Fatality At Denaby’ Main Colliery,

The Inquest.

An inquest was held at the Denaby Main Hotel, on Saturday afternoon last, by Mr. F. E. Nicholson, district, coroner, to inquire into the circumstances touching the death of Michael Edwards, aged 48 years who was formerly employed as a dataller at the Denaby Main Colliery, and who met his death whilst following his usual employment on Thursday last, about half-past one in the afternoon, as reported in the columns of our last week’s issue.

Daniel Edwards, the son of the deceased, after giving evidence of identification, said he last saw his father alive at five o’clock on the’ morning of Thursday last. Sometime during the afternoon his father was brought home in the ambulance. He was then quite dead

Edward Ravenscroft said he was a miner employed at the Denaby Main Colliery, and on Thursday last, about twenty minutes past one in the afternoon, he found the body, of the deceased in number two jinny. Witness was walking along when he heard a groan, and, turning to a man named Sellars who was with him, said, “I believe someone’s under the tubs.” The jinny had at that moment just stopped. They looked round, and the deceased was found under a tub. He was very badly injured indeed, but he was not dead. He several times asked for a drink. The corf had gone over the lower part of his body.

In answer to other questions, witness said the deceased had never said how the accident happened. There was room enough to walk where the accident happened, and there were several refuge holes. The width of the road was about 12 feet. The corves, he estimated, would be travelling at a speed between three and four miles an hour. The accident happened at the pass-by. Three tubs were thrown off the line, and the deceased was under the third. The spot where he was found was between two refuge holes.

The Coroner remarked that it appeared to him that the deceased was evidently crossing in front when he was caught by the run of corves and knocked down. He thought nothing but an accident could be made of it.

A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned by the jury.