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.
After last week’s breaking news snippet about the death of Joseph Elders, his inquest featured this week.
A YOUNG NIGHT-WORKER’S DEATH IN A FACTORY.
Strange Tragedy at Greenhill Mills.
Lad Found Dying Near a Scribbling Machine.
It is not exactly clear how Joseph Elders (16) of George Terrace, Field Lane, Batley, met his death last Friday morning while feeding a scribbling machine at Greenhill Mills Soothill, of Messrs. Wrigley and Parker Bros. No one saw the accident, but a coroner’s jury in the Temperance Hall on Monday, where Mr. P. P. Maitland heard evidence, decided that death was due to injuries to the head, probably caused through deceased falling on the mill floor against the running machinery.
Mr. H. J. Peacock, Factory Inspector, was in attendance; Mr. F. G. Smith (Bradford) represented the firm, together with Mr. George Parker, J.P., and Mr. A. E. T. Hinchcliffe (Huddersfield), was present on behalf of the General Union of Textile Workers.
The father, Elisha Elders, said his lad was quite healthy, and had worked at Greenhill Mills about six months, and previously at the Valley Mills of the same firm. From what he has heard there was no blame attributed to anyone in connection with his son’s death.
The Overlooker’s Evidence.
Albert Townsley, Queen Street, night scribbling overlooked, said deceased had been a piecener, but had been transferred to hopper minding, and was completing his second night’s work on the new job. Witness has given his instructions. His work was to keep the hoppers filled and get the waste out when the fettlers came to fettle the standing machines. When the machines were running the lad was supposed to be doing nothing. At 4.35 on Friday morning witness saw Elders standing by his hopper. Both machines were running and in good order. Five minutes later when witness had gone to another part of the room a fettler came running to him, and told him of the accident. He found the lad unconscious on the floor, and while the others attended Elders he ran and telephoned for Dr. Stewart. Death took place before the doctor could arrive. Deceased had a cut on his left temple and another on the back of his head, and his boot was torn. Witness went back to look at the machine.
The Coroner: What did you notice?
Witness: The straps were in their proper order, no belts were off, and nothing was broken. The machines had been stopped.
Did you see any blood in the machines? —No, it was all on the floor between the machines and were deceased was bashed.
Can you tell me how it happened? – I can not.
You say he was bashed on to the floor. What bashed him? —That’s more than I can tell.
Do you think he was caught by the driving belt? —If he has been caught by the belt he would have been bashed in bits.
What tore his boot off? —I cannot say.
He was killed, and we should like to know what killed him? —I should like to tell you, but I am certain I cannot.
What space is there between the machines? —About a yard.
Witness said Elders, in order to do his work, would have to be between the two machines. He was in his proper place when injured, there were guards for the machinery. If deceased had been caught in the side strap it might have twisted him round, and his boot could have “lit on” where they set the machine in motion and throw it off. The wooden floor was slippery with grease, and probably Elders slipped, though he saw no mark on the floor.
The Coroner: You think the slipping and falling against the machinery was the cause of the accident. Do you think he was working against your orders with the machine running? —I do not know. I was not there.
Mr. Peacock: Was he feeding two machines?—Yes.
During Wednesday or Thursday night had you noticed him drying down? —No.
Did you tell, him anything about drying down? —I told him he had not to touch the machine in motion only to fan the stuff off.
Is it customary for feeders to dry down when the machines are running? — There is a warning notice to tell them not to do so.
Supposing he was drying down would that necessitate his putting his hand under the side strap to pick the waste off? — There is a guard on the side strap, but if he did so I should think it would pull his arm off.
Have you ever known a man to have his arm caught between the side strap and the pulley? —No.
Then you don’t know whether it would have pulled his arm off or not? —I should think it would.
Was the guard in its usual place? — Yes.
How far would it be between the two pulleys? —About 18 inches.
Mr. Peacock said 18 inches was the standard minimum measurement which was common in most factories.
Have you no theory how this accident happened? —I cannot form any idea. You ask me if I thought he was caught in the side strap. If he had it would have pulled his arm off.
The Factory Inspector’s Theory.
In answer to the Coroner, witness suggested Elders might have fallen on the machine and received a blow against the part near the driving belt.
Mr. Peacock: You think the accident might very likely happen on the side strap? —I should think it is very likely.
Mr. Peacock: I agree with you; that is my theory.
The Coroner: You think he probably slipped and fell against the side strap? —Yes.
Mr. Hinchcliffe: Do you think the bruise on the temple might have been caused by falling against the side strap, or something harder? —There is a piece of iron running down where the leather is, and he might have caught his head against that.
He must have fallen against the striking gear? —I think so.
