The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-06 00:00:00

DEA THS TRO.II STARVATION.

A very important inquiry nas been held by Dr. Lan-
kester, the coroner for the central division of Middlesex, at
the Lord Nelson Tavern, Holloway-road, on the bodies of
two boys, named respectively Charles Arthur Tullet, aged
7, and Frederick John Tullet, aged 5. The jury
viewed the bodies in the deadhouse of the Chapel of EaF,
to which they were removed, and were much struck with
their attenuated and emaciated appearance. Eliza Tullet,
the mother of the deceased boys, said she lived at 15,
Clayton-street, Caledonian-road. With respect to the
elder boy, he had never been well from birth. For the
last three months he had been subject to fits, and he gra-
dually got worse. On Saturday he complained of being
unwell, when she laid him on the bed. Shortly after he
had a fit, and in a few hours he died. The second child
complained of a pain in his head, and was ill on the
Thursday, when she gave him some castor oil. On Saturday
he got worse, and compinined of heat of the body, and she
laid him down on the bed by the side of his brother, who
was then in another fit and insensible. All her children
in early age had fits, but some had grown out of them.
They were very poor, as her husband a year ago had suf-
fered from a severe illness. Since Christmas he had been
out of work, and at present he was very ill, with little or
no hope of recovery. Two of the eldest boys were out
at work, and brought in a little money, leaving 3s. after
the rent for their home was paid. She and her husband
also got little odd jobs, but the whole receipts afforded
them little beyond starvation. On the Friday the children
had a little rice for dinner, and afterwards some
bread and oatmeal, and bread in the evening before
going to bed, at half-past seven. Dr. J. T. Slater,
parish surgeon, was next examined, and deposed to being
called to the deceased, at 15, Clayton-street, Caledonian-
road, at four o'clock on the afternoon of Saturday last.
He found the elder boy insensible and convulsed. The
younger boy was simply insensible ; and both died shortly
after his attendance, the younger subsequent to the elder.
Dr. Edward Ballard, medical officer of health to the parish
of Islington, said he had made a post-mortem examination
of the bodies of the two boys. The elder was very puny
for a child of seven years of age, and was rickety and very
much emaciated. The intestines were completely empty.
Death had been caused by convulsions brought on by
starvation. The child had been starved for some time
past. The second child was also rickety, very small
for its age, and emaciated. The small intestines were
entirely empty, but in the larger there was some-
thing fluid or semi-fluid. This case also was a death
from starvation. John Toilet, the father of the deceased,
said he was a whitesmith. When in health he earned from
30s. to 365. a week, but he had been out of work for 12
months. Sometimes he got a job and might earn 10s. a
week. He did not see the children until after they were
found dead. In reply to the coroner the witness said he
applied to the parish for relief, but they would not assist
him unless the whole of his family, including himself, went
into the workhouse. He lived in hope and felt he could not
break up his home. He therefore tried to struggle on.
Mr. Stanwell, the coroner's officer, said the father of th,
deceased was a most respectable man, and was very sober.
In answer to the foreman, the father of the deceased said
that work in the stoneyard had been offered to him by the
parish at 9d. a day, but he was unable to do it. Mr. Stan-
well said, from his knowledge of the father, that if he were
put to break stones he would not earn 6d. a day. The
mother of the deceased said she had applied for an order
from the relieving officer of St. Pancras Workhouse, and
was told that as her husband was a whitesmith she should
not ask for relief, and that was after he had been out of
work for six months and ill. Dr. Slater said the room in
which the family lived was very clean. It was poorly fur-
nished, but, literally speaking,
"you might have taken
your food from the boards ;" the flooring and everything
was very clean. The landlady of the house volunteered
evidence. She said it was almost heartrending to know
the condition of the family who resided in her house.
Under starvation their honour was extreme, and they only
owed one week's rent. She knew they wanted " bread,"
and she had exerted herself to obtain relief from religious
visitors. The coroner said it was a very melancholy case.
It was one that might have been relieved by the parish.
The jury agreed with the remarks of the coroner, and a
combined verdict of " Death from convulsions by starva-
tion" and " Starvation" in the second case was returned.
A collection was made, and upwards of £1 was given into
the hands of the father, who was stated by the coroner to
be entirely unfit for work.

THE CLERKENWELL OUTRAGE.—TiIe little boy
Arthur Abbott, who has lain so long in the Royal Free
Hospital, and who was reported to be blind from the in-
juries he received at the recent explosion in Clerkenwell,
has suddenly recovered the use of his eyes.
EXEMPTION OF COTTON FROM TAXATION IN THE
UNITED STATES.—The following Act was approved
of by both Houses of Congress on the 3rd of February
last, to provide for the exemption of cotton from in-
ternal tax :—" Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled, that all cotton grown in the United
States after the year 1867 shall be exempt from in-
ternal tax ; and cotton imported from foreign countries
on and after lst of November 1868 shall be exempt from
duty."
HOSPITAL NURSING.—The Bishop of London
lately paid a visit to King's College Hospital to inspect the
nursing arrangements, which are under the charge of the
Sisterhood of St. John's House Training Institution for
Hospitals, Families, and the Poor, of which his lordship is
president and visitor. After going through the spacious
wards, fully occupied by patients, male and female, and
the Pantia Ralli children's ward, all in excellent order, the
bishop visited the hospital chapel and the apartments
assigned to the sisters and nurses, and expressed himself
highly satisfied with all he saw. At present, ten ladies con-
nected with St. John's House are engaged in this hospital,
together with a large staff of nurses for day and night duty,
and others under training.

DANGEROUS QUARRELLING.-A new danger to be
areaded in railway travelling has been brought to light at
the Yeovil borough sessions. Francis Sweet, a stoker on
an engine, in the employ of the London and South-
Western, was summoned at the instigation of the corn-
piny, by William Jackson, a driver on the same engine,
for a breach of the peace. The nicn had quarrelled,
Jackson threatened to screw Sweet's head off, and Sweet
in return said if he did, he'd put a pick into his. Mr.
Watts defended Sweet, and Mr. Bent appeared for the
company, who considered it necessary to prosecute, because
if the quarrel had occurred on a journey serious conse-
quences might have ensued. The bench ordered them
both to be bound over to keep the peace for three months.
The men do not now work on the same engine, Sweet
having resigned because Jackson had threatened to throw
nina off the engine I?cfcre.