FATAL ACCIDENT AT SOUTHBROOK.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2606, 14 August 1882, Page 4

FATAL ACCIDENT AT SOUTHBROOK.

On Saturday morning an accident of a moat serious obsKaoter took place at Mr James Seed's fiax and rcpospimnng -works, at Southbrook, resulting in the immediate death of a spinner named J&msa Wright, a single man, about thirty-five years of age, who waa dragged by the tow he was using in spinning on t J a spindl) revolving at tho rata of 250 revolutions per minute, and instantly torn to piecjs, and portions of his body were held on the spindle. An inquest was held in the afternoon at Green's Masonic Hotel, before O. Whitefoord, Esq, Coroner, snd a jury, of whom Mr Jam?s ifiiler was foreman. After viewing the portions of tho remains calloeU'd by the police from the machinery, evidence was givpn by— James deed, *iha depssed thaS deoeased John Wright bsd been in his employ a period of two and a half yae.ru on a second engagement. He was single, and hud a brother resident at Mataurs. Hia duty was to spin the rope. Witness saw him at his work that morning, bat was in a paddook four ohains away when the accident happsned. He heard some one shot " stop her," and running towards the mill heard the machinery stop, and tho men came running towards him sayiag Wright was killed. He saw a large portion of the body round the shaft with flix mingled with it, aisd a foot lying by the main theft. Other portions and brains and blood were scattered about. Witness sent for Dr. Downes and the police. The • mutable gathered the parts of the body together, and had them oonveyed to the hotel. There was £ll 14j due ta deceased. Deceased would have no occasion to paso over tho shaft. To get tow for his work he ought to have gone round by a scutohing shed. The Saiain shaft would make from 250 to 30*3 revolutions per minute. The mill had been running sines January of this year. Witness would have covered the shaft if he had anticipated any accident. He should do so new. Charles Willet, employed at the works, deposed he saw deceased in the pressing shed at a quarter to 9 a.m.; also saw him oorae out with tow. When deceased got tow £Lx out he put it round hia waist, and then a cloth round it, and eaughfc under to hold the flax. Deceased as he came from the shod got over the main shaft of the mill, which was in motion, and stayed to sp-ak to G. Lowe. Deceased was then standing about a foot off the shaft, and witness saw the loose end of flax, which was round deceased's waist,_ catch on the spindle and drag him on to it. It wheeled him round and round, beating him against a board under it. Lowe ran to the engine driver, and the eagine was stopped immediately. Witness heard deoeasod call out to stop the engine. Deoeased was quite sober. He generally got the flax by going round. In this instance he was steppiug over she shaft when the fin caught. George Lowe gave corroborative evidence. As deoeased was stepping over the shaft, witness asked him for a knife, and deoeased stopped to speak. Witness turned to attend to a dray and horse, when he heard a noise at the shaft like a flapping noise. Deoeased called, "Oh, George." Witness' horse bolted while he ran to toll the engine-driver, as Jack was round the spindle. The driver said he had stopped it. Witness then wont to the horse, which had upset the dray. A sun named Buckley went to the deceased. Henry Horine deposed—He saw deoeased speaking to Lowe. He was coming slowly ""- —from the shed over the shaft, and stopped half way over. Thero was some flax on the shaft, which caught with the loose end of the lax he had round his waist, which dragged 'him round the spindle. Deceased was beaten with great force against the ground as the .shaft took him round. Witness thought deceased was whirled round for fully a minute. He oalled to the engine-driver, but the

stripper made a deal of noise. Flax was put the main shaft to act as a pully for the " jaok" used in rops making. Mounted Constable M'Oarthy, stationed at Sangiora, deposed be saw a number of persona and Dr. Downes at Seed's flax mill, and the portions of the body wound round the spindle. One leg was smashed, and all the top of deceased's skull gone. On freeing part of the flix the lower portion of the body came away. Witness had to cut the flax, and part of the flesh from the shaft """"""to flee it. In a purse he found Is lOd in cash. The remains were removed to where via wed by the jury. The ooroner reviewed the evidence, and pointed out the apparent necessity for some protection being mßde for the spindle. The jury found a verdict that deceased came by his death by accident, ai:d desired that the attention of the inapeotor of maohi■stery might be direoied to the exposed state of the shai ting.