MINING SHAFT TRAGEDY

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 January 1928, Page 5

MINING SHAFT TRAGEDY

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST.

(Our Own Correspondent.)

REEFTON, January 13

An inquest on the late J. S. H. Durward was held at the Courthouse to-day, before Air W. B. Auld, J.P., Acting Coroner, and a jury of four, of which Mr Charles P. Mori was chosen foreman. . Mr J. F. Downey (Inspector of Alines) watched the proceedings on behalf of the Mines Department. Mrs Louisa Ruth Durward, wife of deceased, said that her husband left home at 6.5 a.m. on January 11 to go to work at the Inglewood Mine. He was in good health and spirits and made no complaints. He should have returned home at 5 p.m. When he did not return she sent her daughter to Mr Kremmer’s house at 5.45 to make enquiries. Air Kremmer, who works at the Inglewood mine, returned to her place and informed her that her husband had not been to work that day. She informed some men who were in the bar, and they and Kremmer went to search. Later she was informed that his coat and cap were found at the mine head alongside the Energetic shaft. The police later informed her that his body had been located irf the Wealth of Nations shaft. It was recovered next day and brought to his home. She knew’ of nothing that would take her husband to the Energetic shaft; he should not pass that shaft on Iris way to work; the Energetic had been closed since September last. Her husband sustained injury in the Keep-It-Dark mine in 1919, through falling down the shaft. He had never been in the same state of health since. He consulted a doctor about three weeks before Christmas. W. A. Conlon, medical practitioner, said that he knew' the late Air Durward for about twenty years and was his medical attendant. He last saw him professionally bn December 7 last and treated him for a nervous condition involving a disturbance of his heart and general timidity. He seemed to recover at will and became normal. In December, 1919,- Mr Durward fell through the Keep-It-Dark shaft. He was injured by the fall and suffered much shock from the accident. Since then he had not had the same mentality as to mining that he had prior to that accident, and he feared shaft work particularly. He was a temperamental man and very reserved, but his work as a miner necessitated continuance in an occupation he feared. ’Witness was of the opinion that with sue! a nervous organisation obsessed as he was by the fear of his former; accident in a shaft that in a moment of impulsive irresponsibility, he threw himself into that place which he most feared.. To the Coroner: Witness was not aware of any financial embarrassment. To the Foreman ; He did not think that in his condition he would fall down the shaft accidentally. Walter C'oxall, miner at the Inglewood mine, said ’that he met deceased at Black’s Point on the way to work, and they walked along the Murray Creek road till they reached the bridge that leads to the Energetic shaft. Just as they got to the bridge, deceased said “you could ride the bike here,’’ but witness said he would wait until he got to the flat. After passing the bridge, apparently deceased did not want witness’s company, and did not want to talk. Before they got to the mullock line, witness said, “Do you think the Energetic will ever start again?’’ Deceased said “No.’’ He also remarked that “it would be a hard shift to-day,’’ and I said “you will have to make the best of it.” When they got to the bridge, deceased said, “I’ll wait for Webb Shaw.” Witness said, “Yes,” and went on, leaving him leaning against the railing of the bridge. He seemed depressed. He did not turn up to work, and witness .thought he had returned lid'me. To the Coroner: That was the first time he had walked up the road with deceased.

To the Foreman : Durward made the pace up the road. He was puffing and blowing when they arrived at the bridge. That accounted for him saying he would wait there. G. Kremmer, miner at the Inglewood mine, who resided at Black’s Point, stated that about 6 p.m .on January 11. Mrs Durward sent a messenger to his house and inquired if he had seen her husband on his way home. He went to her place and told her that Durward had not been to work that day. / He and three others there went to search for 1 him, going to the Energetic Mine, where they found his coat and cap lying on the head of the shaft, and they suspected that he was down there. They then sent for the police, and waited there until they arrived, when the latter took charge of the proceedings. He was not present when the body was recovered.

To the Coroner: They went straight to the shaft. They went there because they had just previously come down the'Murray Creek road, and there was no sign of deceased. Constable Houston stated that at 6.45 p.m. on the 11th inst he was informed Durward was missing, and that liis coat, cap and lunch had been found lying on the brace at the Energetic shaft. He went to the scene. The cage was about 2ft- 6in high above the mouth of the shaft. The shaft gate was open and exposed the mouth of the shaft, and everything pointed to the fact that deceased was down the shaft. Messrs Spencer and 'Porter located the body fliere that evening, and he was present next day when the body was recovered. It was greatly mutilated.' Nothing was found to indicate deceased’s intention to commit suicide, and there were no signs of foul play. The Foreman said the jury were agreed upon the following verdict:— “That deceased met his death by falling down the shaft of the, Energetic mine, and that there was no evidence to show how the tragedy occurred.”