Mexborough and Swinton Times February 25, 1938

Lamp in Hut Window leads To Tragic Wath Discovery

An unemployed West Melton miner,’ Charles William Ramsden, of 7 High St told the Sheffield coroner (Mr J Kenyon Parker) at a Wath inquest yesterday how a lamp, burning, in an allotment hut window, had led to his discovery of a dead body.

The discovery was made early on Tuesday morning. Ramsden said he visited Town End allotments at Wath to feed his hens. He went to a hut belonging to a man named Frank Lambert (54), labourer of 48, High Street, West Melton, and found him sitting on the floor. A lamp, burning in his window, had attracted his attention. Apparently Lambert had collapsed and left it burning.

In answer to the Coroner, Ramsden said there was no evidence of an assault having been made on Lambert.

Albert Shaw, 48, high Street, West Melton, said he lodged with Lambert for about six years. They got up about the same time on Tuesday morning, he (witness) to prepare for leaving for work at Wath Main Colliery, Lambert to feed his pigs on the Town End allotments. He left the house a little before five.

Sophia Stone, 17, Cadman Street, Wath, gave evidence of identification, and was told by the Coroner that a post mortem examination, conducted by the Sheffield Police Surgeon, revealed that death was due to natural causes, bronchitis and disease of the heart muscles. There were no marks of violence, nor any broken bones.

The Coroner recorded a verdict of “Death from Natural Causes”.