The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-24 00:00:00

THE FREE HOSPITAL.

Yesterday the adjourned inquest upon Susannah Ste-
phens, was resumed by Mr. Wakley, M.P., at the Lion,
Gray's Inn-road. It will be recollected that about a
month ego, two young girls, labouring under pulmonary
disease, in the last stage, came up from Windsor, and
applied for admission into the Royal Free Hospital,
which was refused them, as the beds were completely
occupied. They then obtained shelter in the Lion, but
he elder girl, named Erle, aged twenty-two, died at five
o'clock the following morning, and the other, the subject
of the present inquiry,Twho was only eighteen years of
age, died in the Holborn Union workhouse last Friday
week. The case excited general sympathy.
The inquest-room was crowded yesterday, and
amongst the gentlemen present were Mr. Pritchard, high
bailiff of Southwark ; the Rev. Dr. Worthington, the
Rev. Mr. Packenham, &c.

An attorney, attended by Mr. Wingrove Cook, the
barrister, was in attendance on the part of the Hospital.
Hannah Fisher, nurse in the Holborn workhouse, ex-
amined—Deceased was brought into the workhouse on
the 20;:11 ult., suffering from weakness and cough. She
bad wines, broths, and other stimulants. She was sen-
sible the whole time, and was anxious to recover. She
died last Friday week. She told witness that she came
from Windsor to be admitted into the Free Hospital,
and that she and her deceased companion applied
for admission the previous morning. They were kept
in a cold room, in which there was a sink, and the floor
of which was stone, for two hours before a doctor saw
them, who told them that there was no room for them.
As it was raining they could not go out, and were almost
pushed from the gate. They asked the porter for some
food, and he got them what he called broth and bread.
The broth was nothing but salt and water, the porter in-
formed them that it was against the rules to give them
food. While they were standing in the porch at the
hospital gate, two other women were brought in and
received. They were desired to go to Bartholomew's
Hospital, but were unable to do so. They had only
2s. 3d. when they left Windsor, of which they paid 2s. to
the waggoner, and paid 3d. for coffee. After being re-
fused admission to the hospital, they were afforded food
and shelter by the landlady of the Sun, where the
other died.

Dr. Marsden said that 300 men were daily relieved by
the hospital, and that from Finsbury alone they had
annually 20,000 patients who got relief.
CORONER—If that was proved to the satisfaction of
the inhabitants of Finsbury, they would willingly sub-
scribe 20,0001, annually towards the hospital.
Mr. White, surgeon to the workhouse, proved the
deceased died of a pulmonary disease, and condemned
the conduct of the medical officers of the hospital towards
deceased.
Mrs. Tiffen, landlady of the Lion, reiterated the
evidence given by her on the inquest of the girl Gill, and
corroborated the evidence of the last witness, adding,
that when they entered her house they had death in
their eyes.
Mrs. Dynses, the landlady of the Calthorpe Arms, ad-
joining the hospital, stated that after they had left the
hospital they came to her house, and that from their ap-
pearance she was convinced they were dying. She gave
them food and Is. 6d. to procure a bed.
Margaret Triguno, her housemaid, confirmed her tes-
timony.
William Evans, assistant relieving officer to the City
of London Union, and his son, deposed that three
females from the Peckham workhouse, labouring under
a certain disease, were admitted from the workhouse to
the hospital on the day the two deceased persons were
rejected, the latter were offered to be conveyed thence to
Peckham house, of which they refused to avail them-
selves, stating that they had enough of workhouses, and
that it was an hospital, not a workhouse they wanted.
Mr. Thwaites, relieving officer of the City of London,
Union, said that during the year between forty and fifty
thousand casual poor were relieved by it, and that many
were sent to the Free Hospital during the year for medi-
cal and surgical assistance.
The porter of the Hospital, Mr. Cook, the assistant-
surgeon, and Alice Warner, the cook or the Institution,
gave evidence contradicting the statements of deceased.
The Rev. Dr. Worthington, chaplain to the Hospital,
having been sworn, charged the Coroner with unvaried
hostility against the Hospital, and designated him a
" partial judge, when
The CORONER threatened him with committal if he
repeated such language, at the same time ordering
him to quit the room ; with which order the chaplain
complied.
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict
of " Natural death."
Dr. Marsden inquired if they censured the conduct of
the officers of the hospital?
The foreman replied that the majority of the jury
found fault with them for having refused admission to
the deceased to an hospital professedly established for
the iHlll9a desalts and hotsidni.

Another juror said that no blame was attributable to
the officers.
A third juror said that the landlady of the Calthorpe
Arms was more adapted to be a surgeon than the
medical gentleman of
_the hospital who refused them
admission.
The other jurors declared that they concurml in the
strictures passed upon the hospital by their foreman.

THE CONDITION OF THE AGRI-