Mexborough and Swinton Times August 5, 1927

Dragged By Tubs
Middlecliffe Boys’ Shocking Death

An inquest was held in the Miners Hall, Little Houghton, on Tuesday on Wallace Walton (13) haulage hand, the son of Francis Walton, electrician, 35 Middlecliffe cottage, who was killed at Houghton Main colliery on Monday.

The enquiry was conducted by Mr CJ Howarth and a jury.

The father said deceased had worked at Houghton Main since March 1926, and never complained about his work been hard or dangerous. His general health and site were good.

William Henry Marsden (), haulage hand of George Street, low Valley, said he and deceased were working on the haulage road about hundred yards from the pit bottom. A few minutes of 7.45 am witness saw deceased standing near a bell push and apparently waiting for empties.Witness called to deceased to “pull the rope over” and then turned his back to follow a run of 41 empty tubs so that he might cover them to the chain.

Returning a few minutes later Walton was missing and he stopped the endless rope and told the traffic manager, Harold Brown. They searched and found deceased lying on the off side of a run of empty tubs. He was dead. He could not say how Walton got into that position. From marks on the tubs it appears that he had been dragged about 20 yards. It was customary to keep pulling the rope over as the tubs travelled round the bend. There was no necessity to use the lockers.

Harold Brown, traffic manager, 4 Cliffe Road, Darfield, said he examined the place where Walton was found and formed the opinion that had been dragged some distance. He could offer no opinion as to how he was caught by the tubs. The road was quite straight and witness had not given deceased instructions to pull over at the rope.

Charles T Knowles, ambulance attendant, to George Street middle click, said Walon’s neck was dislocated, his skull fractured, and the right and left ribs were broken. The right leg was fractured and there were other injuries.

The Coroner remarked on frequency of accidents on haulage roads, and the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”