Opening Of The Coroner's Inquiry
Jurymen View Bodies
Bodies Laid Out In Parochial Hall

On Wednesday afternoon, an inquest took place at the offices of the Thornhill Local Board, on the first unfortunate persons whose bodies were recovered the previous night and conveyed to their respective homes.

Thomas Taylor, Esq., was the coroner, and Mr Joseph Brown was chosen foreman of the jury, which comprised the following persons:— The Rev. G. Wheelhouse, Messrs. Thomas Barker, Carter Lodge, George Wheelhouse, Robert Fletcher Machell, Joseph Firth, George Knowles, Edmund Haigh, Joseph Brook, Frank Douglas, Tom Sykes, John James Wood, Joseph Hampshire, James Brown, William Jessop and James Podmore.

After the jurymen had been sworn they proceeded to the different houses, where the bodies were laid out, to view the remains. Considerable time was taken up as the houses, were wide apart, one of them being at Thornhill Edge. On returning to the Boardroom, the first witness called was a young man named Scargill, son of the first person who was found in the pit, James Scargill.

He said: "I am a spinner in a woollen mill. The deceased, James Scargill, was my father, and was fifty years of age last Friday. He was a colliery blacksmith. I lived with my father, and I last saw him alive at a quarter to six yesterday morning. He did not say anything particular when I left him at home about his work. I next saw him at four o'clock yesterday afternoon. His body had then been brought home. He was not insured in an assurance society, but he was a member of an odd-fellows club."

Penny Per Week

STEPHEN FIELD, of Wells Road, Thornhill Combs said: "I am an overlooker in a worsted mill. The deceased, Walter Field, was my son. He was a "spragger" and was fifteen years of age. He had worked for Mr Ingham about fifteen months. I last saw him alive on Tuesday morning at ten minutes past five. When I left him in the house he was in his usual health and spirits. He was dead when I next saw him at ten minutes past five, at my house. His life was insured in the Prudential Society ten years ago. I cannot say exactly what he was insured for, but I pay a penny per week in premiums."

Shoemaker

CHARLES CROFT was the next witness. He said: "I live at Crossgate, Thornhill, and am a shoemaker by trade. Samuel Croft, one of the deceased, who was 28 years of age and a hanger on in a coal pit, was my brother. We lived together.

I last saw him alive on Monday night at half-past ten as he was going to bed. We did not sleep together, but I know he was quite well when he left home. I don't know anything about the pit. His life is insured in the Prudential Society, but we have paid more into the society than we shall receive for insurance. He was unmarried."

ELIZABETH ANN FIRTH, of Ward's Fold, Edge Road, the next witness, wept bitterly whilst she was giving evidence. The deceased was her son, but her husband and two other sons were still at the bottom of the pit. She said the deceased helped her husband who was a hanger on in the pit. His body was brought home yesterday afternoon, and so far as she knew there was no bruise or skin off the body. His neck was black, and somebody said his neck had been broken. Deceased was insured in the Prudential Office for £14. The inquest was adjourned until Thursday.

The Adjourned Coroner's Inquiry

The Coroner's adjourned inquest was re-opened on Thursday before Mr Taylor and the same jury that sat on the previous day. There was also present, Mr E.T. Ingham, owner of Combs Colliery, Messrs Stewart and Chalker, solicitors, Wakefield, representing Mr Ingham, Mr Wardell; chief inspector of mines; Mr E. Cowey and Mr Murray of the Yorkshire Miners Association, Mr G F Beacher H.S. Childe, Mr T.R. Maddison, engineers; Mr W.H. Ramsden, surveyor for Mr Ingharn, and a number of the general public.

Mr Chalker said he was directed to attend the inquiry on behalf of Mr Ingham who had instructed him to do the utmost in his power to have placed before the jury every fact, and to render them every assistance throughout the inquiry, so that they might come to a true conclusion as to what had been the cause of the dreadful calamity.

The coroner remarked that there was such a large number of bodies that considerable time would be taken to go through the evidence of identification.

If they could complete the identification of the bodies they would then be able to go on with the evidence to show the cause of the disaster. Therefore he proposed to merely take his evidence of identification for the present and to adjourn the inquiry until Tuesday next, at ten o’clock in the morning.

Sights Never To Be Forgotten

The jurymen and the Coroner then proceeded to the Parochial Hall to view the bodies, the scene of which will not soon be forgotten by those who witnessed it. The place was filled with outstretched corpses, in the middle of which a large bouquet of flowers was placed, in the lower room were fifty-four bodies laid out in two rows, all numbered. Superintendent Midgley announced that No 133 had not been identified.

In a class room close by there were thirteen bodies laid out, and two of these, numbered 104 and 110 respectively, had also not been identified. In the upper room there were sixty-six corpses laid out, and these had all been identified. The bodies did not appear to be burned about the face, indeed many of them had a perfectly natural appearance, as if in sleep.

