The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-01-26 00:00:00

DEATHS FROM STARVATION.

• .
Two coroner's inquests were held in London on Thursday
and Friday last on two poor houseless wanderers, who died from
starvation. The first, James Weeks, a man about 50, was
taken by a policeman to.the station-house of his district out of
charity. Some bread and beef, which he (the policeman) had
about him, was given to the unhappy outcast, which he ate vo-
raciously; but he became too ill to state in what condition of
life he bad been in. lie was placed before a fire, and in the
morning removed to St. James's Workhouse, where he expired
soon after his admission. The police-officer and the surgeon of
the workhouse were the only witnessee examined. We take the
following extracts from the evidence :
By the Jury.—l should not have been authorized in taking
:he deceased to the workhouse: the regulations are contrary to
such.
The Coroner inquired if such regulations existed before the
passing of the poor law amendment bill.
Mr. Howard, one of the jury, replied that he could state that
no such system existed before the bill in question was in force.
The jury observed that the present regulation was a v..;ry bad
one.

In answer to questions from the coroner and judy, the witness
said that the deceased had no medical advice at the station-
house house; it was not considered that he was in a dying state,
but only exhausted from want of rest and sustenance, and that
he would rally. - He (deceased) did complain of being ill, but
did not express any wish for the attendance of a surgeon.
The jury greatly regretted that the pour man had not had
medical aid on the Tuesday; it must have been evident that he
was.in a perishing state, his emaciated frame being covered with
large ulcers and filth, and his legs swollen.
Mr. Haynes, surgeon to the workhouse, said that the de-
cea,ed died soon after his admission, undoubtedly from exhaus-
tion, produced by want and misery.
Tl.e jury returned a verdict " That the deceased died from
starvation."

The secohd inquest was Held upon the body of a man, appa-
rent 4 about CO years 'gage, whose name was unknown. 1 his
poor creature was found dead in an attic, b body reduced to a,
there skeleton. •

Alarv•Williams, a widow woman, residing at the Hare and
Hounds, deposed that within the last week or ten days she had
seen the deceased about the house. He appeared in the utmost
state of destitution. lie walked with great difficulty, and that
%vial the aid of a stick. Witness compassionated his forlorn
cmdition, but was too poor to relieve his distresses. The poor
old man had been frequently turned out of public and lodging-
tijs_fiphlLidatAa_ lino°
landlord. Oh Tuesday he told witness that he had not tasted
food for two days, at which time she considered that he was
quite light-headed. She gave him a piece of bread, which he
devoured voraciously; but the result of which was that he was
afterwards seized with a fit of coughing, which witness thought
would have ended fatally. About one o'clock on Wednesday
morning b came from the street and got into the attic mid--
served by all, except witness. On the following morning wit-
ness found him dead and cold: The•parish surgeon saw the
body soon afterwards. • -

ifs the Jury.—The deceased told me that he had been in the
service of a lord for many years, during which time he resided
in the parish of Marylebone. I never knew his name. On my
inquiring of him why he did not apply for parish relief, he said
he was ashamed to make any application in the wretched state
he was in.

The Coroner observed that in ill his experience so dreadful a
'case had never come udder his notice, and inquired of the
beadle whether the. unfortunate man had ever applied to the
parish of Set. Giles for assistance, who replied in the negative.
John Banks, the landlord of the Hare and Hounds, and other
individuals, spoke to the starved, destitute condition of the de-
ceased prior to his dissolution.
Mr. Base, surgeon of St. Giles's workhouse, gave his decided
opinion that the deceased died from the want of the common
necessaries of life.

The jury, after making some observations, returned a verdic
That the deceased died of starvation."

STATE OF TRADE.

. LEEDS.—Business, in general, rather flat, both in the Halls
and warehouses. Our merchants expect additional orders from
America to till up the chasm occasioned by the fire at New
York; but it should be borne in mind that if there are less
goods in the market, their are scantier means of purchasing'
them.

IIALIFAx.—No alteration in the prices of goods.
scarce, and on the advance.

Yarn!

HUDDERSFIELD.—On
Tuesday there was a fair demand for
seasonable goods, and stocks are low.
H ECKMON DWIK E.—The demand for blankets continues lively
in the blanket hall, and the piece-makers are also in full employ
at Earls Heaton and the neighbourhood.
BRA DFOki D.—The piece-market was well attended on Tburs-
daY, and the demand was equal to what it has of late been; a
good many wide merinos were purchased fur the American mar-
ket. Yarn keeps up, and is somewhat scarce. Wool steady;
the holders still talk of an advance.
Rod DALE, Jan. 19.—Our market has not been so lively this
week, and iii consequence a great many goods remained unsold.
The buyers would not give old prices, except for such goods as
were mostly in demand; in others a trifling reduction was sub-
mitted to. The wool market steady, and prices maintained.