The “Bag Dirt” Strike – Further Prosecutions.

September 1902

Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 05 September 1902

The Denaby and Cadeby Strike

Further Prosecutions.

Another batch of miners, to the number of 48, were summoned at the Doncaster West Riding Police Court on Saturday, at the instance of the Denaby and Cadeby Main Colliery Co., who claimed damages alleged to have been by them by reason of the defendants staying away from work without giving notice.

Mr. W. M. Gichard appeared on behalf of the Company, but the defendants were not represented. The magistrates on the Bench were Mr. G. B. C. Yarborough, who presided, with Mr. Godfrey Walker, Mr. L. T. Baines+, Mr. J. C. Coulman, and Mr. B. I. Whitaker.

The defendants names were as follows: —William Barks, Thos. Anthony, William Cox, Joseph Casterton, Geo. Clark, Thos. Clare, Francis Cartwright, George Boyce, James Benton, Isaac Cartwright, Thos. Cox, Jesse Croft, James Cooper, Wm. Corker, Fred Croft, Ezekiel Brown, \Valiant Massey, Fred Moorhouse, James Rigby, George Oliver, Chas. Hill, Matthew Rodgers, John Mitchell, Arthur Webster, James Caplet, George Wm. Frudd, George Baker, Henry Hall, John Hoult, Stephen Galvin, Chas. Inman, John Winter, later Murphy, Pat Howley, John Gilmore, Wm. Cawthorn, John Curtis, Arthur Hill, Richard , Bowden, all of Denaby; Fred Bright, Samuel Blunt, Wm. Cot (all of Conisboro’), Robert Cooper, William Corbridge, Tom Clark, Richard Chilton, Alfred Barker, and George Barnett, of Mexboro’

Only two of the defendants. W. Cawthorn, and Matthew Rodgers, appeared in answer to the summons.

Mr. Gichard stated that the claims were similar to those that had been dealt with on previous occasions, and damages to the amount of £6 on account of the defendant’s staying from work on the 30th June, and each of the working days in the next two weeks ending the 12th July. The sums already recovered had been £911, and the damages sustained at one of the pits was £1702, and £1872 at the other. There were 260 miners at one of the pits, and 290 at the other. He would withdraw the cases against Pat Howley and Isaac Cartwright.

Arthur Brearly, under-manager, at the Cadeby Main Colliery, produced the contract service book, which was signed on behalf of the company by the manager and also signed by the defendants. He also produced the copy of the rules.

Mr. A. H. Barnard, agent to the Company also gave evidence. The Bench made the usual orders in the rest of the cases.