The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-04-28 00:00:00

DEATH

FROM THE WANT OF SUFFICIENT FOOD.

On Saturday, an investigation took place before the coro-
ner, touching the death of Jacob Green, a man of colour,
belonging to the brig Flora, arrived at this port. James
Phillips, second mate, said the deceased was cook on
board the vessel. On the 17th of March last, he saw the
captain with a tureen in his hands, and, on going to the
deceased, found something had been thrown over him,
which he said was hot soup. The deceased returned to
his work shortly afterwards. On the 21st of March, the
mate pulled him out of the galley, and beat him with the
main brace, striking him with great force on the ribs and
shoulders, the marks of which were visible. On the 24th
the mate again pulled him out of the galley, and dragged
him on the deck ; after which, deceased complained of
his side being hurt. He continued at his work on that
day, but on the day following was laid up. He after-
wards recovered partially, and continued about the deck
until the arrival of the vessel in Liverpool, on Wednesday
last. About the latter end of March, the crew were put
on short allowance, and the deceased had a quart of
water and half a pound of flour less than the other
men. He was in a weak state on his arrival here, and
did not complain of being sick, but said he wanted some-
thing to eat ; he was taken to the Southern Hospital
on Thursday. The vessel was short of provisions, and
half a pound of flour was given in lieu of that quantity of
bread, and a quart of water stopped from them on their
arrival here. Frederick Bartles, one of the crew of the
Flora, saw the captain throw some hot soup on the de-
ceased, in the way described, and also saw him beaten and
abused by the mate. He had the same provisions as the
ma'e except the half pound of flour and the quart of water,
but frequently complained of ill usage. Mr. Thomas
Morris, house surgeon to the southern hospital, stated
that the deceased was brought there on Thursday last in a
dying state, and lived only about five hours afterwards;
he made a post mortem examination of the body, but
could not find any disease sufficient to cause death, and it
was his opinion deceased had died from want of sufficient
nourishment to support the body. John Mitchell, the
captain, deposed that on the 15th September he sailed
from Liverpool with a crew, including the officers
and himself, of eleven persons, and had at that
time a seven months' stock of provisions on board. They
went to St. Thomas', and afterwards to Tobasco, which
place they left on the sth February. While at Tobasco he
disposed of 250 lbs. of bread ; 150 lbs. was sold, and
100 lbs. exchanged for beef, as he found some of their own
was getting bad. On the voyage home they ran short of
provisions, and finding the bread was diminishing he stop-
ped half a pound from each man's allowance, and gave the
half pound of flour in lieu of it ; they also ran short of
water. The reason why he stopped half a pound of flour
and a quart of water from the deceased was, that he might
keep it for the other men, who worked harder than he
did, the deceased being unable to work. The deceased
was almost naked for want of clothes, and things had
been frequently supplied to him, but he took no care of
them. The voyage extended two months over the time
calculated upon. Several others of the crew were exa-
mined, whose evidence went to corroborate the captain's
statements as to the treatment the deceased had received.
The jury returned the following verdict :—That the de-
ceased had died from want of sufficient food and exposure
to cold, and not from any violent means.

WRITING AND BoomNd.—Mr. Franks, whose adver-
tisement appears in our paper of to-day, has shown us
several specimens of writing, the production of his Liver-
pool pupils, from which it is evident that improvement
goes on most rapidly, some writing in six lessons a beau-
tiful hand.

ORANGE SYRUP.—This syrup is so easily made, and
can be used so constantly to advantage, that no house-
keeper should be without it. Select ripe and thin-skinned
fruit, squeeze the juice through a sieve; to every pint add
one and a half pounds of powdered sugar, boil it slowly,
and skim as long aP any scum rises; you may then take
off, let it grow cold, and bottle it off. Be sure to secure
the corks well. Two tablespoonfuls of this syrup, mixed
in melted butter, make an admirable sauce for a plum or
batter pudding; it imparts a fine flavour, and a teaspoon-
ful introduced into a glass of punch adds much to its deli-
ciousness.