The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-24 00:00:00

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solved that a full investigation of all the circurn•
stances should take place, and due notice of the death
was forwarded to Mr. Charaley, at Beaconsfield,
who caused a jury to be summoned at three o'clock
in the afternoon.
The first witness examined was Mrs. Caroline Aitken,
the matron of the Eton Union, who deposed as fol-
lows :—Martha Hitch, the mother of the deceased
child, was brought to the workhouse in a fly, between
nine and ten o'clock on Wednesday night, the 16th
inst. She was accompanied by Mr. Bryan, a medical
gentleman, the brother of Dr. Bryan, of Slough. A
woman named Cripps rode in the fly with the mother.
When she arrived she was in labour. She told me
that she was taken with the pains of labour on that
morning. She was carried up stairs into the lying-in
ward by the man who drove the fly. Mr. Bryan said
she was in labour. She appeared very ill and was
vomiting. I remained with her in the ward during
the greater part of that night and until she WPS
delivered, which was between six and seven o'clock
the following evening. The child was found dead in
the bed about two o'clock the next afternoon. Cn
being told the child was dead, I went into the ward,
and found it under the clothes. The body was then
getting cold. I had no suspicion that the mother hrd
behaved ill to the child. She said she came from Mr.
Rigby's, at Slough, and that she was dragged out of
her bed in that gentleman's house by three or four
men, and brought to the workhouse.
dr. Aitken, the master of the union, examined—
At about a quarter past nine o'clock on Wednesday
evening, the 16th instant, a gentleman named Bryan
came to me, and said a woman was going to be
brought here in a fly, who was in labour, and
asked me if I would receive her without an order ? I
replied that I could receive any person without an
order, who was brought to the house in that condi-
tion. He then went away. In about a quarter of an
hour afterwards the fly arrived with the mother of the
deceased and Mrs. Cripps, who accompanied her. Mr.
Bryan also came at the same time. The woman was
carried up stairs into the lying-in ward by the fly-
man. I have not seen her since. Mr. Bryan told
me that evening, in the hall, that she was Mr. Rig-
hy's servant.
Susan Akerman, one of the inmates of the work-
house, who acts in the capacity of nurse, deposed as
follows :—Martha Hitch was brought up stairs to the
lying-in ward in the arms of a young man, named
William Menton, on Wednesday night. She was
very sick, and I thought she was then in labour. She
was put into bed directly. Mr. Bryan came with her.
Mr. Hammond (the medical officer of the union) ar-
rived within about an hour afterwards, when Mr.
Bryan left. Mr. Bryan, when he came with her,
said she must be taken care of, as she was in labour.
Mr. Hammond remained with her until she was de-

livered, which was not until between six and seven
o'clock the following evening. The child did not
appear healthy ; the first night I did not think it
would live. It took the breast from a woman who
had been recently confined in the union, at noon the
next day, when it appeared better.
Rebecca Moody, another inmate of the workhouse,
examined—l was in bed when Martha Hitch was
brought into the ward. I immediately got up, in
order that she might get into my bed, which was
warm. She was vomiting when she was brought up
into the room by William Henton. She was de-
livered about seven o'clock the next evening. The
child died at about three o'clock the following after-
noon. It appeared to be a nice healthy child when
born. I gave the child the breast the next day, about
eleven o'clock, by desire of the matron. It then ap-
peared healthy ; I put it into bed by the side of its
mother. I laid it down so that I could see its face,
and that it could breathe. At three o'clock that
afternoon, when the mother asked me to turn her
over in bed, I saw that the child (which was lying
on its mother's arm, with its face uppermost, so that
it could breathe) was dead. It was a little warm. I
saw nothing to induce me to suppose that the mother
had injured the infant. The child then looked very
black. _ _

Mr. Hammond, the surgeon to the union, informed
the Coroner and jury that he had just returned from
viewing the body of the deceased.
A juryman asked if he observed a black mark on
the neck of the child ?

Mr. Hammond replied, that he observed a slight
discolouration on the neck, but that might have been
caused by a variety of circumstances.
Some of the jury having suggested that a post
mortem examination should be made,
Mr. Hammond said, in that case he should prefer
making it by daylight; but he would suggest that
the evidence of Mr. Bryan and Mr. Norblad's as-
sistant (both of whom had seen the mother before
her removal from her master's, Mr. Rigby's) should
be taken by the Coroner previously to his own.
A juryman stated that when Mr. Norblad's as-
sistant saw the mother at Mr. Righy's on the morn-
ing of the day she was brought to the workhouse, she
denied that she was in the family way.
The CORONER having intimated that he should ad-
journ the inquiry until Friday, in order that Mr.
Bryan, 'William Benton (who drove the fly), Mr.
Norblad's assistant, and the mother of the deceased,
might be examined,
Mr. Hammond said the mother would not be in a
fit state, after her recent confinement, to be examined
at so early a period.
The CORONER observed, that the evidence of the
mother would be necessary as regarded the treatment
she experienced before her delivery.
The inquest was then adjourned to Friday next
(to-morrow) for the examination of the witnesses we
have named, and others, with the understanding that,
if necessary, it should be then further adjourned, in
order that the evidence of Martha Hitch might be
taken.

