Amidst the grief and suffering which enveloped the village of Thornhill on Tuesday, a little child was born to Mrs Wilcock, one of the miners' wives. Mrs Wilcock went into labour just as her husband was setting off to Combs pit to start on the morning shift. He decided to take a' day off work and stay instead with his wife during her confinement.

Mercy Aged About 12

A little girl was born mid-day shortly after the first explosion, and her cries mingled with those of the terrified women and children rushing to the pit top to see what had happened. The little girl is to be named Mercy. (A picture of Mercy when she was aged about 14 is shown above).

Generous Action Of Prudential

We note with satisfaction the large response which the co-operators have made and the  generous action of the Prudential Assurance Company, and rejoices that all that can be done will be done in alleviation of the unavoidable distress. As to the cause of the accident, it is yet too early to speak. There is reason to fear that over-confidence in the safety of the mine was largely responsible, but that point can only be determined by subsequent enquiry. In the meantime, the most pressing duty is to succour the distressed.

Coal Trade Crisis
Miners' Wages Reduced By A Quarter
400,000 Men To Strike Demonstrations Planned

The secretary of the Miners' Federation has received the resolution of the last coalowners' meeting, declaring a reduction of twenty five per cent in wages is necessary, and resolving that notices be given accordingly, but not until July 8th, expiring on July 28th,

Colonel Seely, M.P. for the Western Division of Nottingham, who is the largest colliery proprietor in Derbyshire and Notts, has announced that he does not intend taking part in the coalowners' demand for the twenty five per cent reduction.

Active steps are being taken throughout the districts embraced by the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, to obtain the final decision of the miners on the proposed twenty five per cent reduction.

In the Lancashire and Cheshire district, meetings will be first held in each colliery, and afterwards a general district meeting will elect delegates to a meeting of their own Federation. Delegates will then be elected to a special conference of the whole Federation which will be held at Birmingham.

At the national conference, if a strike is determined upon, the miners of Northumberland and Durham will be asked to hand their notices in, as they would be required to do under the twentieth rule of the Federation.

Foreign Coal Will Not Be Handled

The Federation has two auxiliaries, which the Executive believe will prove of immense value to them in the event of a strike. The members of the Coal-porters' Union, of London, are pledged not to unload foreign coal or coal brought from districts outside the Federation during a strike. A somewhat similar agreement is the basis of amalgamation with the Seamen and Firemen's Union.

Mr S. Woods, M.P., vice-president of the National Miners' Federation, was the principal speaker at a miners' demonstration at Nuneaton, on Saturday. He said if the employers were determined to test the Federation with a strike it would be a tough job. There were 400,000 working miners in this country, and every one of them would lay down his tools.

At Cardiff, on Saturday, Mr. W. Abraham, M.P., presided over a meeting of the colliers' section of the Sliding Scale Committee. It was reported that a recent appeal for a levy of six pence per head on all colliers within the sliding scale district had met with a feeble response.

FATAL INJURY TO A WOMAN
DIED IN WORKHOUSE
JURYMAN AT INQUEST FINED

An inquest took place on Tuesday at the Workhouse in Staincliffe on the body of Catherine Gilmore, of 1 Victoria Road, Springfield, Dewsbury, when the Coroner was Mr T. Taylor and the foreman of the jury Mr K. Barker.

A juryman named William Hodgson, a teamer, of Sharpe Street, Dewsbury, was fined forty shillings for failing to put in an appearance. It was stated that Hodgson had been told of the inquest by two police officers.

Mrs Catherine Hanley, wife of John Hanley, mason's labourer, of 17 Milton Street, Batley Carr, stated that she had been acquainted with the deceased fourteen or fifteen years. She regarded her as a strong woman, and certainly she was very useful in a house.

Three weeks last Wednesday deceased had gone to her house about half past four, after she had met with an accident. She came by herself and walked lame. Catherine told her she had been knocked down by some wood sticking out from a wagon near the Saw Inn, Middle Road. She cried as though she had been injured. She was perfectly sober; indeed, she never took drink.

Deceased had told her the driver of the cart or wagon never looked behind him after she was knocked down by the planks, and she did not know him. A little boy had assisted her to her feet and she complained of pain on her left thigh. Mrs Hanley examined her but there was no mark of any kind upon her. Deceased remained in the rocking chair until eleven o’clock and appeared to be in great pain.

