Arthur Frederick Mills (1863-1908)

Arthur Frederick Mills was born in 1863 in Colchester, Essex, England, the 6th child of William Munson Mills and Mahala Kent. His siblings were John, George, Wallace, William, Thomas, Sarah, Mahala, Victoria, Blanche, Cicey, Charles, Grace and Marguerita.

His father was a shipwright who had been a soldier in the Sihk Wars prior to his marriage. When the ship building industry began to change and the services of shipwrights began to decline, Arthur's father decided to emigrate to South Australia with the family, as eldest brother George had done some years earlier. The entire family decided to make the journey, with the exception of brothers Wallace and William, who were employed as sailors at the time (siblings John, Thomas and Marguerita had died in infancy).

Journey to South Australia
The family boarded the ship "Woodlark" in late 1878. As his eldest brother was already in South Australia and his other two elder brothers were staying behind in England, Arthur was the eldest of his siblings on board. He was 14 years old and listed as an agricultural labourer. It is beleived the job description may have been a fabrication in order to gain passage, as the Mills family were very centred around city life.

The family arrived in South Australia on 21st February 1879. It is believed that they may have lived with older brother George for sometime on arrival, before finally settling in the Norwood area. It is uncertain at this stage what Arthur did in his early years in the colony.

Arrest and Marriage
When he was only 22 years old, Arthur was arrested for false pretences in the state of Victoria. The circumstances of this arrest are currently unknown, but the South Australian Police Gazette reports that Detective Lawton apprehended him in the week of December 2, 1885 and he was remanded.

Within 2 months, Arthur was back in Adelaide, where he married a 27-year-old widow by the name of Emily Hawken (nee Morris). They married at the Bible Christian House on February 1st, and the minister and his wife served as witnesses.

Arthur and Emily had a daughter, Cissy Cornelia, who was born in August of that year in Sydney, New South Wales. What the couple were doing in the state of New South Wales is currently unknown, but it appears that some of Arthur's siblings may have moved to the state and they could have been visiting them. Cissy would be their only child.

Quackery
By 1901, Arthur was calling himself "Professor" Mills and had become a well-known "quack" in the city of Adelaide. According to Wikipedia, Quackery is a derogatory term used to describe unproven or fraudulent medical practices. Random House Dictionary describes a "quack" as a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess; a charlatan."



There is no evidence of Arthur having attended any educational institution at this point, so the title "Professor" is likely to have been chosen by Arthur in attempt to give himself some credibility. In reality, it appears that people may have known that the title was not real, and used the term 'Professor' in a derogatory manner when speaking about Arthur, to describe a 'know-it-all'. This is weighed out by family stories passed down the generations about daughter Cissy chastising people who used the term 'Professor' to describe others incorrectly.

Arthur advertised his services in The Advertiser newspaper, almost on a weekly basis between 1901 and 1908. He called his office the Snoyah Medical Institute, and it was located on the corner of Grote Street and Victoria Square. He later moved to 19 Flinders Street, and would consult between the hours of 10am to 9pm. An advert from July 1903 reads as follows:-



Why the thousands of MEN and WOMEN in the Australian States have consulted PROFESSOR A. MILLS is because they have been recommended to do so by their friends. I have made an original and exhaustive study of Nervous Diseases, and will GUARANTEE a CURE in each case I undertake. IT IS DIFFICULT TO REALISE. But it is true. If you suffer from Nervous Debility, Exhausted Vitality, Loss of Memory, Spots Before the Eyes, Dizziness, Sleeplessness, Tired Feeling in the Morning, with a Bad Taste in the Mouth, Kidney, Bladder, or Stomach Troubles. LET ME CONVINCE YOU that I CAN Cure You. You can do so by calling, or, if convenient, by letter enclosing stamps for reply. Consultation is FREE. I guarentee to restore health to the most ragged and weak constitution. ON ALL COMPLAINTS, MALE OR FEMALE, consult me at once. Why continue to suffer? You can be treated equally as well at your own home as at my rooms. Delay no longer. Hours, 10 to 9 daily. PROFESSOR A. MILLS, 19 Flinders-street, near G.P.O, Adelaide

It appears Arthur may have been doing good business in 1903 as he had enough resources to request the services of several people to assit with his business, mostly to deliver hand bills. It is also possible that he may have used the business as a cover for other for other activities, as he advertises frequently in the lost-and-found section of The Advertiser, describing objects of considerable wealth including a single stone diamond ring, a gold pin and a bank book.

Death of first wife and second marriage
Arthur's wife Emily died on the 24th August 1904 from the effects of alcoholism and was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide. The headstone was erected by her mother, sister and brother. By the 4th November, Arthur had married again to Adelaide Ellen Starr, a 23 year old, at Miss Hand's Private Hospital in Adelaide. It has yet to be established at this stage why the marriage occured at the hospital.

Fire
On the 5th May 1906, a fire was reported at Arthur's residence on the corner of Carrington Street and Nelson Place. The fire was reported by Foot Constable O'Donohoe at approximately 8.55pm and it was put out by the fire brigade. The fire had been restricted to one room which Arthur used for mixing medicine. Enquiries by the police found that Arthur had left the premises at about 8.40pm and just before leaving he lit a cigarette and probably threw the lighted match amongst some papers and caused the fire. The fire was ruled as an accident and the building was found to be insured with two companies, the Commercial Union for 500 pounds and the stock in the United Insurance Company for 4oo pounds. Despite the accidental ruling, it is suspected that Arthur may have started the fire in order to claim the insurance money.

Wife Assaulted
On the 17th December 1907, The Advertiser newspaper reported that Arthur was charged at the Adelaide Police Court for assaulting his wife. The incident occured on December 11th and Arthur pleaded guilty. His wife stated that he had assualted her previously when he was under the influence of drink and, on this occassion, her had held her down and blackened her eyes. She was afraid that he would take her life, and desired him to be bound over to keep the peace. Arthur was fined 1 pound, with 2 pound 17 shillings costs, and bound over in one surety of 30 pounds to keep the peace for six months.

Suicide
It appears that Arthur's mental health may have been deteriorating further at this time, because he committed suicide on 20th May 1908. Foot Constable Smedley was sent from the City Watch House at 8.10pm to Arthur's residence, where he found him lying in the water-table with a pillow under his head. The constable and some men on the street carried Arthur back inside the house, a doctor was called, and Arthur died at about 8.45pm. The doctor thought that Arthur had taken poisin.

Arthur's wife Adelaide, told the police that Arthur had come home at about 3.30pm that day and told her that he was going to poisin himself. She did not take any notice of him, as he had threatened to do so many times before and had not gone through with it. He drank from a cup at dinner at left. She then went out to find a boy to run a message for her, and while she was out someone told her that Arthur was lying in the gutter. When she found out, she immediately went home.

The Advertiser newspaper reported that a friend of Arthur's, George Davall, went between 5 and 6 pm that day to a hotel on King William Street to have a drink with Arthur. Arthur had said to George, "Will you have the last drink with me, George?" and Mr Davall had asked him what he meant by that. Arthur produced a small bottle from his pocket, tore the wrapper off, threw the wrapper on the floor, and put the bottle back in his pocket. George Davell reported that Arthur had been drinking a lot lately, and had 'a good deal' of financial and domestic trouble.

An inquest was held into Arthur's death and it was found that he had died from poising by his own act, he being at the time of unsound mind. Arthur is buried in the West Terrace Cemtery, Adelaide.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Arthur and Emily Mills
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Arthur and Emily Mills