Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 14 October 1892

Mysterious Miners at Wath

Joseph Parkinson, Pogmore Lane, Wath, driver; John Cox, 35 Charles St, Swinton, driver; and Herbert Redfern, Orchard place, Wath, driver, were each summoned for a breach of special rule 97 at Wath Main Colliery, by improperly using their lamps on 27 September.

The  acts of the defendants were somewhat peculiar, and at the outset there seemed to be some difficulty in proving the cases. At 2.30 on the day in question, a driver named Jenkins was going down an intake way, 500 yards from the pit bottom, when somebody rushed out of the darkness and kicked his lamp out of his hand, and the light was extinguished. Cox was proved to have done this. Just prior to this several other lamps were seen to go out, and defendants, when spoken to by the manager admitted that they had kicked the lamps, causing the flames to go out.

Mr Hickmott, who prosecuted, said the conduct of the defendants had rendered the lamps little better than naked lights, in the all of the men working in the mine were labouring under considerable danger.

Defendants expressed regret for what they had done, but were fined 10s each and costs.