§ MR. WEBSTER (St. Pancras, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the case of one William Lee, an old man, who died in the workhouse at Ledbury, in Herefordshire, on the 3rd instant, and on whose body an inquest was held, when it appeared that he had lain in a field from 7 o'clock one evening till 6 o'clock the next evening, although several persons saw him during that time, including the residents in a cottage close to the spot, not one of whom rendered him the slightest assistance; whether the doctor who saw him at the workhouse stated at the inquest that the deceased died from exhaustion induced by exposure, and that if he had been attended to as soon as he had been found he would probably have lived; whether certain of the witnesses at the inquest were severely censured by the Coroner, at the request of the jury; and whether he will cause further inquiries to be made into this lamentable occurrence?
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. RITCHIE,) Tower Hamlets, St. George'sThe only information that I have as to the case referred to is a newspaper report of the proceedings at the inquest. From that report it appears that the deceased, on the afternoon of the 2nd July, went to a public house, where he had a pint of 218 beer, and later in the day he returned there and had two pints of beer. He left about 7 o'clock, and on the next morning at about 6 o'clock ho was found by Thomas Gibbons, a labourer, lying by a path in a field. Gibbons returned home and told his wife, and asked her to let someone know the man was there. The wife stated that she was very unwell, and was not able to go for assistance, but between 9 and 10 o'clock she informed a man in the service of the person who kept the public house where the deceased had been on the previous day, who went to the place where the deceased was and gave him some brandy. He sent a message to where the man had been living, but they refused to receive him there. He then sent for the police, who caused the deceased to be removed to the workhouse. As soon as the man was received there he was placed in bed and a doctor sent for, but he died at 5 o'clock on the following morning. The medical man, who gave evidence at the inquest, stated that the deceased died from exhaustion induced by exposure, and said that if he had been attended to as soon as he was found the result might have been different. The man was not destitute, as, when he was searched, 5s. 3d. was found upon him. It appears that the jury commented severely on the apathy of the Gibbonses, and that, at their request, the Coroner censured them for their conduct. There is no allegation whatever that any blame attached to the officers of the Guardians in the case. The circumstances attending the death were fully inquired into at the inquest, and it does not appear to me that any advantage can result from any further inquiry by the Local Government Board.
§ * MR. COOKE (Newington, W.)Instead of relying upon the report in the newspaper would it not be better to have the depositions taken before the Coroner?
§ * MR. RITCHIEI will procure them, if necessary, but they are not prepared by any official over whom the Local Government Board has any control.