This is the text of the report from the West Briton 9 Oct 1890 (including a reference to the Brit). I think the language used is fascinating but we shall never know what really happened to poor John. (John Phillips was my great grandfather) Found Drowned in the Truro River – Remarkable Doubts as to identity On Sunday some excitement was caused in Truro by the discovery of the body of a man in the river near the back of the Green. A young man named Cornew was passing along the back quay when he noticed the body in the water. He informed P.C. Brokenshire of the fact and also proceeded to the police-station and told Sergt. Bettison. The police proceeded to the spot and with the assistance of some boatmen got the body out, and conveyed it on a stretcher to the police-station. The deceased was lying on his face in about four feet of water, his head being against the quay wall. The body was quite stiff, and had evidently been in the water some time. There were no bruises of any kind on the deceased and it is quite a mystery haw he got into the water. The police experienced no little difficulty in getting the body identified, and it was not until Sunday evening that it was done to their satisfaction. It was said at first that the deceased was a man named Rogers, and the relatives of the person referred to – who resided in Calenick-street-were sent for. The wife and daughter visited the station and viewed the body, and although it was not disfigured in the slightest degree, they were both uncertain as to identity. The woman said at first that it was her husband; then she was thrown into a state of doubt by some of the apparel on the body, and eventually it dawned upon her that her husband had very little hair on his head, whilst deceased had an average quantity. Still she would not say that the body was not that of her husband, and the daughter and son- the latter being subsequently sent for-were as undecided on the point as was the mother. Eventually the latter suggested that in order to settle the matter a hairdresser of the city, who had been accustomed to shaving her husband, should be sent for. He soon put in an appearance, and declared without the least hesitation that the body was not that of Rogers. Even then mother, daughter, and son were not fully convinced, and after behaving in a very excited manner at the police-station, they hurried off to Probus, where Rogers has been living for some time, and there the found him alive and well. On Sunday some people came into the city from Devoran, and on seeing the body they at once identified it as that of John Phillips, about 60 years of age, a lime burner, of that place. Deceased left home on the previous afternoon with some sailors to visit Truro. He leaves a widow and six children, the youngest being about six years of age. An inquest was held at the Town-hall, Truro, on Monday evening, by Mr Coroner Carlyon. Beatrice Phillips spoke to her father leaving home on Saturday afternoon with two sailors. He was 58 years fo age, - William Cornew proved finding the body, and also seeing it taken out of the water.-James Dart was the deceased in the Britannia Inn about 8.30on Saturday night, when he was quite sober. Witness went out and found one of the sailors who had come to Truro with the deceased, but on returning Phillips was gone. In answer to the jury, witness said that the night was very dark, and in his opinion deceased must have walked down by the green, and thinking he was going up lemon-street, a lamp being on the other side of the water, walked over the wall, there being no fence whatever to prevent him. Several jurymen commented severely on the fact that there was no protection at the place in question to prevent people falling into the water, one juryman stating that no less than ten accidents had happened as the result of their being no protection. A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned, the jury adding a rider to their verdict recommending the Town Council to at once place some protection along the quay wall to prevent any further accidents
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 20:31:51 +0000
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