Melancholy Interest

Several of the boys had a beautifully placid appearance, but other faces had a slightly discoloured appearance, and a few had rather ugly bruises about the face and head, and swollen lips, as if they had been struck by some missile. One poor unfortunate fellow had a deep cut below his left eye, which appeared to have been caused by a piece of sharp coal.

Crowds of people gathered round the Parochial Hall during the whole day, and watched with melancholy interest the bringing in of the bodies, which were recovered rapidly during the day. It was most touching to see the groups of relatives anxiously watching the bodies being brought in one after another on the ambulance stretcher and trying to ascertain from the bearers the names of those they bore.
The police kept the gates fast and only admitted relatives of deceased persons to try to identify those belonging to them, and many, after doing this, appeared quite overcome with grief, whilst others appeared more composed after learning the worst.

The Coroner's adjourned inquiry took place at four o'clock on Thursday at the Local Board Offices, after the Coroner, Mr Taylor, and the jury had been to view the bodies in the Parochial Hall.

The first witness called was Mr John Dearden, schoolmaster, who identified the body of Amos Hawksworth, who came to Thornhill seven or eight years ago. Deceased was fifty-two years of age and he followed the occupation of a colliery under-manager. He last saw Mr Hawksworth alive on Sunday last, in good health and spirits. He saw his dead body as soon as it was brought to the surface of the pit. With the assistance of others, he took the body himself from the pit to his home. Mr Hawksworth's life was not insured, but he was a member of two clubs.

HANNAH Firth Identified the body of Eli Firth as that of her husband, and Samuel and George Firth, as the bodies of her two sons. She had seven other children. Her dead children were insured for about £18 between them.

WILLIAM OATES, who lost two sons by the explosion, said they were both insured.

HANAH WOOD spoke as to the identification of her husband, and one son, and a lodger named Ashton, who had lodged with her for nine years. He had a father who lived at Darton, near Barnsley. Her own son was insured.

HARRIET LITTLE identified the bodies of her two sons, whom she said were both insured.

JANE RAMSDEN stated that her husband appeared to be badly scorched. Her son was also killed. His life was insured and her husband was also in a club.

CHARLES WOOD said his father and brother, who were among the dead, had no marks whatever upon them. They were not insured, but his father was a member of a club.

ELLEN JACKSON said her husband had only a little mark on his lips. She had three children but her husband's life was not insured.
HARRY RAMSDEN, who identified the bodies of his father and brother, said his mother now had six children alive. His father was slightly scorched about the body. His brother was not insured.

MARY SMITH, of Dale Street, Batley Carr, said her husband, who lost his life by the calamity, was not insured.

Widow Too Ill To Attend Inquiry

MARGARET GOLDTHORPE, who identified the body of her husband, said that he was not Insured.

EPHRIAM HILL, gamekeeper, identified the body of his grandsons, Frank Haigh and Inman Hill. Frank's father, Thomas Haigh, who was his son-in-law, had also perished in the disaster but his brother would be identifying him later. The bodies were not disfigured.

EUNICE SOWERBY, of Flockton, identified the body of Aquilla Brook, as that of her brother. Deceased was married, and lived at Thornhill Lees, but his wife was unable to come to the Inquiry. She was so bad they had had to seek the services of a medical gentleman. Aquilla’s life was insured.

GEORGE BUTCHER, Thornton Road, labourer for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, identified the bodies of his two sons. One of them appeared to be rather badly scorched on the right side of the face. They were both insured.

JAMES THOMAS, of Middlestown, himself a miner at" Inghams Pit, identified the bodies of Arthur and William Cole. He said the youths, who had lived with him between five and six years, had come from a boy's home at Clewer. One of the bodies had only a slight mark on the forehead. Both were insured.

FRANCIS ASQUITH said his son, who lost his life by the accident, lived with him and was unmarried. Deceased had only a small mark on his face. He was not insured but he was a member of the Wesleyan Club.

NOAH FOX identified his two sons, whom he said were not insured.

MARY BROOKE, who was in a very weak state, identified the bodies of Charles Brooke and Willie Brooke, her husband and son respectively. Her husband and son were both insured.

HANNAH MARIA FISHER, widow, said that Charles Firth was her brother, and Alfred Firth was her nephew. Neither were insured, and they were not entitled to anything from a benefit club.

JOHN BROWN, colliery underground labourer, whose father is a farmer at Briestfield, identified the bodies of his two brothers. He said they were not insured.

ROSE SMITH, of Whitley Lower, said her son had not a mark or injury on his body. He was insured.

GEORGE HALSTEAD, blanket raiser, Lees Moor, identified the body of a person who was known at the pit as Henry Halstead, but whose real name was Henry Burton. Deceased was neither insured nor in a club.

