Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 05 September 1884

A Trammer Killed at Denaby Main

Yesterday an inquest was held at the Reresby Arms Inn, Denaby Main, before Mr. Dossey Wightman, coroner, on the body of Douglas Cox, aged 15, who was killed while at work in the Denaby Main colliery, early on Monday morning.

W. Farmer, a collier, residing at Mexborough, employed at Denaby Main, stated that on the day named he found the deceased lying dead under a cart in the pit. One of his boots was off and the other was on his foot. He accounted for the position in which the body was found by stating that deceased was probably stooping to pick his boot up when he was knocked down and run over by a cart. The back of the deceased’s head was crushed in.

Mrs. Cox, deceased’s mother, said she had received information to the effect that the deceased had been struck by something on the forehead, and had complained to a collier about it. He afterwards said he would bring sixty or even up that day. She was of opinion that when engaged to work the lad fainted from the effects of the blow on the forehead.

The general idea prevalent among the miners is that the deceased went to work late that morning with his boots unlaced, that he had lost one boot in falling after the horse, and was stooping to pick it up when he was killed.

A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.