Penistone, Stocksbridge, Hoyland & Chapeltown Express, etc. — 1900-06-29 (Penistone, South Yorkshire, England)

DROWNED IN THE CANAL AT KILNHURST.  On Thureday afternoon week, at &Unbent. • lad named Stale met with his death under rather singular circumstances. On the Tueeday prv. vitiate the lad was taken on hoard the boat "Albert.' at Swinton, by a boatman named Shaw, as he said be wanted a job. The boat was going to Kik:horst, to be laden with coal. On the day in question Shaw left the boat for a couple of home and when be returhed the lad was missing. Th; lad** cap and a tar brush were seen floating on the water, and on dragging operatioos bring corn• mewed the body was recovered. The circumstances attending Oge death were inquired into on Saturday, at the Commercial Hotel, Elmhurst, by Mr D. Wightmon, coroner. The foreman of the jury was Mr. Saxton. John Edward Shaw was the first witness called, sad he stated that he took the lad on hie bee at Swinton. on the Tuesday. as be mid that he wanted a job. The host afterwards came down to Kilnhunit to get lethal with coal. On the Thursday afternoen the witnem left the boat for maple of hours, and the ilk-tiered woo on. When he return.' be could not find the lad anywhere. After a while the lad's cap and " tar brush were found dilating in the canal. Dragging operations were commenced. and the bode wee reetivered. The witness did sot hear if anybody who saw him get in the canal. Hie opinion we. that the lad hal been standing on the edge of the boat whilst tarring it, and be MUM have overbalanced himself. There hail been no quarrelling between him and the lad. as the Witlltft was very pleased with him. He hail heard that the lad had been on two boats previiim to that one, but he could not say how long. However, he was not a new beginner. When he left the lad on the boat be was quite atone. P.C. Yetea here informed the Coroner that the lairs mother wan dead, and his father was undergoing a term of Mc months' imprisonment in Wakefield gaol for the manslaughter of his wife. Another wituem named Oilmour, also gave evidence, and stated that. he lived at Sheffield. and was a bricklayer. The deceased was his nephew. and wan Charlie Neale'a eon. They used to live at Sheffield. and the father was a atone-mason. The IA had been living at Bradley, in Derbyshire. with his grandmother until three weeks ago. when be ran &say. The lemon he ran away was because they wanted him to go to school. He did not believe that the lad had been at Swinton before. The wit hero heard in Sheffield last week that name boatman had taken him on the boat, MO bad breught hint that war. He went down to the Wharfe at Sheffield and inquired, and got to hear et that from some boys. The witness said that the lad had had an inclination to be no a boat. He had heard that he had been on a boat 01106 or twice before. The witness reported him to the police at Sheffield. His mother had not turned the lad out as be had • good home if he had stopped. The witness did not know whose boat the lad had been on before, but it was • canal boat. He haul no reason to think that there had been any foul play. to far as he knew. He did not think the lad would take his life. He had ' always had an incliaation for travelling about.— The Foreman : Wm he an intelligent boy!—The Witness : Yes. and he was willing to work at anything. but he would not go to school. They had had a lot of timbre with him in that respect.— . Continuing, the witness said the lad was 13 veers of age last April. and was born at Stalybridie. • The l'croner remarked that no one saw bow tie lad got in. but he did not think there was any suspicion of foul play. The Sergeant stated that there were no marks of violence to be found on the body at all. The Coroner mid that according to the evidence there wm no suspicion of the lad having committed suicide.—The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the Ltd was "Accidentally drowned."