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127
Staff.—The staff of the shop consisted of Mr. A., who owns
the business, his son Mr. A. Junior, and an errand boy B. Mr. A.
had occupied and carried on business from this shop as a grocer
and provision merchant since 1923, and had been cooking gammons
since that year.
Mr. A., his son and the errand boy resided outside the Borough.
Mr. A.'s family consisted of himself, his wife, Mr. A. Junior, a son
living away from home, and a daughter living at home, but
working elsewhere in London. Mrs. A. and the daughter did not
work in the shop. Mr. A. and the son handled the food in the
shop, and the possibility of the errand boy doing so could not be
excluded, although his ordinary duties were delivering, sweeping
the shop and helping to serve occasionally if there was a rush of
business. Mr. A. had been working continuously at the shop
until Saturday, 31st July, when he went on holiday for a fortnight
with his daughter, staying with his sister in Wales. He returned
on 16th August. During this time Mrs. A. was at the shop from
11.30 a.m. until 5 p.m. to prepare light meals for her son and the
errand boy, who worked in the shop during Mr. A.'s absence.
Mrs. A. took very little part in the business during this time.
The errand boy was at work in the shop until noon on
Saturday, 21st August, when he went on holiday for a week.
Mr. A., his family and the errand boy were stated to be in perfect
health, and no history of any illness or suspicious passing
indisposition could be elicited.
The staff were stated to be very particular in their habits.
No history of any illness was obtained from Mr. A. during his
absence on holiday or in his sister's household in Wales.
The tenants (two families) on the upper floors took no part
in the business, but occasionally might get supplies from the shop,
approaching it by means of the side door in the passage into the
shop parlour. One family (man and wife and daughter 9 years
of age) occupied the front basement and the first floor rooms,
and the other (man and wife and son 11 years of age) the second
floor rooms ; the top floor rooms were unoccupied.
No history of any suspicious illness was obtained from these
families.