THE CUTTING OF THE PIT-ROPE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 51, 5 May 1863, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CUTTING OF THE PIT-ROPE.

On Tuesday, at the Bilston petty sessions, John Jeavons, the'engine-tenter at the pit in the Padgett's Croft colliery, at which three men were recently killed in consequence of the malicious cutting of the drawing-rope in use, was brought up on remand charged with this offence. The principal circumstances which tended somewhat to implicate the prisoner, were that a few days previously t.o the accident, having been reproved by his master for neglecting his duty, he had used most abusive language, and in a subsequent conversation with a fellow workman, had said he would " drop" and " drop on'' the butty, who had made the complaint to the master, upon whom he also expressed his determination to " wait.'' Referring to the former, the prisoner also subsequently threatened to " loose him down the pit some morning, and forget to pull him up." On the day preceding the accident the prisoner was heard to say to one of the miners who was standing near the rope, " Come away from the rope, that splicing is not safo ; if it breaks they'll say we cut it." The man in consequence of this warning refused to descend with the first party of miners on thefollowing morning, and thus saved his life. Late on the night of the day on which the warning was given, a light was observed glimmering in the engine-house of the colliery —a circumstance tbe occurrence of which had never before been known. A hammering noise, which continued for about half an hour, was heard at the same time to proceed from the building- To this place no one could have had access but the accused, who kept the key. Shortly before, the latter had been seen loitering in the neighborhood. An inspection of the rope itself shows that it must have been cut by some person well acquainted with the operations carried on at the pit. After the accident Jeavons had been observed untwisting the severed end of the rope, and continued to do so even after he had been warned to desist, thus making it appear that he wished to conceal the appearances by which it was apparent that a sharp instrument had been used. While in custody a statement was made by him to a police-superintendent, in which he directly accused another man of the crime. He stated that in conversation with an old miner, who was known by the cognomen of " Pottery Dan," the latter admitted that he was the guilty person. This man, when called, however, denied that he had ever conversed with the prisoner upon the subject. The magistrates, after hearing the evidence, determined to commit the prisoner upon the capital charge, expressing their opinion that malice on his part was quite apparent from the threats he had used. —Lloyd's Weekly Neivs.