The Sun.
London, England, 1828-09-26 00:00:00

INQUEST UPON THE BODIES.

The following was the evidence given on the in-
quest yesterday :
Thomas Worrall, of Lambeth, for several months
past had observed that Nos. 4 and 5, in Exeter-
street, were in a terrible state of dilapidation, and
ought to be pulled down. The timbers were rot_
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noon, when the accident happened, he was loading
a cart with timber and bricks in front of the houses
in question, and Neaves, one of the deceased, was
on the top of the cart packing the load, when wit-
ness heard a terrible scrztsh, and looking up saw the
front wall bulging out. He was dreadfully alarmed,
and sprung to the outer side of the cart and horse,
and crouched under the wheel. The ruins covered
the cart and horse, and almost smothered the wit-
nes3 ; but the cart saved him, and he was enabled
to buffet his way through the bricks and rubbish till
he came to the door of a Mr. Barrowcliffe opposite,
which he found open, and gotinto the house.
CORONER—You think the houses were not fit to
be inhabited ? Witness—Certainly not. They
ought to have been pulled down long ago.
Mr. James Hayman, landlord of the house where
the jury were sitting—One of the houses in ques-
tion had been a public-house and the other a baker's
shop, but had been shut up as fir as business was
concerned, for several years. The one that had
been a public-house was occupied by a man named
Stokes and his family. The houses appeared for a
long time past to be in a state of dilapidation, and
witness had heard that they had been condemned.
He knew that there was a hoard up in front, on
which was written," These premises to let on a re-
pairing lease."
The board was here produced.
James Stokes, the husband of
,the poor woman
who was killed, stated that he and his family had
lived in No. 4, about two years. The premises be-
longed to Messrs. Meux and Co., the brewers. The
houses were very much out of repair, but he never
heard that they were condemned.
CORONER—Are you a judge of buildings ? Wit-
ness—Why, Sir, I am a carpenter by trade.
CORONER—Then you must know something
about it. Did you consider the house in a dange-
rous state ? Witness—No, Sir, I did not, or I
would not have suffered my poor family to live in
one of them. If they had been corner houses I
should have thought them dangerous. I never paid
any rent. I left my family all well when I went
out yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Corder, the vestry-clerk of Covent-garden,
said he had ascertained that the houses in question
had been condemned twice ; the first time about
seven years ago.
Mr. Thomas, the constable of Covent-garden,
said, in consequence of the calamity which vas now
the subject of enquiry, he had felt it his duty to
make a strict inquiry into the state of the premises
in the immediate neighbourhood; he had done so,
and found II houses (a list of which he handed to
the Coroner) occupied by persons who paid no rent,
and who were there merely on sufferance. In one
of these houses were eight families, in another five,
in another three, and so on; and some of the houses
were in such a state of dilapidation, that any violent
jar in the street from the passage of a heavy vehicle
would bring them down. These formed part of the
houses condemned to come down for the new im-
provements. He had made an application that af-
ternoon to the Magistrates at Bow-street upon the
subject, and Mr. Halls thought that they had no
power to interfere, but Mr. Minshull said he would
not suffer human life to be endangered, and that
upon legal evidence being adduced before him of the
correctness of his (Mr. Thomas's) statement, he
would at once take steps to dislodge those who were
living in the condemned houses.
Mr. Corder said the brewers were informed that
the houses had been condemned; and yet they
had afterward placed a man in possession, with a
view of getting a licence.
Mr. Roche—l represent Messrs. Meux here, and
I say that it is not the case. The premises are not
the property of that firm ; they had no interest in
t hem.

Mr. Corder—lf they had no interest in them,
how came you here as their representative ? Mr.
Roche—They have been much talked of, and are
anxious to set themselves right.
A Juror—To whom do the premises. belong ?
Mr. Roche—The Marquis of Exeter.
Juror—Why the man Stokes says he was put into
the house by Meux and Co.
Mr. Roche—lndeed he stated no such thing; it
is mere hearsay. Besides, can it be proved that the
houses have been condemned at all ? Mr. Corder—
Yes, I can prove it.
Mr. John Lee was then called, and stated that lie
was collecter of taxes for St. Paul, Covent-garden.
He thought' these houses dangerous six or- seven
years ago, so much so that he was afraid to go into
them. He was at the same time in the habit of
calling occasionally at Meux and Co's. brewhouse,
and he several times represented the state of the
houses to a clerk there. The house had lost its li-
cense six or seven years ago, and had paid no rates
since. It was the resort of thieves.
After some further conversation the room was
cleared, and
The Jury:consulted for some time, when it was
determined to adjourn the Inquest until to-morrow
(this evening), in order that the attendance of
Mr. Bell, the auctioneer, might be procured to as-
certain to whom the premises really belonged.