Colliery Offences at Denaby and Cadeby – The Missing Lamp

February 1906

Mexborough & Swinton Times, February 3rd, 1906

Colliery Offences at Denaby and Cadeby

A Denaby Main pony driver, named Albert Goodwin, was summoned at the instance of the Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries, Ltd, with having contravened special rule 97.

Mr. Wm. Gichard, of Rotherham, who appeared to prosecute, said on 22nd January the defendant, who was working in stall number 96, was passing near where a Trammer was employed, when he knocked off the latter’s lamp which had been fixed on a prop. Both the miner and trammer requested the defendant to fetch another one, as this one had been extinguished by the fall. He said he would bring one from the lamp cabin when he went back that way.

He failed to bring it and the Trammer, had to do without one. Afterwards the lamp was found behind a stone in a disused road in a damaged condition.

Mr Gichard proceeded to show the magistrates what a serious offence the defendant had committed, the mine been a fiery one.

William Seagrave, the Trammer in question, said on the date in question he was working as a filler, when the defendant in passing knocked witness lamp off the prop and extinguished it. It was not injured, and the miner who was in charge gave it to the defendant to take to the lamp cabin to be relit or exchanged. That was shortly after 6 o’clock at night when the defendant returned he was asked of the lamp but he said he had forgotten it. The defendant came into the working place several times, but each time he made excuses up for not bringing the lamp. Witness returned the lamp is missing and heard nothing more of it until told a lighter, when it was found in a disused road in a damaged condition. The one produced, number 1336, was the one.

Geo. Lewis also gave evidence and the defendant, who did not appear, was fined 30/- inclusive of costs.

Another Denaby Main driver, named Geo Haynes, was fined 2/6 and ordered to pay the costs 11/6 for having broken rule 66, by not having paced a drag behind a train proceeding up an inclined road.