The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-12 00:00:00

FATAL COAL PIT ACCIDENT

On Friday, dri inquest was held by Mr. W. S. Rutter,
one of the coroners of the county of Lancaster, on the
body of William Syddal Collier, aged 30, who lost his
life on Tuesday last, at the Bradford Colliery, near
Manchester. On Tuesday morning, Syddal, and three
others, baiting arrived at the mouth of the coal pit, at
twenty minutes before sit o'clock in the morning,
desired the engineer to lower them into the pit
waiting for the banksman. This was done, and t

without

descended to the bottom of the shaft, 160 yards deed►, in
safety. Three of the colliers left the cage immediately,
and proceeded to the workings, expecting Syddal to
follow, but it is supposed that the rope was lowered
More than was necessary, and that the chain at its ex-
tremity attached to the cage, fell in coils about the
neck of the unfortunate man. The result was, that the
engineer reversing the engine to withdraw the cage,
Syddal was drawn to the top of the mine suspended by
the neck. The men who had gone down with hint had
no suspicion of his fate ; but on his arrival at the top,
the banksman (who had by that time arrived) at once
saw his perilous position, and lost no time in getting
assistance to release him. He was, however, quite dead,
his neck being much bruised by the action of the chain.
Two witnesses were examined as to The cause of the
tiectirrente, and were of opinion that a bonnet, or cover-
ing over the cage would have prevented the chain
coiling round the man's neck ; but they could not, in
fact, say whether the coiling was accidental or how ;
and the jury returned a verdict merely setting forth
the circumstances under which the unfortunate man
was found.

MILITARY DISTURBANCES AT

PLYMOUTH.

On Thursday evening Many hundreds of people were
attracted to the neighbourhood cif the Citadel and
Plymouth Hoe, through rumours that a seriotts collision
had occurred between some of the 3rd Jager regiment of
the German Legion and some of the Devon artillery.
On enquiry, it was found that a company of the Jagers,
which had been stationed at Bovisand, a village about
four' miles from Plymouth, opposite the Plymouth
breakwater, and where the reservoir for supplying ships
of war with water is situated, had refused to obey the
commands of their ollicars and were in a state of mutiny
on Wednesday; and that on Thursday morning, on
evincing the same obstinate temper and mutinous dis-
position, they hal been sent to the Citadel, where, on
their arrival, they were marched up to the square close
by the ramparts. In order to be fully prepared for any
emergency that might arise from the insubordinate con-
duct of the Jagers, ten rounds of ball cartridge were
served to the Ist Warwick and South Devon Militia
Regiments. The mutiny act was then read to them. A
court martial was speedily convened on the spot, and two
of the principal ringleaders tried. They were found
guilty and sentenced to be flogged.

In noticing this gross insubOrdination it is desirable
that it should be well known that the men who compose
the battalion at Plymouth were raised in America, and
have no connection whatever with the force at Shorn-
cliffe and at Scutari, recruited in Germany by Baron
Stutterheim.

The principal offenders in the mutiny of the German
Legion were this morning punished with fifty lashes, on
the Citadel Green, by order of a drum-head court
martial. All is quiet now.