Conisborough Miner Caught By Stone – Fatal Complications

February 1937

Mexborough & Swinton Times, February 5, 1937

Broken Leg
Conisborough Miner Caught By Stone
Fatal Complications

Evidence was given at an inquest at Conisborough on Wednesday which proved that a miner’s death on Monday was directly attributable to an injury sustained in the Denaby Main colliery in April, 1935.

The inquest was on Clarence Rowson (33), miner, of 37, Priory Road, Conisbrough. The Doncaster district coroner (Mr W. H. Carlisle) sat with a jury. Mr N. Hulley (manager) represented the Denaby Main colliery company, and Mr K. M. Roddis, Rotherham, and Mr A. Smith were present in behalf of the relatives of the dead man.

Janet Rowson, widow, gave evidence of identification. She said on April 17, 1935, her husband had an accident while working in the Denaby Main Colliery, and he was taken to the Fullerton hospital with a fractured left leg. For some time before his death he had been under the care of Dr MacArthur.

Joseph Robinson, 26, Dodsworth Street, Mexborough, Miner, said that on April 17, 1935, he was working with Rowson in 209 stall in the north district of the Denaby Main colliery. A man called William Hall was also with them, but he could not give evidence as he had left the district. Witness had left the others for a few minutes about midnight, and when he returned he found that Hall, who was turning the coal cutting machine round, had knocked a prop out from the wall, so that he could get the machine round. A few seconds later a large lump of coal fell without warning on Rowson and pinned him to the floor. He was quickly released, but had sustained a fracture of the left leg. Before starting work at that point they had made an examination and found everything safe. It was a dangerous thing to remove a prop from the wall, and Hall ought not to have done it.

Missing Prop.

The deputy in charge, William Alfred Brooks, 8, Genoa Street, Mexborough, said he was on the spot when the fall occurred, but did not see Hall knock the prop out. Hall did not tell him immediately what he had done, but later, when enquiries were made, he admitted that he had knocked the prop out. The fall was the direct result of his action, in his opinion. Dr John MacArthur, Denaby, said he had attended Rowson at the Fullerton hospital on April 18, 1935. He had sustained a compound fracture of the leg. He was discharged from the hospital on October 15, 1935, but he became worse and was readmitted on July 18, 1936. He was against discharged on August 1.

Witness was called to see Rowson at 37, Priory Road, on Denaby 14th, and he was then in a convulsion. He was suffering from acute nephritis and his leg was in a bad condition. While he was attending him the leg became worse, and he was admitted once more to the Fullerton hospital in January 14. Rowson showed no improvement, and died on Monday, February 1.

Witness said that he conducted a post-mortem examination on the body, and he formed the opinion that death was due to degeneration of the kidneys. Death was directly attributable to the accident. A verdict of “accidental death” was returned.