Editing Joseph Merrick (section)

==Europe==
As the dampening of public enthusiasm for freak shows and human oddities continued, the police and magistrates became increasingly vigilant in closing down shows. Merrick remained a horrifying spectacle for his viewers, but Roper grew nervous about the negative attention he was drawing from local authorities.<ref name=Howell81 /> Merrick's group of managers decided he should go on tour in continental Europe, with the hope that the authorities there would be more lenient. His management was assumed by an unknown man (possibly named Ferrari) and they left for the continent.<ref name=Howell84 /> 

Merrick was no more successful in continental Europe than he had been in Britain, and similar action was taken by the authorities to move him out of their jurisdictions. In [[Brussels]], Merrick was deserted by his new manager, who stole his £50 (equivalent to about £{{Formatnum:{{inflation|UK|50|1886|r=-2}}}} in {{Inflation/year|UK-GDP}}) savings.<ref name=Howell85 /> Abandoned and penniless, Merrick made his way by train to [[Ostend]], where he attempted to board a ferry for [[Dover]], but was refused passage.<ref name=Howell86 /> He travelled to [[Antwerp]], and was able to board a ship bound for [[Harwich]] in Essex. From there, he travelled by train to London and arrived at [[Liverpool Street station]].<ref name=Howell87 />

Merrick reached London on 24 June 1886, safely back in his own country but with nowhere to go. He was not eligible to enter a workhouse in London for more than one night; the only place that would accept him was the Leicester Union Workhouse (where he had earlier been a permanent resident), but Leicester was {{convert|98|mi|km}} away.<ref name=Howell88 />

He approached strangers for help, but his speech was unintelligible and his appearance repugnant to passersby. After drawing a crowd of curious onlookers, Merrick was helped by a policeman into an empty waiting room, where he huddled in a corner, exhausted. Unable to make himself understood, his only identifying possession was Treves's card.<ref name=Howell89 /> 

The police contacted Treves, who went to the train station and, on recognising Merrick, took him in a [[hansom cab]] to the London Hospital. Merrick was admitted for [[bronchitis]], washed, fed and then put to bed in a small isolation room in the hospital's attic.<ref name=Howell90 />