Mexborough and Swinton Times, March 16, 1928

Septic Wound.
Thurnscoe Miner’s Death.
Slight Injury Fatal.

An inquest was held at Thurnscoe on Saturday into the death of Charles Gibson, 69, miner, of 25, Hickleton Terrace, Thurnscoe, who died at his home last Thursday following injuries received in the Hickleton Main Colliery on March 2n3.

Francis Brown, fitter, of Shepherd Lane, Thurnscoe, said deceased was his grandfather.

William Hoskins, miner, 8, George Street, Highgate, said he was working with deceased on March 2nd about 5 p.m. Witness was stood at the “gate end” and Gibson was getting down the “softs” in the “gate.” A piece of stone fell from the roof and hit deceased on the head making a wound about two inches long. Ambulance men attended to ‘the wound and he was taken out of the pit.

Dr. Francis Joseph Boyle, of Thurnscoe, said he attended deceased about 6 p.m. on March 2nd, for a cut on the head reaching to the bone. There was a lot of dirt in the wound. On March 3rd, he again dressed the wound, and on the following day he was called to Hickleton Terrace where he found deceased in bed. The wound was discharging, and his head was swelling. On Monday his condition was worse and septicaemia had set in. He died on Thursday.

The Coroner (Mr. Frank Allen): Why didn’t you send him to hospital?—It was an infectious disease.

Would an operation have been beneficial?—No, I don’t think so. It was too far advanced for that, and as he was old, his resistance was low.

The coroner, after the jury had returned a verdict of “Accidental death,” said that there was no suggestion that anything was not done that might have been done to have prevented the accident. He wondered whether an operation might have been beneficial, but the doctor did not know of septicaemia until the Sunday morning. He did not wish to reflect on the doctor.