Killed By Keystone – Fatal Accident at Conisboro’ Cliff – Quarryman Crushed.

May 1930

Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 9 May 1930

Killed By Keystone
Fatal Accident at Conisboro’ Cliff.
Quarryman Crushed.

At as inquest at Doncaster on Friday a verdict of ‘Accidental death” was returned on John Henry Bradley (48), shot firer, of 42, Ivanhoe Road, Conisborough, who was fatally injured by a fall of stone in a quarry, the property of the Conisborough Cliff Co., last Wednesday, dying in the Doncaster Infirmary.

The inquiry was conducted by the Doncaster Borough Carcase (Mr. W. Bagshaw), assisted by a jury. There were also present Mr. J. H. Humphreys, H. 31. Inspector of Mines, and Mr W. L. Crawford, representing the Cliff Co., Bradley’s employers.

Clarence Robinson. 2, Wellgate, Conisborough, said that hat Wednesday, he, Bradley and some other men were working together. Blasting operations had taken place a month previous, and that day they were breaking the dislodged stone into small pieces.

“I was 20 or 30 yards from Bradley when I saw a stone move. One man ran out of danger but Bradley was caught and injured.”

Robinson thought the stone had been released by the removal of a smaller piece of stone underneath it. The stone that fell on Bradley was 40 inches long and a foot thick. When he got to the injured man, Bradley was unconscious.

Answering Mr. Humphreys, Robinson said the stone moved by the blasting operations would make a total weight of about 5,000 tons. Several pieces heavier than the one that caught Bradley had fallen that day. Horace Wright, quarryman, of 88, Thompson Avenue, New Edlington, said that at the time of the accident he was working at the foot of a big piece of stone to get it away. The stone would be about 15ft. by 8ft. by 10ft.

“I was using a crowbar, and as soon as I touched what turned out to be the key piece, the whole lot came down on us. I did not think it was the key piece that I was trying to dislodge, neither did Bradley.”

Witness added that Bradley wanted the piece dislodged. “When the piece of stone came down I sprang out of the way but was knocked down and injured on the head, leg, hand and shoulder. I was stunned and do not remember what happened after that. I did not see what happened to Bradley.”

Bradley was three yards away from Wright at the time.

Questioned by Mr. Humphreys, witness said that at the time of the fall Bradley was instructing him what to do and was not assisting in the work or doing any other kind of work.

Doctor R. M. Bremner, house surgeon at Doncaster Infirmary, said that Bradley, when admitted, was suffering from severe shock. His injuries included a compound fracture of the left leg and an injury to the scalp. He was not able to make any statement before he died.