Sarah
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The Bideford Weekly Gazette, and Devon and Cornwall Advertiser. Tuesday 15 Mar 1904
Page 8 Column 4
SUDDEN DEATH IN A CARRIER'S VAN AT HORN'S CROSS.
The painfully sudden death of Captain R MILLS, of Clovelly, in Mr E BRAUND's van on Tuesday evening while returning from Bideford, occasioned great regret. Apparently Mr MILLS left Clovelly in the morning in his usual health, and went to Woolsery to record his vote in the County Council election before going on from Bucks Cross to Bideford by carrier. As he was an overseer, he had some official business to attend to at Bideford, and those who had to work with him did not notice anything unusual in his appearance. His wife accompanied him on the homeward journey. It is understood that he even walked up Fairy Cross Hill. It was quite a shock to the other passengers – mostly women – on reaching Horn's Cross, to learn that Mr MILLS had been taken ill so suddenly, Mr BRAUND, assisted by Mr JUDD (postman) and Mr CURRY, lifted the captain out of the van and took him into Mr JENKINS' house, where he was found to be quite dead. The body remained until Friday afternoon, when an inquest was held. The jury returned a verdict of “Death from natural causes.”
At the inquest which was held on Friday afternoon by Mr J F BROMHAM (county coroner) at Mr JENKINS' inn. Mr James Richard MILLS (nephew), Mrs Mary Ann SWALE (neighbour) and Mr E BRAUND (carrier) gave evidence that deceased had a weak heart. - Dr J S GROSE, of Bideford, stated that death resulted from heart failure. - The jury returned a verdict that deceased died from natural causes.
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The sad occurrence draws public attention once more to the necessity of a mortuary in this district. There have been several cases in the past of dead bodies being conveyed into private dwelling houses to await an inquest, and although, of course, no one with any respect for the dead who could possibly find the accommodation would offer a refusal, it was not right to avoid the public duty of a mortuary, when money could be easily supplied for erecting a suitable building for such purposes. Not long ago the bodies of the poor men who met their fate near Cockington were left to the kindness of some occupiers of a private house. Mr PENNINGTON, the district sanitary officer, brought the matter before the Parkham Parish Council at their meeting last week, and the desire is that they may take some steps to provide a mortuary.