The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-06-22
BURYIN0 LONDON's POOR
MssheAs 81 The ~ s~icipsisty ana Extsrtioss
OF Uaprsaeipiea Uudertakers

or UaprtneipisA Urde~tsker&
LONDON, June s.--Inquiring tho other day
OF friend at St. Barthoomew's Hospital about
the interment OF the city poor. his answer was:
Go right TO the headduartsrs--th Sewers
ONCE. Guildhall." As my query WAS not calcu.
lated to offer irresistible temptation for jest.
and a. my fricnd IL . grave man. thought
had sundarstood him. had not. Invent to
the Sewers ONCE. where soon learned that 1t
was not special privilege OF the city poor to
be placed under those authorities. but that
tho Same belonged to oil parishioners or In.
habitants. What q bold satire to have singled
out tho Comm isslouers OF Sewers to deal with
tho ashes Of the proudcst and most powerful
citizens OF tho EARTH However. I am only con.
corning myself here about the poor.
The city poor dying at home. in the hospi.
tails. In the warehouses;, in the ini1rmaries, or
In the streets. whose relations arc unknown or
unable to provlde for their funerals. are buried
at the expense OF the parish. There are cases
Of shameful neglect whsn tho parochial au-
| thoritiss. who have to protect the interest OF
tho taxpayers. find no little difficulty In forc-
ing unnatural relations to attend to their obi.
cations Many instances could BIO cited OF near
relations with money in bank who would fain
have forsaken those whose blood gave thom q
right on their lovo and respect. 1t Is however.
| generally considered Il great disgrace. even
| among the most ignorant In tho METROPOLIS to
| leave tho body OF relative unclaimed in
| any OF tho charitable institutions whore
| 1t might DO lying waiting to be bur-
led. Tho poorest habitually mako desperate
| effort to get tho means necessary to
| accom- lish this sacred duty. Not long ago
was at n mortuary. An inquest had been held
| In the morning on tho body Of u poor artisan.
! 1t was very sad case. The man. although Ill
| and weak. had gone to work In order to get
bread for his starving family. His strength
had not proved ns good rs his spirit. and he
| had been suddenly stricken dead by heart
disease. Much impressed by the conduct Of
the deceased man rnd the restitution of the
serlbed a sum for his funeral. and directed the
Coroner's clerk to hand tho donation to the
ss ps be e
Cash is tre '' With YOU Gpbs,raEhi
ated and sad face looked the ideal Of poverty.
hcrss!i. ' she r1piisd; Lord neSeri It would
be SIGH 4 shame to lot tho Hunion people bury
porter OF the doleiui place struck In: Shes
mighty foolish. oh: siE to ts a going to one OF
a's Sa'e esppsr Wien 81" Could ave- ad the
gentleman jobbed for nothing" 10 this most
somnsnda6e feeling Of "s hTh to ones
house intervention. This adherence. no doubt.
was sufficiently Justified years ago. when the
| funerals conducted by the Unions were fire.
ausnt occasions OF scandal. but 1t is quito I'M
On the other hand. very ugly things could be
said Of the private undertaken, whose greed
and callousness often 30 beyond all imaIna-
ton. And things would bs worss il strong
regulations had not interiered with the amaz-
Ing inventions Of some members OF the pro-
essnn When these wSris; hear OF death
great fayorltes by their uncondtional praise
q the dsiunet md their uagoyernabl,s Gr.et at
relations INTO funeral loiiss; they rio,usiy
as s' the best best soothing remedy for thsir
grief; to 20 20 the round ,,, of Their, their friends
Hnprecsdonied. Then they ars ovrrtaksn
by most telling excess OF uncommerclnl gen;
erosity end imprf.siyely declare eel that they viii
Sssr1 the roor a rs1Sns St
Or only half that amount i they had consulted
them to the parish undertaken This bill. OF
course, cripples them for weeks and months.
pail you would behold coffin made Of the
Won 70 m I'D Ind of
startling proofs still OF the frauds they practise.
Very young children have 70 b. buried by
| the undertaker. who naturally does not do
it for love. Now. it is not, an uncommon
practice among the small undsrtakers of tho
|
and decently. to house them till they can safely
sneak them in some shell with another Tor
London burial office led to tho grim discovery
| OF half a dozen. bodies of small children
which The wnaetnser Wac s,orrG in this lis
the poice against the fury Of tho parents
Of the abused dead who had long Thought
hs gresess nubor Of Pr uncan n"iS bodies IN
the, metropolis is 70 be- found In the inflrmarirs
the bodies, of the dead whose homes are not
known. and who ara found dead either in the
Thsrs are very 1 lew mysteries AMONG ihe rse
ords OF the hospitals. because OF the rules gov
s ,G their admission Il is very seldom tina.
claim them, For instance. tho average NOR
tality at y. B9rtholomew's amounts 70 600. but
| barely half a dozen remain unclaimed.
The, unclaimed dead in tho hospitals are
buried at tho EXPENSE OF the parish in which
who die in the Hospitals can give their bodies
for scientific and anatomical uses to those in
out Arst referring 70 the Government in pector
~ n y that ms rG 5"s
tnhrmaries where they have been abandoned
by their relatiyes. II a hosnitai omen to STU:
communicate with tho Government inspector
who aIranEcs ut onco to have the request at
haps it is no, Unnecessary to observe here
that the hospital, in this conntrynre voluntary
contributions. whereas the inhrmnrss are de-
partmsnts OF the parochai ,worknouses res
served for tho sick paupsrs Every sick poor
person has q legal right of admission to the
| infirmary. He has no such right to the hos
pitfalls. which only admit him by charity. A
strange and to M very unjust distinction is
the result OF this difference. namely. that tho
poor invalid in The inlirnnry is disposeessad OF
his right as Il citizen while the poor person in
tho hospital ward Is not deprived OF his. From
this cause. also. no doubt proceeds the lesser
care for tns remains OF thosa Who die in the in
hrmnries. and who are mostly sent to the dis
secting room.
Parishes have their own cemeteries in which
| they bury their moor parshioners. or they make
ARRANGEMENTS with private companies. The
city Of London has its cemetery ut Little Ilfori.
tlful burial ground. admirably kepf like .
private park. 1t Is crossed by large alleys and
silent paths. ornamen,ed aud swsetenen by
beautiful flowers and trees. was there on
two splendid groups Of rhododendrons. relieved
BY a few azaeas. frightened the dismal
ground with tho most entlcing colors. Two
GAYS IN me week nre set apart Tor the inter-
there ut II O'clock 4. NJ. Tho bodies arc brought
10 the chapel. where the clergyman reads the
service. and are thence conveyed to their
again. Tho poor not belonging TO the Church