On this day in Yorkshire

The alleged manslaughter at Ryhill Main Colliery

February 8, 1879

Yesterday Mr Thos. Taylor, coroner, held an adjourned inquest, at the White Bear inn, Kexbro’, near Barnsley, touching the death of Wilson Beaumont, a miner employed at the Ryhill Main Colliery, near wakefield, who died on Sunday last under strange circumstances, he having, it was alleged, been assaulted on the pit on the 9th of January last, by a miner named John Watson.

The inquest had been adjourned in order that a post-mortem examination might be made.

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Watson, who had been remanded by the magistrates until Friday next on a charge of manslaughter, was in attendance.

The only witness examined was Walter White, of Darton, LRCS, Edin, who said he had known the deceased by sight for the last four years.

He had attended him professionally. He saw the deceased on the 15th of January. Beaumont then called on him and complained of certain pains in his head. He examined him and found some trifling abrased wounds, which appeared to be about five days old.

He gave the deceased some medicine, and next day he was sent for, and saw Beaumont at Elizabeth Smith’s house. The deceased seemed to be in the same state, but for the first time he noticed that there was inflammation on the brain.

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On the 16th, the symptoms appeared to become more marked. He did not notice any mark on his face. There was no blood coming from the deceased’s ears but there was a discharge from the right one.

He had since made a post mortem examination of the body, and was of the opinion that the deceased came to his death from inflammation of the brain.

Concussion from a fall or blow was likely to cause it, and it was not necessary for the blow to be a severe one. Excitement or over-exertion would be likely to aggravate the concussion.

Working in a pit would be very likely to injure anyone suffering as deceased was.

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He could not say whether the deceased had suffered from this disease on previous occasions.

the jury having considered, the foreman said they did not see how anyone could be held responsible for the death of the deceased, and they had come to the conclusion that there was not sufficient evidence to show whether the deceased had come to his death by violence or otherwise. They therefore returned an open verdict.

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