PENNY DREADFULS.
At the Stepney Temple, Katcliff, Mr Baxter held an inquiry respecting the death oi Joseph Hammond, aged thirteen and a h-lf years, a hair-dresser’s lad, whose body was found in the Thames. A Thames lighterman deposed that he found the body of deceased off Wappiug Stairs, and in his pocket was apiece of paper on which was written: “ “ 17.1.96 when drowned.” The father, re-called, said that the writing was the deceased’s, and the coroner said that that made the ease look suspiciously like suicide. In regard to the trashy literature which the boy was shown to have been reading, it was hard to say what amount of harm was caused by these books. This was not the first case of suicide of this kind he had had. Suicide amongst children was a thing of late years only, and he could only imagine that this horrible trash was responsible for it. The stories were devoured by children who were too young to see the utter impossibilities of them,and they were impressed with the idea to imitate the deeds recorded in them.
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Bibliographic details
Western Star, Issue 2152, 30 October 1897, Page 6
Word Count
182PENNY DREADFULS. Western Star, Issue 2152, 30 October 1897, Page 6
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