On this day in Yorkshire

January 14, 1927

The Scarborough Coroner (Mr G.E. Royle) held an inquest yesterday concerning the death of Mr David Hunter, the ex-Yorkshire County cricketer, of Columbus Ravine, who died suddenly on Tuesday morning.

The Coroner, in opening the inquest, said the passing of David Hunter so quickly and unexpectedly came as a great shock to him, for only two days before his death he met him in the North Marine Road, striding briskly along, with his sinewy, athletic figure. “David,” as he was affectionately called, had led practically the same careful life after he resigned his position in the Yorkshire County team as when with the team. He hunted on foot, and kept himself in perfect condition. Not only the sympathy of Scarborough people, but indeed the whole army of cricketers of England went out to Mrs Hunter and her daughters in their great bereavement.

Mrs Hunter said about ten years ago her husband got a severe cut on the head with a cricket ball, and afterwards he used to have periods dizziness at long intervals, but not for the last two years.

He was last attended by a doctor four or five years ago for lumbago. On Tuesday morning, after reading his paper, her husband went to feed his canaries. He came in again and complained of severe pain in the chest. Witness gave him two sips of whisky, but he collapsed in her arms.

A doctor was procured as quickly as possible, but her husband died before the arrival of Dr Elvins, the Police Surgeon, about fifteen minutes after the seizure.

Her husband never complained of a weak heart. Until the doctor arrived, witness and a neighbour (Mr Charles Edwin Laughton) applied a hot-water bottle over the heart.

Dr R Elvins said that from the history the case he formed the opinion that Mr Hunter had died from syncope due to the thickening of the arteries the heart. Witness did not think the accident with the cricket ball had anything to do with it.

A verdict in accordance with the medical testimony was returned.