Coroner's Inquests, before Mr Joseph DEVEY, Deputy coroner
On the body of Charles M'INTYRE, aged 25, fireman, who had been employed by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. William MANSLOW, a shipwright, in the employ of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board stated that he had the supervision of the erection of all timber work for the travelling machines at the new works in the course of erection at the Waterloo Dock. About 5 wks ago he superintended the erection of a frame at the west side of the Old Prince's Dock, Basin. Its span being 53ft and the framework 300ft long, set up in joints 40ft long. The uprights were placed on planks set in the sand, at the east end three uprights were placed on square blocks of masonry. A steam engine travelling on the frame, James JOHNSON, was the driver, the deceased the fireman. On Thursday morning last the engine was carrying 6tons of iron, travelling north to south. When it was about 50ft from the south end, over the uprights which rested on a block of masonry, the machine fell, taking the deceased and JOHNSON down with it. Witness subsequently examined the works to ascertain the cause of the engine falling. He found that the balks of the frame were broken, but none of the uprights. The cause of the frame breaking was owing to the masonry work on which the north uprights rested giving way at the foundation. There had been very high tides that morning and the water had washed the earthwork from underneath the masonry work. The piece of masonry on which the uprights rested broke off causing the uprights to sink under the machine. There was no danger of the frame breaking if there had not been high tides. There had been equally heavy weights carried over the same spot on previous occasions. The deceased was very severely injured and was conveyed to the Northern Hospital, where he died on the 31st. Other witnesses corroborated this statement. The jury returned a verdict of, "Accidental death" with the following presentment, "The jury are of the opinion that there was not sufficient care in getting out a proper foundation for the erection of the scaffolding in question."
On the body of William CUBBIN, aged about 32, an engineer, employed in the Eccles St gas works. On Tuesday morning the deceased and another man went to chain three scrubbers, each about 16ft high, connected at the top by a gangway. At the top of each scrubber is a protecting rail about 4ft high, and each of the scrubbers has a "manhole" for the purpose of having the pipes cleaned. His companion in unscrewing a pipe for the purpose of having it cleaned, felt a "peculiar sensation" come over him, and he asked the deceased to take the tongs he was using. Deceased did so, and shortly afterwards, hearing a noise, his companion turned around just in time to see him fall through the bottom and centre bar of the protection rail. He was removed to the Northern Hospital where he died 3hrs after admission. Verdict, "Accidental death."
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Liverpool Mercury, Jan 7th, 1867
Coroner's Inquests, before Mr Joseph DEVEY, Deputy coroner
On the body of Martha WRIGHT, aged 56, a widow of 83 Vine St. For the last 2 or 3yrs the deceased's health had been failing, she suffered from a cough and tightness in her chest. About 2wks ago she partially recovered from a 5wk severe illness, and on Wednesday night went out to a milk house near by. The milk is kept in a cellar and as the deceased was ascending the stone steps, which were very slippery, she fell. She was taken home and on the following day could not get up, and said her side was so bad she could not cough. Dr PATERSON was sent for and said one of her ribs on her right side was broken, and 2 0r 3 others injured. She died on Friday morning. She was a very sober woman, and was so on the night she fell. The Deputy coroner proceeded to direct the jury as to their verdict, remarking the woman's death was from natural causes, accelerated by the fall. Verdict, "Died from injuries accidentally, casually, and by misfortune received from a fall down some steps"
On the body of Ellen JONES, aged 25, wife of the chief mate of the City of Melbourne, who resided at 26 Great Richmond St, and was of very intemperate habits. She neglected her children and allowed them to by in a very filthy condition. On Monday she got drunk and was not sober until her death on Friday, verdict, "Died from excessive drinking"
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Liverpool Mercury, Jan 8th, 1867
Coroner's Inquests, before Mr Joseph DEVEY, Deputy coroner
On the body of James KILLUM, aged 3, the illegitimate son of a dock labourer, of 17 Easton St. On Friday fortnight the mother went out leaving her son in the garret with another child. There was a small fire in the grate of the room and during the mother's absence a woman in the house heard screams, she rushed to the garret finding the deceased on his back on the floor enveloped in flames. She extinguished the fire and took the child to the Northern Hospital where it was found he was severely burned on the chest, arms and face. The child died in a few days. Verdict, "Accidentally burned."
On the body of Thomas HOUGHTON, aged 21, porter in the employ of the London and North-western Railway Company, who lodged with the master at Huyton Quarry Station. On Wednesday 26th Dec, about 10.30am, an engine tender and wagon were on the siding at Huyton Quarry Station, waiting until a down train passed. The deceased was acting as breaksman, as the passenger train passed the guardsman was attempting to pass a letter to the driver of the engine which was waiting in the station, but as he was looking another way he threw it to him. The letter fell upon the ground, and immediately afterwards the deceased was seen under the carriages. He was picked up after they had passed over him, when it was discovered both his legs had been cut off. He was removed to the Royal Infirmary, after he had remained there a few days he made a statement to the effect that he was stooping to pick the letter up, when he got entangled in the carriages, which passed over him. He died on Friday night. Verdict, "Died from injuries, how received there was no evidence to show"
On the body of Margaret HUGHES, widow, aged 47, of no settled habitation for some time past. On Saturday night she was found by her son lying upon the bare floor of a house in 8 court, Rachael St, Great Homer St. She was in a most neglected and filthy state and was dead. The same night she sent to her daughter, a domestic servant, for money, but she refused to send any. A post mortem showed that death was due to, drinking, want and exposure to. A verdict in accordance with this evidence was returned.
