Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 29 August 1904

Miner Run Over by Coal Tubs: Two Burning Fatalities.

On Saturday at the Mexborough Montagu Cottage Hospital, Mr. D. Wightman, Coroner for the district, held three inquiries respecting the deaths of John Ellis, engine man, Denaby; and Charlotte Annie Naylor and Alice May, children, of Bolton and Mexborough respectively, all of whom died in the hospital from the effects of injuries received.

The first taken was that of the miner, Ellis, who sustained a fatal accident in the Denaby Pit. There were present Mr. Pickering, H.M. Inspector of Mines, and Mr. Bury, under manager at Denaby.

Caroline Ellis, wife of deceased, said he was 41 years of age, and employed as an engine man at Denaby Main Colliery, where he had been about eight years. He was a healthy man, and was injured on August 15, being conveyed to the Mexborough Montagu Hospital at once. Witness afterwards saw him in that institution, but he did not tell her how he got injured. He never blamed anyone, and died in hospital on the 25th.

John Collins, corporal, at the Denaby Pit, said he worked with deceased, who was a pump man in the pit. Witness saw him on August 15 before he was injured. Deceased was examining a tap, about 15 yards off. Witness left him to go farther down the plane, and when he returned two minutes later the rope was going. It was a double road, full tubs travelling one way, and the empty the other. Deceased was standing on the empty turn, with his back to the oncoming empty tubs. When witness shouted to warn him, he turned right round, with the result that the full tubs caught him. Unfortunately, he stepped in the danger, instead of out of it. There was a manhole within a yard of the spot where the accident occurred. After deceased here stepped out of the empty into the full road, witness shouted twice to warn him. As soon as he fell witness rapped the signal, and the engineman stopped the tubs directly. Deceased’s leg was badly smashed.

A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.

The next inquiry concerned the death of Charlotte Annie Naylor, who got on fire in the early morning, before the other occupants of the house were up.

William Naylor, labourer, of Goldthorpe, said he was grandfather of the deceased child, who had been staying with him for about a month. On Wednesday morning, about quarter-past seven, witness was in bed downstairs. The child usually slept upstairs by herself, and the first intimation witness had that anything was amiss was that he heard her screaming. He saw deceased standing on the hearth with her night clothing on fire. Witness jumped out of bed, and smothered the fire out with bed clothes. Home fetched a doctor there and then. There was some burnt paper ash on the hearth. Witness had been told by deceased’s father that he had had to caution her several times. She was taken to the Mexborough Montagu Cottage Hospital, and died there the same day.

“Accidental death” was again the verdict.

A concluding case was that of Alice May, who got on fire whilst temporarily alone in the house.

Elizabeth May, wife of Robert May, miner, Wath Road, Swinton, said she was mother of deceased, who was five years old last birthday. On Thursday morning, about half-past nine, witness went out of the house, leaving her four children behind. The eldest, Lily, was 14 years of age, and there were also Florence (11), and George Henry (eight), and deceased, who was the youngest. About twenty minutes to eleven witness was called, and found deceased had been taken to the Montagu Hospital, where she died on the morning of the following day. Witness asked deceased in the hospital how it happened, and she said her frock caught fire near the bottom bar. At the time of the accident Lily had gone on an errand for a neighbour, and the other children went into the yard, leaving deceased alone. Lily had put a towel up to draw the fire.

The Coroner characterised this action as a dangerous state of things.

Witness said when she left the children she told Lily not to light the fire, but to get the kettle boiled next door.

Verdict, as before, “Accidental death.”