Unsafe Lamp at Denaby.

William Wright, miner, was charged with a breach of special rule nine, of the coal mines that, at Denaby Main on the 17^th Dec., by improper using a safety lamp in the mine.

Defendant pleaded not guilty.

Mr H, H. Hickmott, who appeared for the prosecution, said special rule 97 provides that any person who shall damage or improperly use, or by improper means, extinguish a safety lamp, shall be liable to be punished.

Defendant was charged with improperly using his lamp. The lamp when given to the defendant was in perfectly good condition, but as the magistrates would see it had evidently been struck with the backswing of a pick.

On the 17^th December the defendant, after finishing work, took the lamp into the lamp cabin, and did not say a word about it; and he got away before the lamp examiner could say anything to him. Defendant afterwards saw the manager of the colliery, and said he did not notice the lamp till his attention was called to it by another miner, when they were coming up the pit shaft. The manager asked if he had reported the matter, and he replied that he had, but such was not the case.

George Colley, the lamp man, stated that the lamp numbered 187 was in good condition when given to the defendant on 17 December. It was brought back about 2:30 in the afternoon in a damage condition. Before he could speak to the defendant about it the defendant got away

Arthur Bond, deputy said he was stationed at the bottom of the shaft on 17 December, to examine the lamps of the men as the men went to work. The lamp which defendant had was then in good condition.

Mr H. S. Witty, certificated manager, disposed that he had a conversation with the defendant on the matter, who said he did not notice anything wrong with it till he got to the top of the pit when one of his mates called his attention to it. He afterwards got talking to one of his mates in a private subject, and forgot to call the attention of the lamp keeper to the condition of the lamp. In witnesses opinion, as a practical man, the land had been damaged by being struck with the backswing of a pick

Defendant was fined 5s and costs or seven days.