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DEATH IS THE W0BKRO0M.ANinqtiest was held at the St. James’s Workhouse, on Thursday evening, before the Deputy-Coroner for Mr. Bedford, relative to»the death of Mary Anne Walkley age 20, who at the time of her decease was In the employ of Madame Elise, Court dressmaker, 170, Regent-streei The case had already excited considerable attention, in consequence of a letter1 which appeared in the Times of Wednesday last The writer said:—“ I am a dressmaker, living in a large West-end house ofbusiness. I work in a crowded room: with twenty-eight others. This morning one of'my companions was found lt;dead in her bed,'and we all of us think that long hours and dose confinement have had a great deal to do With her end. We are called in the moratng at half-past six, and in ordinary times Wo work until eleven at nighfcT but occasionally oarhoars -ate much longer. On the Friday before the lastDrawing-room, We worked an night, ana did nofrleave o€ until ‘ time o'clock on Saturday morning. At night we retire to rest hra room divided into littio Ceils, each just large enough to contain two beds. There are two of usin eachbed. Themis no ventilation; I could scarcelybreOtheinthem when I first came from the country. The doctor who came this morning said they wave not fit for dogs to sleep in* This poor girl was taken ill an Friday. We ore often ill, sothatnotmuebnotioe is-taken of that; she was worse on Sunday. Some of us sat up with her uatii she went to deep. In the morning her bedfellow found her dead by her side.'1It appeared from the evidence tkht the deceased, who was of a somewhat delicate constitution, and who worked in a room with nearly thirty others, was taken ill on Friday, and on Sunday night became much-worse, when medical assistance was called -in. Remedieshaving been administered, she appeared to fall asleep,1 andher bedfellow, Miss Santrey (who was examined as a witness,) 'retired to rest with her, • but on awakening £the morning was shocked to find her companion dead by her side. A post mortem examination was made by Mr. Keys, of Warwick-street, who deposed that death resulted from apoplexy, and * stated, in reply to • the coroner, that long4 hours of work In a crowded apartment, and'rieeping in a close, badly-ventilated room, would have a great tendency to produce the symptoms which he described. Mr. Clarke, surgeon, of Gerrard-streeV concurred in the evidence of Mr. Keys. He^deesifted the'bedrooms, which were divided by partitions into small compartments, just large enough to contain two 'beds, placed end to end. If, as had been i stated, there were two yotmgwomen in each bed, heconsidered they were decidedly unfit places for any oneto deepin, -and more particularly in the state of health in whieh thordeceas©d had been. Mr. * Bush, who • had attended the deceased during the unavoidable absence of hie principal, Mr. Keys, expressed his opinion that the roomsin which the‘deceased died were overcrowded and badly ventilated. The jury returned the following verdictThat the deceased died of apoplexy; but there is too much reason to fear that her death was greatly accelerated by working long hours in a crowded workroom, and sleeping in a close, badly ventilated bedroom. —The' husband of Madame Elise said he did all he could for the coznfort and health of his young people, and if the jury would tell him what he ought to do, he should be moBt happy to listen to their suggestions. The coroner replied that that was*a question for asurveyor. The inquiry then terminated.
Newspaper Details
Watchman and Wesleyan Advertiser
London, Middlesex, GB
Wed, Jun 24, 1863
Page 7
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 01 Jun 2023
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