Would he be between the two pulleys when the accident occurred in this space of 18 inches? —I could not say.
You know they do it in spite of warning? —Yes.
He had no experience of the machines previous to the two nights? —No, but I believe he has substituted before at Valley Mill.
You think he had some slight knowledge of the work? —Yes.
Mr Smith: Was the boot torn off by the machine? —I expect it would be. His foot was not hurt at all.
The Coroner: What in your opinion wrenched the boot off? —I could not say.
George Henry Marsden, Hamburg Street, Caledonia Road, condenser minder, said he found Elders lying between the two scribbling machines, underneath the driving belt, which was 4ft. 6in. from the floor.
The Coroner: Did you notice anything in the machinery out of order? — No.
Was everything running? —Yes, everything [was?] working order. I threw the machines off.
Was deceased bleeding? —Yes, about the head. There was nearly a bucketful of blood under him.
Unconscious and Bleeding Profusely.
Witness added that the lad was quite unconscious. A boot had been wrenched off the right foot, but his blue smock was not torn. Deceased lived about ten minutes after the accident.
Asked if he could form any opinion as to how the accident happened. Marsden suggested that when throwing the machine off his smock sleeve, which was not turned up, might have been caught by the driving belt.
The Coroner: Do most of them work with their sleeves rolled up? —Yes.
Mr. Peacock: It is an up-to-date machine, properly equipped with a fork. His arm would not be between the belt and pulley, and it is not likely he would get his sleeve in. His sleeve would be hanging away from the belt and the pulley. You never heard of anybody being caught where there is a strap fork.
Witness: Very seldom.
I think you have formed a wrong theory. So far as you know the guards were in proper order? —Yes.
The Coroner: I think that disposes of the idea. It was impossible to say from the evidence what actually happened, said Mr. Maitland. It was the lad’s second night on the job, and the foreman appeared to have given him proper instructions. It was clear the mill floor was greasy, and the presumption was that the deceased slipped and fell against the machinery, fracturing his skull. He thought it was purely an accident.
The jury, with Mr. W. Laine as foreman, agreed with the Coroner, and returned a verdict accordingly.
On behalf of Messrs. Wrigley and Parker Bros., Mr. Smith expressed great regret at the unfortunate accident, and sincere sympathy with the relatives.
Mr. George Parker added his personal sympathy, and said that in fifty years his firm had had only two fatal accidents.
Mr. Hinchcliffe, on behalf of the relatives, returned thanks for the sympathetic references.
Joseph Elders’ death was one of two parishioner deaths in the Family Notices column.
BATLEY
Elders. —April 19, aged 16, Joseph Elders, 8 George Terrace.
Gannon. —April 24, aged five weeks, James, son of John W. Gannon, 7, Spa Street.
The death of another of John W Gannon’s children appeared in the previous week’s Family Notices.
John Judge, resident in St Mary’s Parish at his death, but associated with Birstall St Patrick’s featured in the Birstall column. Note though he is incorrectly named as James Judge in the piece!
At a meeting of the Irish National Forresters of the “Ark of Erin,” on Saturday, a vote of condolence was passed with the widow of and family of the late James Judge, who was killed recently at West End Colliery.
Details of his inquest can be read here.
Also in the Birstall column was Richard Carroll Walsh. It refers to his Birstall St Patrick’s links, and the address given is that of his parents. However, his marital home was Hume Street, Batley in St Mary’s parish, and he is commemorated on the church War Memorial. Note also the spelling in the newspaper, which differs from that at St Mary’s.
Private Richard Carroll Walsh (23), R.N.D., of 53, Brownhill Road, Batley, who was one of the first local men to see service in the war, is officially posted missing from March 24th. He took part in the battle for Antwerp, after which engagement he contributed a graphic account of his experiences to the “News.” He served in the Dardanelles and Egypt, before being transferred to France. In civil plife he was a bye-worker at Howden Clough Colliery, and connected with Birstall St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church.
His full biography can be read here.
Monday’s Batley Education Committee meeting covered teaching appointments. Amongst these was that of Miss K. G. Kelly, St. Mary’s Infants.
The final piece this week concerns John Murphy, who lived in Carlinghow, in the home of his married sister and brother-in-law, Joseph and Margaret Higgins.
A Spinner’s Severe Wounds.
Private John Murphy (28), A.O.C., of 28, Pearl Street, Carlinghow, Batley, who is in hospital at Rouen suffering from severe gunshot wounds in the head and left cheek, worked at Messrs. M. Oldroyd and Co.’s Calder Mills, Dewsbury, as night-spinner. He is unmarried.
Past To Present Genealogy 