Sheffield Evening Telegraph September 23, 1909

Hickleton Miner Buried
“I am done.”

This afternoon at Mexborough Mr J Kenyon Parker, deputy Coroner, held an inquest relative to the death of John Chater (40), a Collier, 69 Doncaster Rd, Goldthorpe, who received injuries in the Hickleton Main Pit on Monday, and died while being removed to the Montague hospital.

Dr Robert Malcolm said he was on the front seat of the ambulance with the driver when the deceased died. They were then close to the hospital. Deceased had been severely crushed. Shock was the immediate cause of death as a result of external and internal injuries. He was conscious when first conveyed to the surgery by witness, but did not say anything about the accident.

George Parkin, Collier, of 9 Queen St, Thurnscoe, said he saw the deceased in the pit, in the north-east district on Monday. Witness heard a fall of coal and shouted to see if anybody was hurt, and receiving no answer went to look. He found the deceased lying on his right side, with a piece of coal weighing about 2 ½ hundredweight on his thigh. Some men removed the coal, and the only remark that the deceased made was “I am done.”

He was attended to, and carried out of the pit on a stretcher. Witness could not account for the coal coming down unless it was through a slight bump, though he did not hear one. When previously sounded the roof seemed all right.

Edward Longley, deputy, said that the deceased was a careful and competent workmen. Witness had examined the place before and after the accident. He had no fault to find with the way the men had cut the coal. He could not account for the fall as there was no signs of “weighting “ previously.

Robert Gee also gave evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”