Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-02-17

Inmate of an Enxlish workhouse Dies
from Overeoting.


Inmate of an EngIish workhouse Dies
from Overeating.
Every free-born Englishman comes
into the world with the inallenable
right to seat at the table and bed
IN the palatial English workhouse. 1t
has been my good fortune during a
journalistic career now close on five
and twenty years to visit and describe
for various publications over one hun
dred British cities and towns. In near
ly every case attention has been called
to the handsome buildings set apart
for the paupers, or, In collOqulal Eng
llsh, 'the 'ouse." Back In the good old
days Of Queen Elizabeth the principle
was made law that no English man
or woman should starve, and that, II
unable to secure living for them
selves, the poor and the INDECENT and
the incapable must be cared for by
the state. So firmly has the idea taken
possession of the English mind that
the poorer class, the old, and even those
in the prime of life, talk with COM
plaisarce of ending their days in 1.-THE
'ouse." They look upon 1t very much
as our old people might regard going
TO a home for invalids or the old, and,
indeed, In many of the English work
houses they are cared for as well as in
such institutions as our old ladies'
homes, etc. The other week, when in
Bideford, l was taken TO the work
house, situated on beautiful hill over
looking the broad river and famous
bridge. For the moment could hardly
believe my eyes. 1t looked for all the
world like a japanese palace. 1t was
built much as they build In Japan,
with plaster between the massive wood
en- beams. pointed gable roof, old-fash-
toned easement windows, vines spread
ing their beautiful green tendrils In
all directions, and in front large vari-
ETY. of dark shrubs and just such stunt
ed shrubs as one sees in Japan-Odd
shaped and picturesque. And here the
poor OF Bideford eat, drink and are
merry.
Quite a number of cases of death
from overlooking in the BidefOrd work
house occurred during my stay in Eng
land, and the Hackney coroner held
inquests on no less than three cases
within a short time. Oliver Twist Is
evidently back number nowadays,
for MT the corOner's inquiry into the
death OF the latest victim of parOchial
kindness, a man 20 years of age, who
had lived in the Bethnal Green work
house and acted as assistant librarian,
the following dialogue ensued between
the coroner and an inmate of the work
house:
Merry pauper-Th Thursday afternoon
while we We're having tea saw the de-
ceased, he was cutting some bread anfl
bench on which he was sitting.
The coroner-YOu don't think the ex-
ertion Of cutting bread and butter killed
him?
Merry pauper-No, not likely. He had
cut up a lot before that.
The coroner-They give you plenty to
eat, then?
Merry pauper-Aye. they do that.
The doctor who was called in to- see
the deceased testified that death was
due to syncope, produced by an over"
loaded stomach.
The coroner-One may say that H.,
was killed by kindness?
The doctOr-It may or may not he
kindness to overload mans stomach.
The corOner-Well, 1t shows he did
not go short Of food.
The dOctor-Short. BY no means.
Why, they have nothing 20 do but eat.
drink and sleep.
The jury returned verdict that de-
ceased died from snycope, the result
of an overloaded stomach. and that
such death was due to natural causes.
And as the jury gave the decision 4
deep sepulchral voice In the back Of
the courtroom remarked:
what glorious death.'
The owner of the voice was n tall,
gaunt, hungry looking individual. who
had evidently mentally decided that
''the 'Ouse" was not a bad place to end
ones days.-New York Mail and Ex-
press.