INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF AARON WALKER

INQUEST HELD 4TH AUGUST 1880

 COLNE & NELSON TIMES SATURDAY 7TH AUGUST 1880

SAT HOIST ACCIDENT AT WALK MILL

About twelve o’clock on Saturday morning last a fatal hoist accident occurred at Messrs. Preston & Co.’s mill; Walk Mill, Colne, through which two persons have since died and another lies seriously injured. It appears that Aaron Walker (a native of Skipton who has been residing in Derby-street, Colne),Benjamin Marshall, George-street, and William Ridehalgh went to the hoist, and when in the act of descending William Henry Stuttard came and asked to go down with them but was told that he had better wait until the cage came up again. He, however, disregarded the advice, and either jumped or got into the cage as it commenced to descend.When the cage had got about half a yard, a man named Robt. Preston came to the hoist, and asked to be allowed to get in. Marshall told him to do, but for some reason Preston did not get in. Marshall then put the hoist in motion, and after that there was a jerk, and when the cage had gone half a yard further it fell to the bottom of the mill.

Ridehalgh jumped out as it was passing the second floor from the bottom, but Wm.Henry Stuttard received such severe injuries that he died in an hour after the accident.

Walker had both his legs broken and was taken to the Bradford Infirmary where he died on Monday evening. Marshall was badly hurt in his back, but, we understand, is progressing favourably. I tappears that the "worm" which works the hoist had got stripped, and the holding power was therefore gone. On Tuesday forenoon an inquest was held before H.j. Robinson, Esq., coroner, on the body of Wm.Henry Stuttard, who died on Saturday from injuries received through the above accident. Mr John Higson of Colne, was foreman of the jury, and Mr. Wm. J. Carr, solicitor, Colne, watched the case on behalf of Messrs.Preston and Co. The first witness called and sworn was James Stuttard. He said the deceased was his son and was aged twelve years. He was employed as a "reacher-in" and was a half timer at the above place. Witness did not work at Walk Mill. The last time he saw him alive was at six o’clock the same morning.

Witness was fetched to the mill at 12.30, where he found deceased suffering from injuries on his head and other parts of his body. He had him taken home and he died in about an hour. He was conscious all that time. Wm. Ridehalgh, on being sworn, said I am a warp dresser and live in Derby-street, Colne. I work at Walk Mill and was in the top room on Saturday morning at ten minutes to twelve. I had occasion to go below for warps and got into the hoist. There were Benjamin Marshall and Aaron Walker with me. I saw Stuttard in the top room; he came running towards the hoist. I put my arm out to stop him and told him there would not be room enough for him. He said he would go down the next time. Marshall set the hoist on. Robert Preston was waiting to get in where we had stopped it .Afterwards he wanted to get in but he could not as the hoist was to low. Marshall told him he must get in where it was or get on the top.He said he would wait and not get on the top that time. Marshall started it again. I heard the noise and at the first landing, being in front of the others I jumped out. I then looked down to see where the others were, but could see no one but the deceased laid across the hoist down on the floor. I did not feel this boy jump on the hoist. He was not on it when it was put in motion. I did not see him fall after I had got out.

By a Juryman: Do you think he had hold of the rope? - Witness: I cannot say; I have only been down the hoist two or three times, it had only been in use three or four weeks. Another Juryman: Do you think it was over weighted? Witness: I don’t, there have been as many in beforeand sometimes more. Since the accident the cage has been stopped. We made a practice of going down three or four together. The tackler swere the only people who used it for going up. We had not been forbidden to go down until this accident happened. The manger has seen us go up and down frequently. By Mr. Carr: When the boy came to the cage we tried to prevent him. He said he would go down the next time. Did Mr Walker ever say anything to you at any time as to not going down? Witness: No. Mr. Carr: Where was he when he has seen you going down? He was about two or three yeards off at a winding frame, and could have seen us, but cannot say whether he did, but that was not on the day of the accident. John Marshall said he was a dresser at the place and lived in George-street. He was in the warehouse when the accident happened. Hearing a "thunge" I looked in the direction of the hoist. I saw the rope shaking about, and I ran towards it, I saw the boy Stuttard laid across the cage, his head was on one side and his legs hanging on the iron bar in the middle. He lifted deceased off, he was unconscious. He had since been in the top storey and examined the top of the hoist. The thread of the screw part was"stripped" and this would cause the cage to come down unobstructed.It has been a common practice by those working in the top room to goup and down.

