the child was not nine
months old ?
Witness—l can't positively swear to that, but it did not
bear the usual appearance that infants do of that age.
Coroner—How often did you see the child fed:
Witness—Two or three times.