Worthing Gazette 23rd December 1919
Sudden Death - Distressing Occurrence at West Worthing
Having made her Christmas Cakes on Monday week, Mrs Elizabeth Mary Braden, of 65 The Drive West Worthing, gave utterance to the remark, when they were being baked: "I wonder if I shall help eat them?"
A tragic answer was forthcoming some hours later, for she was seized with illness soon after midnight, and died before a doctor could be brought to the house.
Mrs Braden was 57 years of age, and was the wife of a labourer in the employ of the Corporation. His name is Briton Alma Braden, and in giving evidence at the inquest, which was held by Mr. F.W. Butler, the Coroner for West Sussex, at the Central Fire Station in High Street, on Wednesday afternoon, he explained that although his wife complained, some two or three weeks ago, that she did not feel well, she kept about, and had attended to her household duties every day.
The Death and Its Cause
Having spoken of the remark about the cake, recorded above, the husband proceeded to say that on Monday his wife was seized with sickness, but afterwards sat down and read a newspaper. At a quarter to eleven she went to bed, but about a quarter past twelve she got out of bed again, as she complained of feeling sick. Before he could go to her assistance she fell to the floor and did not speak again.
Mr W.S. Nockolds, of West Tarring, was the medical man called in, and he stated that Mrs Braden was dead before he arrived. He found, in the course of the post-mortem examination which he had since made, that the body was very fat, the heart was fatty and degenerated, and the kidneys were also affected. The actual cause of death was fatty degeneration of the heart.
A verdict to this effect was formally recorded by the Coroner, who sat without a Jury.