Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 21 January 1911
Pipe in the Denaby Mine
The charge against George Freath, dust cleaner, of Denaby was a serious one.
He was summoned by the Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries Ltd for a breach of special rule 99, which provides that no person shall take the pit any tobacco, pipe or matches for the purpose of smoking.
Freath pleaded guilty, Mr WM Gichard, of Rotherham, wished to have the witnesses examined, as the company regarded this as a gross and continuous carelessness on the part of the defendant. They had discharged him pending the case being decided, as they held that if his guilt were established, he was not a person who ought to be implied by any colliery company.
He was charged with having taken a pipe down the mines; it was not suggested that he had matches or tobacco, but the presence of the pipe was an inducement to want to commit the offence. Mr Gichard described the case as one of the most serious that come before the court for a long time.
Fred Guest, head horsekeeper at the Denaby pit, said that on January 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Frith was employed in the stables down the mine. In consequence of a report received in December, he searched the defendant’s jacket pocket in each of the day’s name, and found a pipe and a house key on each occasion. On 5 January another search was made, and a pipe found again. The case was reported to the under manager.
There was nothing now against the defendant, and he was fined 30/-, including the costs or 14 days. Mr Gichard intimated that Freath would not be employed again in either of the company’s pits.
Arthur Lakin, pony driver, Mexborough, was summoned by the same company for a breach of colliery rule number 66, which provided that any person in charge of a train of tubs running on an appeal road to put in a back stay drag to prevent it from running backwards.
Defendant, who did not appear, was fined 20/-inclusive, or 14 days.