The Sun.
London, England, 1820-08-17 00:00:00

SHOCKING OCCURRENCE.

GuiLonALL.—When the,Officers in attendance
at this Justice Room armed to open the Office
•
on Tuesday morning, ,they found a 'poor woman
lying extended on the pavement by the Office
door ; as Elie was quiet, and offended "nobody, no
notice was .at first taken of her, it being, supposed
she was only a little intoxicated, and had lain,
down to recoier herself. _

Mr. Payne, the Chief Clerk, immediately on.
his arrival, directed Brand, the Marshalman,
who is remarkable' for his humanity towards these-
poor wretches,. to learn in what state she was,
and whether, any assistance or relief was neces-
sary for her. ; •
Brand Wring ascertained that she. was Per-
fectly sober, with the assistance of HerdSfield,an
Officer; who attends the' Justice -,Room,.raised
the poor creature up, and placed her as comfort,
ably as they could upon the bench in the otitei'
office. The story she then told was, that -iher
name was Stokes, that she was extremely ill, and
almost famished ; in this state she had applied
for relief to Frewin, the Overseers' Beadle of the
parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, Who- told her: he
would have nothing to do with her; she had also
applied to the Overseer of* the same parish, Mr.
Beauchamp, who gave her nearly the same, an-
swer, and told her to make application to 'the
Sitting Alderman. She had fallen down, she
said, in her way to the Office„ three times, from
mere exhaustion, not having tasted anv thing but
water for six or seven days,.andshasliould.never
have been able to reach, Guildhall yard, but for
the occasional help of wine kind Passengers,. o
Sir William Leighton, the Magistrate n the
iota, was made acquainted with the case on his
arrival, and immediately directed a summons to
the Overseer, to chew cause why relief had 'been
refused her, at the same time ordering an officer
to'convey.her to the workhouse.
Herdsfield, to whom this melancholy duty de-
volved, procured a coach-. directly,. but on at-
tempting to remove the poor creature to it, her
limbs refused their office,' and it was evident her
end was fast approaching. Medical assistance
Was procured, but it was too late to produce any
effect, and she breathed her last lathe outer office
about two o'clock.. :
The deceased was rather a tall woman, very
much emaciated, and appeared about 32 or 33,
years old. The body was subsequently removed.
in a shell to St. Andrew's workhouse. Nothing
was found upon her person but two or three*half-
pence, which had been given in 'charity to her as
she..lay at the.office door, a small bit of dry bread:
Ago hard for mastication, and a number of dupli,
'cates for trifling sums borrowed to subsist herself,
the last being for her pattens, which she had.
pledged for fonr-pence.
The Magistrate having left the office on Tues-
day previous to- the death of the woman, Brand
informed him .of the circumstance yesterday,
adding,thaf he had. waited. on Mr. Shelton, the
Coroner., who was of opinion, from the represen-
tation of the facts made to him, that it was not
requisite to hold an inquest on the body.
• Sir 'William thought the circumstances de-
manded inquiry.—" I cannot, I believe," said he,
" order it of my :own authority ; but I am of
opinion that a Coroner's inquest ought to be held
upon the biady."'—A- jury will therefore, no
doubt, be 'summoned accordingly.