Denaby Miners’ Sad Death

Yesterday, the District Coroner, Mr. D, Wightman, held an inquiry on the body of Martin Coyne (61), a dataller, employed at the Denaby Pit, who was killed by some runaway tubs

Mr. J. Mellor, H.M. Inspector of Mine«, was present, and the company were represented by Mr. Charles Bury (manager), and Mr. Williamson, engineer.

According to the evidence tendered by Martin Coyne, deceased’s son, David Lunn, dataller, and Harry Campbell White, a clipper, deceased had been employed at the Denaby pit for 26 years.

On Monday afternoon he was returning from his work up the Montagu Plane, six yards in front of Lunn when a shout went that some “empties” had broken loose. Lunn shouted to the deceased to come back, but instead of seeking safety a “refuge” hole, of which there were plenty, he crouched down near the side of the wall. The empties struck the deceased, who was rendered unconscious, and died, without speaking, two minutes later. Lunn thought he had got confused, and may have considered himself safe.

The clipper’s story was a frank admission that the tubs ran away because of the insecure fastening by himself of the clip. When he let the tubs go he thought everything was safe, and the clip properly attached. When going down the gradient the jerking must have caused the clip to slip, and the tubs to become unfastened. He clipped between 150 to 200 runs a day.

The jury returned verdict that deceased was “Accidentally killed.”