MISERY AMONG the FLOWERS.
(From Punch.)
Esther Pierce, another pallid victim of the needle,
was charged at Worship-street, with illegal pawning.
Yes—famine took her to the prwnbroker with the
goodsof a Mr. John ridden, of 62, Bread-street, Cheap.
side. Esther Pierce was employed to embroider a silk
shawl with flowers—with no less than eighty silken
blossoms—for the sum of 6d. ! Well, this was a hard
day's work ; bringing something less than a halfpenny
an hour. The young woman had neither food nor
drink ; and so, with misery and famine at her heart
—in the very despair of biting hunger—the took
Mr. John Ilalden's property to the pawnbroker. She
is urged, tempted—sorely tempted beyond the power
of suffering nature to withstand—to commit crime,
to make herself a felon, by the miserable wages
awarded her by the tradesman of Bread-street, Cheap-
side. Bread-street!—There is a cruel irony even in
the address.

There is a society—all honoured be its object—for
the relief and conversion of miserable young women,
cast like weeds upon the world—for the wretched
Magdalen, despised, outraged, degraded. This society
calls with a voice of comfort to the defiled creature,
and teaches her, in goodly season, modesty, self-re-
spect. She is snatched from daily, hourly perdition,
and restored to the decencies of life. She is no
longer an animal, cursed with a soul. All praise be
to the institution that works this goodness.
Yet, surely we think, the Principle of Wickedness
must grin and hug itself at the gatherings of this so-
ciety—must chuckle, as the devil only chuckles—
when the secretary, with grave face and self-compla-
cent tone, reads the number of victims saved—of
brands snatched from the fire—and turned to worthy
uses. We say, this same Wickedness must laugh at
the small retail humanity of such an institution,
when, as in mockery of it, there are thousands and
thousands of young women tortured by the injustice
of the world, by its mercenary, heartless tasking, into
a life of infamy. A feeble philanthropy saves indeed
a few wretches; but then there is a Giant Injustice—
iron-hearted son of avarice and trade—that drives his
crowds into the street ; that makes them in a wild
despair of heart—for bread, horrid bread indeed so
purchased—bind themselves to agony and shame!
How many fall—how many, with heroic serenity of
soul, their wounds bleeding inwardly, pine from day
to day, and at length wither from the earth, no more
accounted of than autumn flies ! And now and then
some haggard, white-lipped creature—some famishing
Esau r Pierce for the sake of a meal dares Newgate
and the doom of a felon. And so it will :be, until
throughout all society it shall be preached—not
meekly mouthed, but preached with a terrible, soul-
smiting energy, that there are holier things than
pounds and shillings ; that human souls are in very
truth of more account than bank paper.
Esther Pierce—our readers wilt
escaped prison, the benevolent pawnbroker
up the shawl
have liked to chronicle his name) giving
rrejoice
(icwe' e as
ht oi ut 1.1
without payment—the
a passion. Alas I
eighty flowers, worked sfhooafrwl which contained the
Gadr.rlanglinngthfleoEwearsst they
have a well-known way that,
like words, they may discourse
what a story may
for a tester. aythe
teeyseor. On h
of pity read
one handinthe seeighty
flowers, work
what
life
—shat
other
v,criumetl, smelifisesrh;_irlosnh-ahtealrsteeadrintaesskainegf
blankness of all that should comfort and sustain toiling
humanity !
We should like to know the particular eighty flowers
worked fur 6d. by Esther Pierce for John Halden. Is
it possible that fur such a tradesman any of them could
be heart's-ease ?

Mr. Malden, in a letter to the Times, says, that
" he gives considerably more than sixpence " for such
work ; but then, with the diffidence of genuine libe-
rality, he does not specify how much more.
Mr. Haider' also observes, that the wretched story
of Esther Pierce is " calculated to do him serious in-
jury." We do not think it unlikely.
In conclusion, however, we would say to all whole-
I sale dealers in embroidered shawls, give something
more to female toil than sixpence for eighty flowers.
Something more, considerate masters! So that whilst
your wretched slaves are working flowers, your owu
consciences may not—for the after time—be working
nettles, Q,