The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-01-18

ing. seeing crowd ofmen. woman and child
rem assembled around The entrance TO a cell
lar. we inquired the occasion of the collec-
Ton, and Were informed, that in The apart
| ment below aronGas mad died of starvation
/ We descended TO learn. if possible, some
further particulars, eight or ten rickesty s.eps
down which the water was tickling from the
SHOW without, when scene met our eve such
as cur readers may have seen described in
tue works OF Dickens or Sue, or some other
dellneator Of degraded Life, but which we
did moi suppose might be found so near our
own homes. The place was filed with almost
lntollerable stencil, caused by the proximity
of vault at one end, and al the other from
IA leak in drain, by the filthy current of
which the floor flooded. The atmosphere of
course was cold and damp, although an effort
had been made 10 warm il by piling up chips
IN the centre OF large open fireplace
The only furniture visible was single chair,
an old water bucket, spruce beer bottle,
and small iron pot. At the dry end of the
room, IN corner near the fire Mace, lay the
corpse of the unfortunate woma1l whose faie
we had been informed ofprevious to our des-
cent. She lay, as she had died some time
/ during the night previous, upon the damp
boards without even STRAW mattress under
her, or any covering except an old wooden
blanket or rug. Her head was without
cap, her hair dsheveled, and her face hands
and aims very much emacialed 1t was this
appearance, combined with the extreme
wretchedness around her, which gave those
who looked upon her the idea that she died
Of starvation alone.
Inquiring for somebody who could give us
some information in relation to the woman's
death we were directed to her husband, and
after seeking some tiele among The crowd
/ who had pressed into the place, we found
/ him. His countenance was the only one
around US that did not wear an appearance
of commisseration or horror, but in his could
only be seen the most impenetrable sfolidity.
Persons who knew the man and bis habits,
told us he WAS DRUNK! that he was discover
Led IN that state in the morning, and had
continued SO since. We questioned him
! However, in relation 10 the circumstances
attending his wiie's death, and found that he
could give but a vague account of them
She had lived with him for several weeks in
the place she died, being all The time sick
He was poor man, he 81 d, and could afford
no better habitat.on, and he one in which he
was his landlord refused 10 repair.
He tried to make the woman as comforta-
ble,as lie could; be cooked food for her, but
she did not eat it; and he had bed for her
TO lie on until six or eight days before, when
an individual to whom he WIS indebted trI-
fling sum for REM, took il from under her
After she vas brought TO the cold floor. she
fingered in helpless stale until her death,
which happened on Thursday night, about
twelve O'Clock.
There IS lille doubt that this sketch gave
lsomeihing ike a true account of the poor
Fysl.n...is stlferings, bal circumstances con
/ vnced us that he wretch spoke altogether
moe highly Of his own conduct than It de-
se.Ved. Diving the whole time Of his wiie's
illness, be had been every day moe OF less
!; under the influence of liquor, and made the
hole in which be lived a lodging place for the
aband0ned ofboihsexes. Oaihe very night
in which she died, his companion was a no.
torious gil VINO had been liHle more than a
wees oni offhe souse ofeoFrecfion. The man
: all tbs creature DR. AK bottle of rum, and
, divided wlai they called bed between them
aud The SEX woman. That The latlerdid moi
End this arrangement comfortable, is eeideni
f.o1n the s.alemenf of the husband, madefe
8 account fer some bruises and scratches "a
I lie face of the coipse-ihat ia the night sae
GOT up TO sit BY the FIRE. aud owing 10 heI
we akness, fell upon some broken beei bottles
indeed, il IS probable that she ded wheI
teiiher sleep OF liquor had deprived him d
CONSCIOUSNESS, and lhat be knew nothing O
the matter until be awoke IN the morning
The p0orwoinenoftae neighborhood, WHO
when The death was made known, came into
. be ofwhaieyer assistance they m;ght,upbrad
ed the husband loudly, for leaving them ig
: norat of bis wife's illness, and for allowing
/ her to die without friend by her 10 say
n kind word, and, as they most feared, withou
20 the consultations of religion. "Indeed, sir
: said one of them to US, ''the people that b.
used 10 take in with him were bad enough
u bui the poor crayther that's gone, as any ma,
8 see fom how innocent she locks now, wa
dacenl, honest womanin While we wer,
: in the ceifer, pursuing these inquiries, an.
: while il was th9oHged as we have befor
$ stated, they quie ly formed circle aroun
As the corpse TO shut cat observation, and wash
5 ed ii and pFepvred II dscently for the grave
:, so that when we looked upon the dead We
man again she was covered with neat car
and AZ her head candle was burning. Tn
in further arrangements for her inieFment wef
II. then entrusted TO the city supefinendeI
80 of burials, although many of the woman re
NAMED TO watch the corpse, which, with tb
u brutality that characterized his previous col
"a duct, had been deserted by the drunken hu
band.-Boston Post.