FOUND DEAD IN A LONDON LODGING HOUSE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1124, 21 July 1883, Page 3

FOUND DEAD IN A LONDON LODGING HOUSE.

On Saturday, Sir John Humphreys held an enquiry at the Leigh Hoy, Hanbury-street, Mile End) says, B a London paper of recent date) touching the death of a woman, who was only known by the name of ‘ Maria, the flowerseller,’ and who was found dead on the floor of a common lodging house in Bricklane, and perfectly naked, on Thursday week. According to the evidence of Thomas Beaman, a wretchedlooking object, who described himself as night-watchman at a large common lodging house, situate at 199, Liicklanc, Whitechapel, the woman came into the house on the Wednesday evening at 7 o’clock. Her bed had been paid tor by someone else, the was very drmjk, and at 9 o clock he showed her up to her bed, and left her there. At a quarter to Ihe visited the rooms, and saw her all safe, and did not see her again until 6 the next morning, when on going into the room adjoining the sleeping-rooms, he found her lying on the floor stark naked an dead. He sent tor the doctor and the police, and she was removed to th<e mortuary. Mr George Bagster Philips, of Spital-square, the divisional surgeon, stated that on being called to the case he made an examination of the body, and found that she had been dead some time. She was lying on her face on the ground, and there was a small wound on the forehead, probably where she had struck herself in falling. There was also a bruise on the back of arm, and some effusion of blood under left breast. On making a post mortem examination he found that the tissues were fatty throughout down to the bones, and there was a total absence of muscle about her, The body was in a most filthy condition, and the skin diseased throughout through dirt and vermin. The brain was heavily congested, and nearly half a pint of fluid poured out of the ventricles. The lungs were diseased throughout, collapsed, and adherent to the chest, the heart coated and fat, liver, spleen, and kidneys diseased, and the stomach and instestines empty and highly congested, the cause of death being effusion of blood into the brfcin, due to her life of exposure and privation, She was no doubt an intemperate woman, but he had no reason to suppose that she had been drunk shortly before death, Hie condition of the brain would cause a state of semi-insensibility which might be mistaken for drunkenness. In an swer to the jury the nightwatchman said they kept no female attendant, so that a woman wanting a lodging would have to be attended by him the as anyone else, It was also stated that the people who frequented these common lodging-houses frequently entirely undressed themselves before getting into bed to rid themselves for a time of their filthy garments, and to get more ease, while cleanly people also did the same in order that they might have less chance of picking up any vermin. At the conclusion of the inquiry the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, and recommended that in all such houses there should he a female kept to wait on the women. A sergeant of police who was present said there were plenty of women about in these houses —at least fifty at the one in question. lie thought the night watchman only had attended to this case, as the woman was understood to be drunk. He never heard before of the women not having proper attention. The inquiry then terminated,