The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-18 00:00:00

INQUESTS BEFORE THE CO'

(From our own Reporter.)

An inquest was held on the 15th instant, at Pemberton, on
Jane Hitchen, before John •Heyes, Esq. The deceased, a
girl about five years of age, was in her mother's house, and
during the absence of a person who was left in the care of
the children, accidentally caught fire, and was so dreadfully
burned that she died the same afternoon. The person (the
deceased's grandmother) left in care had only gone to the
next door to get the deceased something to eat, and on her
return met her in the street in flames. Verdict—Accidentally
burned.

An inquest was held at Haigh on the same day, before
John Reyes, Esq., on the bodies of John Croft and Thomas
Croft.

The deceased persons, who were employed as drawers in
Lord Balcarres' colliery at Haigh, were along with another
person engagedin removing some props from where they had
been working, to another part of the pit, and as soon as they
had loosened it, a part of the roof, about four yards square
and two feet in thickness, fell upon them and' covered the
whole three. Assistance was immediately sent down the
pit, and on removing the rubbish they found the deceased,
Thomas Croft, quite dead, and his brother John only lived
about ten minutes ; the third person was very much hurt,
and was immediately removed to his own house and lies in a
dangerous state. They had been warned by the underlooker
not to remove the props as the roof looked dangerous, but
they unfortunately did not take his advice, and the eonse-
quence was the fatal accident above narrated. Verdict—
Accidental death.

An inquest was held on the 4th instant, at Wavertree,
before John Heyes, Esq., on the body of Harriet Anwyl,
(a child about two years of age), it appears the deceased had
been left in the house by her mother, who had been out only
a few minutes, and on her return missing the child, called for
her, but receiving no answer, the mother went to a small
piece of stagnant water, a short distance from the house,
where she saw the deceased floating at the top; she immedi-
ately extricated her, but found she was quite dead—there was
not more than four feet of water—there was no fence round,
and it is a very dangerous place for children.—Verdict,—
" Accidental death." _ _ .

An inquest was held on the 15th instant, before John
Heyes, Esq., on the body of Thomas Harrison, at Newton;
the deceased was about 35 years of age, and was employed
at the Vulcan Iron Works, in Newton, as engine tender;
about half-past six o'clock on Saturday morning last, they
had commenced work ; after the engine had started, the
strap which connects the fanning machine with the engine,
slipped off, and twice stopped the shaft of the former ; it was
thought the strap was too long, and a saddler was sent for to
shorten it, and the deceased was in the act of putting it
round the shaft of the fanning machine, when his shirt sleeve
having become loose, caught between the strap and the shaft,
thereby drawing him into it, and he was hurled round the
shaft several times, his legs catching against the floor, each

revolution, whereby they were both -shattered and broken
very badly—be was also much hurt on the left side ; the
steam had been thrown off the engine before the deceased
was caught, but made several strokes afterwards, and the
shaft revolves 14 or 15 times each stroke ; the deceased was
extracted as soon as the engine could be stopped. A surgeon
was sent for immediately to the deceased, and both his legs
were amputated on Sunday a4ernoon, but the shock and the
injuries were too great to enable him to recover, and he died
the same evening. It is quite usual to put the strap on
whilst the engine is going. The accident would not have
happened had the deceased's shirt sleeve been rolled up, but
it unfortunately was loose, and in consequence caught be-
tween the strap and the shaft. Verdict—" Accidentally
killed."