Mr. Wilkinson, the manager, had frequently warned them about too many stepping into the cage. The Coroner remarked that from the evidence adduced they could come to no other conclusion but that deceased had been accidentally killed. The Jury were of the same opinion; one of them remarked that the cage was capable of bearing ten cwt. On it. Mr. Carr also addressed the jury, stating that he could come=to no other conclusion than that (as the screw was "stripped" and noone knowing anything about it), Messrs. Sydney Preston and Company were entirely free from all blame. A verdict of "Accidentally Killed" was therefore returned.At the Bradford Town Hall on Wednesday afternoon,

Mr. J. G.Hutchinson, the coroner, held an inquest, touching the circumstances attending the death of Aaron Walker, a warp dresser, 36 years of age,who resided in Derby-street, Colne, and who died on Monday evening at the Bradford Infirmary from injuries received on the previous Saturday at Messrs. Preston and Co’s mill, Colne. The first witness called was Sergerison Walker, of Bradley, who identified the body as his brother, and stated that he saw the deceased at the Bradford Infirmary after the accident; when in answer to question as to how the accident occurred, deceased replied "I cannot tell whether it was the rope or the hoist had been broken, or it had got out of gear." He did not blame any one.Wm. Ridehalgh, a warp dresser in the employ of Messrs. Preston and Co., manufacturers of Colne, stated that on Saturday last, himself, the deceased, and a man named Benjamin Marshall were in the top room of the mill at work. About ten minutes to twelve there was a knock at the door, which they understood to be warps. There was a hoist at the mill in connection with the various floors, and after the knock at the door, the man Marshall, himself and the deceased got into the hoist,which was put in motion by Marshall. The hoist had only gone half a yard when a man named Robert Preston asked to be allowed to get in; Marshall told him to do so, but for some reason, Preston did not get in.Marshall then put the hoist in motion, and after that there was a jerk, and when the hoist had gone half a yard it fell to the bottom of the mill. Witness jumped out of the box at the second floor from the bottom, and on looking down to the bottom saw the deceased and Marshall lying there injured. A boy named Wm. Henry Stuttard who was also injured had since died.

The rope to put the hoist in motion was worked in the ordinary way; the hoist was worked by a shaft to a cog wheel, which ran into the worm which was attached to the drum over which the hoist was worked. On Monday last witness discovered that two of the teeth of the worm had been broken. The hoist was used for taking weavers beam sup and down the mill, but no one was placed in charge of it. Witness Co., manufacturers of Colne, stated that on Saturday last, himself, the deceased, and a man named Benjamin Marshall were in the top room of the mill at work. About ten minutes to twelve there was a knock at the door, which they understood to be warps. There was a hoist at the mill in connection with the various floors, and after the knock at the door, the man Marshall, himself and the deceased got into the hoist, which was put in motion by Marshall. The hoist had only gone half a yard when a man named Robert Preston asked to be allowed to get in; Marshall told him to do so, but for some reason, Preston did not get in.Marshall then put the hoist in motion, and after that there was a jerk and when the hoist had gone half a yard it fell to the bottom of the mill.jumped out of the box at the second floor from the bottom, and on looking down to the bottom saw the deceased and Marshall lying there injured. A boy named Wm. Henry Stuttard who was also injured  had since died.

The rope to put the hoist in motion was worked in the ordinary way; the hoist was worked by a shaft to a cog wheel, which ran into the worm which was attached to the drum over which the hoist was worked. On Monday last witness discovered that two of the teeth of the worm had been broken. The hoist was used for taking weavers beams up and down the mill, but no one was placed in charge of it. Witness had been cautioned by Mr. Wilkinson, the manager, not to use the hoist which was worked by steam power. Corroborative evidence was given by the man Marshall. Mr. Samuel Shackleton, mechanic of Colne,stated that he constructed the hoist in question at the request o fMessrs. Preston. The cog wheel was a cast iron one, and was made for them by Mr. Roberts of Nelson. He did not observe any flaw in the casting of the wheel when he examined it after the accident. The teeth appear to have been broken off solid. He had never erected a hoist before, but had been engaged in mills all his life. If the wheel had been made of steel he though it would have been safer. He had never known a wheel made of wrought iron. He made the hoist by day work and was not stinted in the cost.

The coroner having summed up the  Jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased was "Accidentally killed". Mr. H. Walker, a member of the firm, was present during the inquest.