The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1883-09-15 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

FATAL BLASTING ACCIDENT  AT POLE SWORTH.  An inquest was held on Monday afternoon at the Chetwyr. Arms, Polesworth, before Dr. C. W. fife, coroner, on the body of John Deakin, 46, a miner, employed at the Hall End Colliery of the Birch Coppice Colliery Company. From the evidence adduced it appeared that the deceased worked at stalling and heading and it was part of his duty to perform blasting operations. Deceased, who worked on the day shift, descended the pit on Friday about 4 10 a.m., with his son William, also a miner, and went to the heading of the " rider " to "put the hole" in. Deceased placed the gunpowder—about Ilb. in the bole and told his son to go away. His son then saw him strike a Weller match and ignite the jarmin, which immidiately went off, as did the charge in the hole, blowing out the safety lamps near and filling the place with smoke. William Deakin said he endeavoured to find his father but the smoke obscured his sight and he ran down the head for assistance. His father had complete control over working the jarmin and the charge. He passed under the stuff he was blowing, as he had seen others do. This was the first shot deceased had fixed with the " touch jarmin " ; witness had seen others fire, but they had used greased paper, which took longer to fire. Deceased was ordered by the deputy to use touch jarmins, and he got them ready the night before; but he had no order to fire his own shots after the lamps were put in. It was wrong of the deceased to light the jarmin with a naked light, and he did so on his own responsibility. The deputy came on the spot about a quarter of an hour after the accident, and there was also a deputy—John Bailey—present at the time of putting the powder in the hole. Witness was sure there was no explosion of gas; it was only the explosion of gunpowder. Deceased had no authority to blast,and had only been in the company's employ two or three months.—Dr. Boyle, of Polesworth, who was called to see deceased, found him dead, with nine ribs broken on the left side, and his right arm, left west, both thighs were also broken. There'were also other cuts and wounds on the head and hands, and the whole were caused by a mass of coal falling upon him.—Joseph Wood, nnderviewer, said he was in the heading at 1 p.m. the day before the men were working with safety lamps. There had been no gas found in the workings, and he ordered them to use the safety lamps. He gave no instructions about shot firing. Gas was found a short time before the accident. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased died of injuries caused by having neglected to take proper precautions in firing a shot.  A large number of applications have already been received at the Home Office for the vacancy caused by Marwood's death. The oldest comes from a man who professes to care nothing at all for the emoluments of the office, but is moved solely by a desire to introduce 4' refinement" into executions. Another bases his candidature on distant relation-. ship to one of the Phoenix Park murderers. It is said that in the village of Ecolesfield, Yorkshire, there are several persons who consider themselves qualified to fill the hangman's place. There is evidently no lack of candidates for the hangman's office.  The Under Secretary of State has forwarded to the Press Association the following copy of a notice as to the appointment of a public executioner, which post has become vacant by the death of Marwood —"In: consequence of the numerous applications which have been made to the Home ,Office for an appointment to the place of public executioner, we are requested to state that it is neither the right nor the duty of the Secretary of State to make any such appointment. There is no such office as that of public executioner appointed by the Government. The person charged with the execution of capital sentences is the sheriff. It is the right and duty of the sheriff to employ and to pay a fitting person to carry out the sentence of the law, and the Secretary of State has no authority to select the executioner." REMARKABLE DISAPPEARANCE! Of all Dirt from everything By using Hudson's Dry Soap. REWAW I 1 Purity, Health, Perfect Satisfaction. By its regular daily use.