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Liverpool Mercury, March 12th, 1867
Coroner's Inquests before Mr Joseph DEVEY, Deputy-coroner
On the body of Edward TOMKINS, aged 41, bricksetter, of 14 Buckbean St, Everton. The deceased was a bricksetter in the employ of Messers HAYES, master bricklayer, who is engaged to build a fence wall on the premises of the Liverpool and Manchester Oil Company [Ltd] in Boundary St. In order to complete the work a scaffold 20ft high was erected, and a second scaffold on one side 4ft above the larger one. On Thursday afternoon all hands were engaged raising coping stones by means of rollers, planks, and iron crow-bars and whilst the deceased was passing down a short gangway from the upper scaffold to the main scaffold he slipped his foot and fell over the side of the main scaffold into an iron tank, a distance of 21ft, striking his head, and inflicting a severe wound on his forehead. The gangway down which he had to pass was 18inches wide, 14ft in length, and had an inclination of 6inches or 1ft to the yard. One of the planks of the gangway slipped with the deceased at the time he fell. He was taken to the Northern Hospital, where he died the same evening. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." but coupled with their verdict a presentment that considerable blame attached to the master for not having the gangway more secure, and for allowing the deceased to be at work for 36 consecutive hours.
On the body of Owen FOGARTY, aged 56, a labourer of 9 Walmsley St, Athol St. About 9.45 pm on Sunday night week, PC 919, found the deceased lying on the footpath in Latimer St, with a crowd of persons around him, he was bleeding from the nose and scratched on the forehead. The constable inquired what was the matter with the deceased and was told he was drunk and had fallen down. He assisted deceased up and asked him where he lived, and he replied, 9 Newsham St, the officer informed him if he did not go home he would have to lock him up, and ultimately two women said they would take him home, and they went in the direction of Newsham St. PC 281 found the deceased sitting on the steps of 9 Newsham St about 10.20 pm, very drunk, asleep and bleeding from the nose. He roused the deceased who again gave the same address, and the constable then knocked on the door, but was told by the inmates that they did not know him. The constable made inquiries of other people as to where he lived, but as he commenced to create a disturbance he took him to the Bridewell, and he was locked up on a charge of being drunk and disorderly. He was discharged the following morning, and on going home complained of being very ill, and in answer to questions as to how he got the injuries on his head and face, said he did not remember quarrelling and thought the officers must have done it. When before the magistrate he did not complain of ill-treatment from the officers, nor had he done so at the Bridewell. The deceased went to bed shortly after getting home, became insensible the following day, and died on Thursday. Mr CARTER, house-surgeon at the North Dispensary, made a post mortem examination on the body, and found the cause of death as suppuration of the brain, the proximate effect of the injuries to the head. Verdict of "Accidental death." from injuries received whilst in a state of intoxication. On the body of Michael COLEMAN a labourer, aged 20, employed by Messers TAYLOR and Co, Britannia Works, Birk
enhead, who are contractors for the roofing of the new warehouses at the Waterloo Dock. Mr A. F. MORGAN of the firm of Messers RYMER and MORGAN, watched the case on behalf of the contractors. On Friday afternoon the deceased and Christopher CARROL, another labourer, were placing a bar of iron under a hoist for the purpose of it being hoisted to the top of the building, a casting fell down and struck the deceased on the head whilst in a stooping position, he was killed on the spot. William STEVENSON, foreman, said the casting which fell was a "strutt" and was placed one of the frames of a travelling crane used in the erection of the roof, partly for the ballast in order that the frame might not be upset. The "strutts" were only used temporarily as ballast. David DAVIS who was employed at the crane used for hoisting the materials, said at the time of the accident he was putting on the rope on the barrel of the crane, when the eyebolt connecting the rope to the barrel broke, and the rope descending caught the end of the "strutt" and carried it down. Had the rope been descending in its ordinary course, it would not have come near the "strutt" which projected. It would have served quite well as ballast if it had not projected. The foreman said he had frequently warned the men not to remain under the hoist longer than necessary, and one of the witnesses stated that the deceased was a long time in getting from under it. Verdict of "Accidental death." The jury attached a presentment that there was great blame on the part of the foreman in allowing the "strutts" to project over the edge of the shaft, and considered something adapted should be used for ballast. Messers TAYLOR'S manager said the matter would have attention.
Fatal accident
On Saturday afternoon, John GRIFFITHS was acting as breaksman to a timber carriage at the Toxteth Dock Quay, when the carriage came in contact with an empty waggon. The shock caused a piece of baywood, weighing about 2tons to fall off the carriage and it struck GRIFFITHS, a violent blow, injuring him so severely that he died shortly afterwards whilst being carried to the Southern Hospital. The deceased was in the employ of Mr Edward IBLE, master lumper for CHALONER and Co, Queen's Dock. He was married and lived in Prince William St.
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Liverpool Mercury, Sept 9th 1867
On Friday evening whilst a bale of goods was being removed from a lorry on the north side of the Wellington Dock it fell upon John JAMES of 22 Gerard St and inflicted serious injuries, surgical assistance was obtained but it was found that JAMES had expired, and inquest will be held.
On Friday afternoon a child named Charles William MORGAN was knocked down in Rose Place by a horse and spring-cart belonging to John WESTMORELAND and driven by John GARNER. The child received considerable injury and was removed to the Eastern Dispensary where he was found dead. GARNER was taken into custody and on Saturday brought up before Mr RAFFLES, who remanded him. The deceased parents lived at 92 Rose Place.
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