Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 05 October 1912
Fatal Disobedience
Death in a Subterranean Shaft
Killed by the Cage
Mr. F. Allen, the District Coroner, held an inquest on Monday afternoon, at the Denaby Main Institute, on the body of John Marriott (64), greaser, of 44 Tickhill street, Denaby Main, who was caught by the cage in the Hooton shaft of the Denaby Main mine, on Friday, while attempting to cross the bottom of the shaft.
Mr. C. W. Phillips (agent) and Mr. H. W. Smith (manager) represented the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries, and Mr. J. Mellor. HJ.M. Inspector of Mines, was also present.
Thomas Edward Marriott, 44, Tickhill Street., miner, identified deceased as his father, whom he last saw alive on Thursday night at 11-15. He was brought home dead on Friday afternoon.
John Richard Wheelicor, 30, Maltby street, Denaby, hanger-on at the Hooton shaft, said he was working on the morning shift last Friday, and at the end of the shift, about twenty past one, there was a tub off the road in the direction in which the men were working, about eight yards from the bottom of the shaft. Witness lifted the tub on the road, and deceased, with two men named Grant and Collinridge, came up. To get out of the shaft the men had to go up ladders, and to reach those ladders the men had to go through the cage which stood at the bottom. If there was no cage at the bottom the men were not allowed to cross to the bottom. The men helped him with the tub, and he told them they were not to go out of the pit, as it wasn’t quite time. While witness’s back was turned deceased went forward, and the next witness saw of him was that he was lying crushed under the cage. Witness had rapped off, and repeated that the men had done what he told them. Marriott must have heard what he said.
By the Inspector: I knew the cages were running, and that was why I told the men to stop back. There is fixed time to stop the cages running, and it is half-past one.
James Grant, 12, Park road, Conisbrough collier, said he got to the bottom of the Hooton shaft between quarter-past and half past one. He helped to lift a tub on the road. .Marriott was coming down the plane, and the hanger-on told them not to cross the pit-bottom until their proper time. Marriott’ could not help hearing this, and the next thing they heard was a lad shouting that there was a man under the cage. They saw the deceased lying there dead. The rule about not crossing the shaft until 1-30 was well known and well understood.
William Collingridge, 23. Bolton street, Denaby, collier, said he was coming into the bottom of the Hooton pit at twenty past one, and he, with Grant, the hanger-on; Marriott, and another man, helped to get a tub on the road. He confirmed the previous evidence as to what occurred.
A Verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.