HC Deb 30 June 1891 vol 354 c1858
MR. COGHILL (Newcastle-under-Lyme)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the recent death in Her Majesty's prison at Starford of Herbert Jackson, aged 30, of Tunstall; if he can state what were the circumstances under which it occurred; whether Jackson was in a good state of health when he entered the prison; and if he will cause some inquiry to be instituted to ascertain whether his death was caused, or was accelerated, by the severity of the prison discipline?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.

I have inquired into the circumstances attending this prisoner's death. At the end of May he was seized with an attack of influenza. This was followed by inflammation of the lungs, which caused his death, and the verdict of the Coroner's Jury was to that effect. He was in a good state of health when he entered the prison, and I am assured by the Governor and medical officer of the prison that his death was in no way caused or accelerated by prison treatment or discipline.