Here is this week’s round-up of pieces from the Batley News relating to the parish of St Mary’s. As usual I have put in bold the names of those connected to the parish who served with the military. And, as ever, the spelling and punctuation matches that of the newspaper.
The inquest took place into the death of John Judge. Though linked to Birstall St Patrick’s, he lived within St Mary’s parish boundaries at the time of his death. The accident which caused his death illustrates the dangers mine-workers faced in carrying out their work.
TERRIBLE FATALITY IN A LOCAL PIT.
Veteran Batley Miner Crushed by a Huge Stone.
Story of a Treacherous Pot Hole.The falling of a stone from a “pot hole” in the roof of one of the workings of the West End Colliery of Messrs. James Critchley and Son, Batley, resulted in the death on Saturday of John Judge (62), a miner of North Street, Cross Bank, who for fifteen or sixteen years had proved himself a capable and careful employee. The fall of the roof took place about three o’clock on the morning of March 18th, and he was admitted without delay to Batley and District Hospital.
At an inquest at Batley Temperance Hall on Monday, Miss Cann, hospital matron, told Mr. P. P. Maitland (coroner) that when admitted Judge was suffering from shock. Many bruises afterwards showed themselves, and there was internal injury causing haemorrhage of the kidneys and partial paralysis of the lower limbs. His condition fluctuated until death occurred.
The evidence of the widow, Ann Judge, as to statements made by her husband showed he attributed his injuries purely to accident. A big stone fell on him, he said, and if help had not come promptly he could not have lived five minutes.
A Cry of “Oh.”
George Arthur Jackson, Beaumont Street, Liversedge, said he was at work filling about twenty yards from deceased, when he heard a cry of “Oh.” Running to where he had heard Judge at work, he found him pinned down by a big stone with just his head showing, and with his feet in the direction the of the coal face. The stone was about 4ft. 6in. long and lay about half a yard from the coal face. Finding he could not move the stone, he ran for assistance, and some by-workers came and released Judge. The stone weighed from half-a-ton to 15 cwts. He noticed a prop partly resting in the gobbing.1 Deceased must have just finished filling his corve which stood close by.
The Coroner: Have you any idea what caused this stone to come down?
Witness: No.
Was he a capable workman? —Yes, as far as I know. I have worked with him.
Was there plenty of timber at hand if he wanted it? —Yes, in the pass-by not far away.
There was some standing timber? —Yes, there was some set about four feet from the coal face.
Was it well within the distance allowed? —Yes.
Mr. W. J. Charlton (Inspector of Mines): Do you look upon the roof as good or poor? —Just a moderate roof.
Do you use bars to any great extent? —Not a great deal; just occasionally.
“Old John is Under Some Roof.”
Joseph Fletcher, 45, Richmond Street, Cross Bank, Batley, night deputy, said Judge had been at work on the Beeston seam which was two feet thick. He was an experienced and careful man. Witness visited the spot just before deceased began his shift.
The Coroner: Did you examine the roof? —Yes.
What space was there between the timber and the coal face? —About four feet.
Was there plenty of timber? —Yes, he had his timber well within the regulations.
What sort of roof was it? —I found it safe and sound.
A good roof? —Yes I was nearly due to visit the place again when the accident happened. I was working my way there when I was told “Old John is under some roof.”
Witness said by the time he reached the spot Judge had been taken from under a stone fifteen to eighteen inches thick and wider at the bottom than the top. It had fallen from between two slips. There were two props on the floor, and the deceased said he was in the act of setting a prop when the accident happened.
The Coroner: Did he say why he was setting a prop there?
Witness: No. He was within his distance without setting it.
Then there must have been a reason for his doing so? —Yes, he must have seen those two slips.
There was another prop? —Yes, he had probably been using one prop as a cap on the other.
How the Stone Fell.
Would not the slips be visible when you were there? —No, because he filled the coal from under the two slips between my visit and the time of the accident.
Was a prop the wisest thing to set between the two slips? —No, it would have been better to have a bar set.
What do you think made the stone slip? —He might have shaken it down with setting the top.
If he had set a bar? —It could not have come down.
He was a very careful man? —As a rule.
Mr. W. J. Charlton: The stone has a smoother edge all round except where it was broken , and the break apparently was parallel with a bar that had been set? —Yes.
It seems one end of the stone dropped to the floor before it touched deceased? —Yes, it might have dropped on its edge, and then pinned him down.
Allen Hudson 35, North Bank Road, Yorkshire Miners’ Association secretary at West End Pit, said he happened to be near the scene of the accident when Jackson ran out to say “the old man was fast.” A minute or two sufficed to release Judge, who was carried into the cross gate. The stone had come from a pot hole, and there was nothing to hold it in the roof. Judge would always have plenty of timber, but witness did not think he was setting a prop, because he saw the slip. He did not say he was.
Mr. Charlton: I rather thought the stone had broken off, but it seems to have had no adhesion to the roof? —No.
A Valuable Worker Lost.
