STARVATION RATHER THAN THE WORKHOUSE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2317, 30 December 1889, Page 3

STARVATION RATHER THAN THE WORKHOUSE.

A pathetio instance of the autfpathy felt to entering the workhonse came ondor the notice of Mr Wynne Baxter when holding an inquest on the body of Sarah Nodoi aged forty-eight, late of 358 Cable street, Ohadwell. Her husband, Robert , Alfred Nunn, a Hoensed messenger, who I Wii called as a witness, admitted, under ovoss-examfnation, that his average earnings alltheyrar round were undsr five ihllllngs a week, while half this amount went In rent. There la nothing to t>a surprised at, therefore, In the f aot that his wife bad not enough to eat, and that It was the want of the nourishment, whioh she did not get, which was mainly CBiponstble for her decease. The husband U a oripple with only one arm, and so ■adly handicapped In bio tfforta to gain a subsistence. The poor fellow quite broke down under the questions put to him, and hfa distress waa so manifestly genuine and to be respeoted, that both the jurou and the Ooioner shared In the emotion. When he waa asked why be bad not applied for parish relief, he answered, ' I have suoh a great antipathy vgn^at It and ■o had the minus j we Ww! d rather struggle on. The old man had almost ■tsrved himself to provide hfa wife with the iDHQffiolent food she had. So ton ohIng waa hit story that the jary of working men on the spot subßorlbed 8s 6d for him, It li sad to think (remarks a London contemporary) that all our offioial Bchemes for relief pass by the deserving poor, who, only under eompuMoc, make known the ■tory of theli very real woes.