Moseley, Richard 1914 Dec 11th
Artist’s Pathetic Death
An inquest was held at the Council Chamber on Monday evening respecting the death of Richard Shirtcliffe Moseley, aged 71, of 149, Castle Street, an artist, who was taken ill in the street on Friday and died in the house of a lady who kindly offered him rest and assistance.
The City Coroner (Mr S Buchanan Smith) presided, and evidence of identification was given by Police Sergeant Cutler, who said he had known Mr Moseley for the past twelve years, and had found at his house a birth certificate showing that he was born in February 1843.
Miss Septima King, of 36, Wyndham Road, stated that on Friday at 1.45, a boarder at her house told her there was a man outside who wanted to come in for a few minutes out of the wet. She went to the door and saw Mr Moseley who asked her if she would let him come in and sit down. She invited him in to the dining room, and seeing he was ill, she asked him if she could get him anything. He said he would like some hot water. She got him some but he said it was not hot enough, and she got him some boiling water, which was too hot to drink and he said he would inhale the steam. She supplied him with fresh hot water, and he said : “Oh madam, you are too kind. I am sorry to give you all this trouble, but oh, God! no one knows what this asthma is like.” She left him inhaling the steam, but on returning found he was leaning with his head in his hands on the table, dead. She sent for a doctor.
Dr W Gordon gave it as his opinion that death was due to heart failure following chronic bronchitis and asthma.
The jury returned a verdict based on the doctor’s evidence, and gave their fees to the Mayor’s Belgian Relief Fund.
Wiltshire Coroner's Inquests 1801-1920 