SHOCKING DEATH OF A LADY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 912, 22 November 1864, Page 5

SHOCKING DEATH OF A LADY

PROM DESTITUTION,

An inquiry was held by Mr Humphreys, Middlesex coroner, at the Earl Vincant Tavern, Philpotstreet, Commercial roa'i, on Wednssday night, re'pecting ths death, under very painful circumstances, of Miss Lueretia JeSray?, aa;ed twenty-four years, the daughter of a well-known paper manufacturer. The jury proceede ito No. 5, Stonor street, Philpot street, to view the body of the deceased. The family occupied a small shop (not used as a shop and a room behind it. Upon entering the shop the sister of thft deceased was seen lying on a parish bed on the fl >or. Sbe was in a stits of great exhaustion, and looked as if she wis dying She said to the cironer. '■ Ir, is overwork has reduced me to this state." Th ■ sole furniture in the room consisted of a b^xand a broken chair, which had been lent by a neighbor. As the jury passed into the back roum where the dead body of her sistsr lay, she raised herself and looked after them with an expression of agony painful to witness. The back room contained a parish coffin, in which liy the emaciated body of th». deceased. The place was otherwise empty. It was sti'ed that when Mr Badeuhurst, the relieving officer, entered the place on Sunday lasf, deceased was lying on the floor in the corner of the back room dead, and her sister was dying to all appearance, on a piece of oil-cloth in the shop. The first witness called wa-= Mr Henry Jeffreys, who said : I now reside at No. 5, Stonor street I was a bleacher and paper manufacturer in a large way of business. We came from Miidstone to London. The family consisted of mv wife, two daughters, and two sons. I had studied chemistry in Fruncs as a guide to the arts, sei-nces, and manufactures Since the cir?urnstatces of the family berains altered I contributed t> then- support by selling1 chemical bottle?, but it was necessary for my daughters to assist. They worked for a slopseller near Bedford square, whose name I have foreot'en. They were paid 2a a doz?n for tanking flannel shirt", and for blue and white ones they got 2-! 61 adozsn. Lueretk has made four shirts in one day. By working very hard she made two dozon in a week. My eldest daughter, who is ill, could only earn one-third as much, as s'ie could not work so quick. One ot' my son* trot ill, and 1 tried to do his share (in selling bottles; as well ns my on d, and I got ill: My other son, who had to take a situation at a woolstapler's, met with an accident—a bale of wool fell on him, and we lodt his guinea a wee'e. Both toy daughters then became ill from overwork and anxi"ty. Tha altered position of the family preyed upon their minds. The earnings of the family for the last eight vreeks were nil. We pawned and soli! everything to keep body and soul together. The clergjinan of the parish gave us 4', and I borrowed 2s, which was all we did borrow. We determined to apply to no one, but to struggle through anything, and pass through the storm ri'.thar than trouble anyone. We felt certain that within a few week** we should receive asu-i of money sufficient to supply all our wants. Coroner". Did the deceased die from want of food ? Witness : No, I think it was her mind that did it. We sold everything to get food. Coroner : But had she sufficient of a proper kind of food? Witness: No, she had not. She refused on Wednesday last to allow a doctor to he brought in, saying that she did not want to be practised on by doctors; but I think her re<d reason was thut'she was afraid to let any gentleman see us in (he awful state in which we were. She said, " Father, if you bring one, I will make away with myself." Mrs Jane Clarke said that the family were in a dreadful stite of privation. Tii ;y slept on the bare boards at night, they bad n> bed. Witness gave them a chair and a bit ot oil elobh. Witness lent them 2j on Friday night. Mr Stephens said that the condition of the surviving sister was very serious, but nothing could induce her to go into the Workhousa Infirmary. Dr. Robinson, pariah surgeon, said that he was called to the deceased, and found her dead. The body was much emaciated. SII3 required mmusliing food, bedding, clothing, and warmth; and the want of these necessaries was the aeeele rating cause of death. The jury returned the following verdict:—'' That Lueretia Jeffreys was found dead on the floor of a certain room from the effects of effusion of serum into the brain and eh"st, and that her said deatb was accelerated by fatigue from over-work, by absence of stimulants, nourishment, and of clothing, and other necessaries, and the jury exoressed their regret that through an error of judgment the father of the deceased should have allowed his daughter to be so long wilhout the requisite medical and other assistance, and their hope that her surviving sister might be induced to enter the Mile-end Infirmary with the view of saving her life." HEPBUB>s ANO GO.,