SCENE AT A WAKE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2949, 7 September 1882, Page 2

SCENE AT A WAKE.

A Home paper saysA horrible seen e occurred at a house in Bowyer’s - 1 buildings, Whitechapel, a regular Irish colony. A young wbmah, named Norah Sullivan, died .in one pf the London hospitals, and her body was taken home to the house of a married sister, a woman named Tucker, who lives at Bowyer's buildings. Arrange* ments <were made for * bolding a wake upon the corpse. The room In which the body lay was accordingly decorated . with flowers, &c., whilst large wax candles were 'placed about the apartment wherever, room could bo found for them. Some little ;time before the proceedings commenced Mraj, Tucker’s husband, who had objected to the body being at the place, went home the worse for drink, and commenced to make a disturbance, saying that'he'V was not going to have the corpse there, and that he meant to turn it out.” His wife and some of his friends and neighbors tried to persuade him to keep quiet, but he' would not do so,, and went towards the room where the body lay. On reaching the apartment be found the door looked; and at once demanded that his wife should open it, so that he might go in and ‘ throw the thing out of the window.

On his Wife refusing to do what lie asked, he smashed up a chair, and, with ', a portion of it, broke open the door, , and ran into the room. His wife and some others followed him, and were horrified to see him catch hold of the corpse with one hand, draw a knife he bad secreted with the other, and . declare that he meant to cat the corpse’s' throat. He was proceeding to pat his * threat into execution when those in the room clnng round him and prevented him. In the struggle ,tho body waa

upset. An alarm bad meantime been raised, and Police-constable Stranchan, 179 H.. was called in, and be assisted to get Tucker out o£ the room. He was ultimately removed from the hoilse. The wake then proceeded, and the body was subsequently taken away amidst considerable excitement.