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Goldthorpe Miner Killed – Men Work To Show Sympathy

February 1918

Mexborough and Swinton Times March 16 1918

Goldthorpe Miner Killed

Men Work To Show Sympathy

At the Goldthorpe Colliery on Saturday, Tom Scott, miner, of 88 Main street, Goldthorpe, was killed by a fall of roof.

An inquest was held on Monday by Mr F Allen. Mr E. Large was foreman of the jury.

Pte. Austin Stott, Manchester Regiment, said deceased was his father and he last saw him alive on Saturday morning as he was leaving for work.

G. Taylor said he was the deputy in charge of No. 4 district. Deceased was working in 104 stall drawing timber. He viewed him at 7-45 and stayed half an hour assisting him to get out some props which were barred. He left deceased to go to a neighbouring place and told him not to touch any more until he came back. He had just arrived there when deceased’s trammer came running along to say that Scott urns buried.

He found the man under a fall of roof; he was not completely buried by the fall.               Witness, with

four men, extricated deceased in half an hour, but he was dead before they got him out.            The stall was properly timbered, and the roof appeared safe.

John T. Waldron said he worked near the deceased. On the morning of the accident the deputy had just arrived in his stall when he received news that Scott was buried. They hurried to the place, and could see the back of deceased under the fall. As they were getting him out another fall occurred, and he was dead when they finally released him.

The coroner said the case was one of the saddest he had met for some time.

The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”

Mr. J. Fisher, on behalf of the Colliery company expressed their sympathy with deceased ‘s family.

Mr. J. Ryan, for the workmen also expressed deep sympathy, and said that in the unusual circumstances the men agreed to work instead of “playing” a day after the accident and to give a double levy to the widow. The Colliery company were also making a grant in addition to the compensation.

The Coroner said he was delighted to know the men had taken this course. To show their sympathy much better than if they had a day off. He personally felt that that cause ought to be adopted in all cases. Also he thought that steps to be taken to obtain, if possible, the discharge of the son of the deceased, and he would be the only support of the home, and the mother was not in a condition to do anything.