Mother Weeps Over Loss Of Son

DAVID BUTCHER, colliery labourer, gave evidence as to the identification of the dead bodies of his two sons, who were both married. He could not say whether they were insured. One of them he knew was in a club. He also identified the body of Joseph Johnson, who lodged with him.

WILLIAM GOATES said his son, who was killed by the explosion was not insured.

ANN HARDCASTLE stated that her brother's life was insured. He had only a small mark on his forehead.

GEORGE SCARGILL, gamekeeper, identified the body of his brother. He stated that deceased was married. He was in a club called the Free Gift, but he was not insured. He also identified the body of Rufus, son of Robert Scargill. His brother had left six children. There were no marks on the body.

JAMES WILBY, miner, of Thornhill Edge, said one of the dead men, named John Ashton, was his brother-in-law. He had a slight mark on his forehead. Joss Ashton, who was also killed, was John's son. The latter was insured.

HARRIET THORNES identified the body of her son, Albert, whom she said was badly disfigured about the face. His life was insured. On leaving the room she asked most piteously “Can I take my lad home?" The Coroner replied that she could and gave her a burial certificate.

Coroner's Inquiry Re-Opened Hundreds Queue Outside
Mother Weeps Piteously

ESTHER DRAKE identified the body of her husband. She had five children but her husband was not insured.
GEORGE SHEARD, mason, of Lister Lane, Thornhill, said his son was insured.

JANE HAMPSHIRE, who identified the body of her husband, said she was left with four, children. Her husband was in the Free Gift Club, but he was also insured.

MARY BLAKELY, wife of Reuben Blakeley, mason, said that George Chapman and Alexander Andrews, two youths who met with their death on Tuesday, were adopted by her. They were both disfigured. Chapman being the worst of the two. She had Andrews insured but not Chapman.

EMMA RUSBY, said her husband, who was amongst the dead, was better known as Booth. Two of her sons had also lost their lives, Fred and Charles Wood. None of the bodies appeared to be  badly  damaged.   She did not have them insured, but her husband was a member of two clubs.  She had three children left.

WILLIAM DUNFORD stated in his evidence that there was no mark or injury on the body of his son. His life was insured.
GEORGE MILNER, farm labourer, said that his two sons, who were amongst the unfortunate victims, did not appear to have any marks upon them. They were not insured.

JOSEPH STEPHENSON, quarryman, said his, son, who had lost his life, was not insured.

Stern Words To Jurymen

After the last witness gave evidence it was a quarter to ten and the CORONER remarked that the time had come for an adjournment to be made.   His decision caused a dispute among some of the jurymen who asked that the inquest continue because of the poor unfortunate relatives waiting outside who had been there most of the afternoon.

THE CORONER: "Do you ever hear of a Court going on until this hour unless you have some special reason for it?"
THE REV G. WHEELHOUSE (a juryman): "I think we should proceed, Mr Coroner. Most of us have been engaged now a considerable time at a stretch and we can sacrifice a little more for the poor things who are waiting outside, anxious to give evidence in order to receive burial certificates.

THE CORONER: "We have nothing to do with the time that has already been sacrificed. That has nothing to do with the present inquiry."
ANOTHER JURYMAN:  "I cannot possibly come tomorrow.”

THE CORONER: "But if I bind you over-to come you will have to put in an appearance. I want to simplify matters as much as possible, and we have only got half-way through the cases and we cannot go through them all tonight.”
A JURYMAN: "Let us have an all-night sitting."

MR MACHELL ( a juryman): "I shall have to be at a meeting of the Board of Guardians to-morrow as chairman."
THE CORONER: "But there is a vice-chairman of the Board of Guardians, I suppose?"

MR BROWN (foreman): "I do think, Mr Coroner, it will be best to complete as musch evidence as you can. The witnesses have been waiting outside since four o'clock, and I am sure it would be a great convenience to them to get away."

THE CORONER: "I cannot take any more evidence, it must be adjourned. It will take me a considerable time to make out the burial certificates for those who have given evidence. There are other things to attend to us well as further evidence, and I think eight or ten hours a day is quite long enough. If you want the witnesses to get a way the only way is to adjourn this inquiry until tomorrow.”

A JURYMAN: "I think it is cruel to turn them away after waiting for so long a time."

THE CORONER : "You are simply wasting time by all this talking."

MR MACHELL: "Don't you think if you had your deputy here to take down evidence you would get on much better."

THE CORONER: "Certainly not. There would then be two inquiries."

THE REV WHEELHOUSE: “I must say the wheels so far have gone very slowly so far as the inquiry is concerned for identification purposes.”

THE CORONER: "If you do not adjourn it for a time, I will do so for you. If you have such a feeling for the poor people, pray let them go instead of wasting time."

It was ultimately agreed to adjourn the inquiry until Friday morning.

When this decision was made known to the sorrowful people waiting outside, great dissatisfaction was expressed. While the inquiry was going on several hundred people were assembled outside the Local Board Offices.