Sleeping When On Duty.

January 1890

Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Monday 20 January 1890

Sleeping When On Duty.

Fred Swaby, aged 15, of Denaby, was summoned for having committed a breach of Special Rule 63, at the Denaby Main Colliery, on the 8th inst. by not giving proper attention to an engine which he was in charge at the mine.

Mr Hickmott appeared for the prosecution.

About 11 o’clock on the morning in question, Mr. Chambers, the manager, went the mine and noticed that the engine used for pumping water to an elevator which worked an hydraulic lift was worked at a terrific speed. There was no one in charge, and on a search being made the defendant, whose duty it was to watch the engine, was found fast asleep behind it, and took a lot of awakening.

If the engine had broken, as it had done several time, the probability was that the defendant would have been scalded to death.

Defendant pleaded guilty.

The magistrates characterised the offence as gross carelessness, and inflicted a fine of  11s including costs.