The Coroner said there was no doubt the place was well timbered. Whilst at his work deceased probably saw signs of danger and proceeded to set a prop, whereas the evidence tended to show it would have been safer if he had set a bar. He evidently noticed danger, because he was within his timbering distance, and if everything had looked all right why should he have set a prop? Setting a bar might have averted an accident, but they could not say for certain.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
Mr. Arthur Dews, manager for Messrs. Critchley and Sons, said he wished on behalf of the directors to express sympathy with the relatives of deceased. It had been thought Judge was making progress towards recovery and his death had come as a shock both to Mr. J. P. Critchley and Mr. G. R. C. Fox.
The Coroner: You have lost a valuable man?
Mr. Dews: I have.
Mr. Hudson said deceased was a man who never “played,” was respected by all the work people, and would be sadly missed in the present serious crisis.
There was a second inquest this week involving a family from the parish. This one involved baby Margaret Ann Toohey. Her father, Michael Joseph Toohey, had recently been discharged as medically unfit from the Royal Army Medical Corps.
A BATLEY BABY’S DEATH.
A Touch with a Hot Poker Causes Septic Poisoning.
A Little Brother’s Fatal Prank.The death of Margaret Ann Toohey, aged 8 months, daughter of Michael Joseph Toohey, mill hand, 8, Charles Street, Batley, formed the subject of an inquest on Wednesday.
The young mother (Ann Toohey) said she was rocking the baby on the afternoon of March 14th, when her little boy, one year and eight months old, touched its leg under the knee with a poker, which he had drawn from the ashes underneath the fire. The poker end, black but hot, left a mark about the size of a three penny bit, but it did not cause the baby to cry. The child fell asleep, and she washed the spot whilst it was asleep. Her mother afterwards put vaseline on and wrapped a bandage round.
When did the child become ill? —On Monday night. The Baby Nurse called and said there was nothing to be frightened of.
On March 20th (added the witness) the baby had a fit, and she sent for Dr. Woods, who on hearing two days later of the burn suggested that the child should be taken to the Hospital. Her mother was there told by Dr. Broughton to apply hot fomentations. That was done, but the child did not get better, and death took place early on Wednesday morning.
How did the little boy get hold of the poker? —He could get his hand through the fire guard.
Sergt. Hebden said the witness told the police the fire guard was not in position.
Mrs. Toohey: It had been, but the boy went out and I took the guard away. He got hold of the poker and was playing with it before I noticed him.
Mrs. Mary Lewis, who said her husband made fat at Greenhaigh’s , said the last witness was her daughter and lived with her. The hot poker did not cause a blister on the baby’s leg: “It just rubbed the skin up.” She used a bit of clean old cotton for the bandage. The baby was kept clean; it was bathed every morning. She had done her level best for it.
Dr. Woods said he was fetched because the child was in a convulsion on March 20th, and not until the 22nd did he hear of the burn, although the mother and grandmother were quite candid about it. It was a fine healthy baby. There was no doubt that some septic matter must have got into the wound – probably shortly after it was caused by the burn. He suggested that the child should be taken to the Hospital on account of the home surroundings, and it was for the authorities there to say whether it should be admitted or not.
The Coroner: When it was seen there the grandmother was told by Dr. Broughton to apply hot fomentations. Later Dr. Broughton told her that as you had the case in hand you should finish it. Has there been a misunderstanding?
Dr. Woods: I don’t think so. Dr. Broughton saw the child the first at the hospital, but later it was taken to his house, and when he learned there that I had been in attendance he naturally suggested that I should be called in again.
It is an exceptional case, is it not? —It is. The inflammation spread downwards in spite of the treatment, but the child did not seem to be in any greater danger even on Monday than it was last week. It died very quickly.
The Coroner said the child seemed to have been well attended to. It was sad that a little brother at play should be the cause of such a fine baby dying.
The jury were satisfied that death was due to an accident.
Four parish deaths were in the Family Notices columns this week, including both these deaths, along with Patrick McDonald whose inquest was in last week’s newspaper.
BATLEY
McDonald. —April 4th, aged 54, Patrick McDonald, 6, Churchfield Street.
Durkin. —April 8, John Durkin, Cross Bank Road.
Toohey. —April 10, aged 8 months, Margaret daughter of Michael J. Toohey 8 Charles St.
BIRSTALL
Judge. —April 10, aged 62, John Judge.
There was also an acknowledgment from the family of Patrick McDonald:
MRS.McDONALD and Family wish to Thank all, friends for their kind expressions of sympathy in their sudden and sad bereavement. —6, Churchfield Terrace, Batley.
In addition the inquests into the deaths of two parishioners, another one – Elizabeth Frain – suffered a life-changing workplace injury.
Elizabeth Frain (30), 10, Hirst’s Buildings, Cross Bank, was admitted to Batley Hospital on Wednesday. Her left had had been crushed whilst at work in a local mill, and it was found necessary to amputate three fingers.
The final piece in this week’s newspaper round-up involved two parishioners in trouble with the Magistrates.
“If you can afford to get drink in these days you can afford to pay £1,” said Mr. Hurst to Thomas Kelly, miner, Ambler Street.
Mrs. Winifred Mullins, Cobden Street, Batley, was fined 10s. for drunkenness.
Footnotes
- Gobbing was mining waste material such as shale or clay etc., and it could refer to a worked-out area of the mine, often packed with this waste.
Past To Present Genealogy 