Death from Suffocation: An inquest was held yesterday, at the New Coach and Horses Inn, St. Sidwell’s before W. W. Hooper, Esq. (City Coroner), on the body of Mary Jane Castle, the illegitimate child of Mary Ann Castle, residing in Gatty’s Court, St. Sidwell’s. It appeared that on Wednesday morning last the mother went out for a short time leaving her two children alone in her room. On her return she found the room full of smoke, and the table in the room on fire. The younger child was found to have died from suffocation, and the elder was in an exhausted state … A neighbour in the court said that about ten minutes after the witness left the room, she saw smoke coming out of the window, so that the child must have gone to the candle directly. Witness locked the child in because only a short time before, the little one got out in her absence and fell downstairs. Ellen Pinsent, residing in the same house as the last witness, proved assisting to take the deceased child out of the room. Mr. C. E. Bell, the surgeon, who was called in to see the two children, said he arrived about half-past twelve o’ clock. He found them in a down-stair room. The youngest child was dead. … The coroner, addressing the mother, said the jury had taken a very lenient view of the case, for he was not at all sure that she was not responsible for the death of the child … The Mother asked if she had no-one to look after them, what was she to do? The coroner said she knew the laws, and if she could not take care of her children she could apply for relief, and they would be taken care of. …
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