Sent To Workhouse Infirmary

Mrs Handley did not send for a doctor, but went with another woman to see the relieving-officer, in order to get a note from him to take to Dr Hall. The doctor came next morning and said deceased was to be removed to the workhouse. The note was taken to Dr Hall's before ten minutes to eleven the same night and deceased was taken from her house at half-past four on the following day (Thursday).  She told Mrs Hanley that she was walking on the causeway when the planks knocked her down. Margaret Shatwell, resident nurse at the Infirmary, deposed that the deceased was brought to the infirmary in a cab on the 8th June. She was conveyed from the cab to the Infirmary on a chair, and was quite sensible.  She complained of pain in her left thigh, but there was nothing to be seen of the injury. There was a slight bruise to be seen on the left arm, but it soon disappeared.

About ten days ago her appetite fell off and her thigh was slightly swollen. Deceased was unable to move either her left arm or leg. She got weaker by degrees, and expired on Sunday morning at twelve-forty. She remained sensible up to the last.

Many women were left to bring up large families on their own, bereft of their only breadwinner. This was an awesome task which so many carried out with great dignity and fortitude. One such woman was Mrs Clarissa Scargill (seated left) who lost her husband, Robert, aged forty, and only son, Rufus, aged 14, in the terrible tragedy. The death of young Rufus meant that that particular line of the Scargill family ended on that day. Clarissa, like so many more Thornhill widows, was left to raise six daughters on her own. She is pictured here with five of her daughters, Sarah, the eldest, who is also pictured seated. Olive, Ethel, Linda and Tessa. The picture was kindly loaned by her grandson, Mr Herbert Oldroyd, whose mother, Linda is pictured on the far left. Mr Oldroyd remembers his grandmother coming to live with them when he was a little boy. He said she never spoke of the tragedy, nor did his mother, who was only a little girl when it happened. "We all knew that Granddad Scargill and Uncle Rufus had been killed in the mines," said Mr Oldroyd, who lives in Croftlands, Dewsbury. "But we didn't know what had happened or how the family coped. It was only when we got older that we started taking an interest, in it all.

Friends' Adults School Procession To Town Hall

A united gathering of the men and women from the Friends' Adults School in Bradford Road, Dewsbury, took place on Sunday morning. The women met in the Meeting House and the men in the large school and class rooms. A procession having been marshalled, they went by way of Bradford Road, Northgate, and the Market Place, to the Exchange Hall, in the Town Halt.

The procession was a very large one, both schools being well represented, and the hall would barely seat all the scholars. Notwithstanding that, a large number of chairs were brought out of the large hall, and still many were obliged to stand.

Mr. F.W. Ridgeway, president of the school, occupied the chair, and welcomed all present. He noticed some that had been members of the school, but who were not in the work now, and he was right heartily pleased to see them present.

Mr Samuel Gill read the lesson for the day, and Mr Robert Wallis, of Wakefield, Mrs Edward Brady, of Barnsley, and Mr. Albert Linney, of Ackworth, spoke upon it. The subject was "Paul, a Christian Hero".

The gathering was a great success, and most forcibly illustrated the power the Friends Adult School was working in Dewsbury, not less from a women's as a men's point of view.

Relief For The Distressed

At an early hour on Tuesday evening a large sheet was placed in a prominent position in the road leading to the mine, for the contributions of sympathisers. Over the sheet was a placard bearing the words, "Help for the Widows and Orphans." Contributions were liberal.

The Local Board of Thornhill, telegraphed on Tuesday to Mr Albert E Hutton, M.P. for the Morley Division, and Mr Mark Oldroyd, M.P for Dewsbury, requesting their attendance at a special meeting of The Local Board.

Alleged Serious Error Over Small-Pox

Bed and Clothing Burned

Woman Claims Damages

At the fortnightly meeting of the Heckmondwike Board of Health, Mr J. Savile, the surveyor and inspector, drew the Board's attention to an alleged case of small-pox in Cater Lane, notified the previous Thursday by Dr. Shaw.

The patient was removed to the infectious hospital in the ambulance, and the usual precautionary measures of disinfecting the house, and burning the mattresses and bedding used by the sufferer, were adopted.

The following day the authorities at the hospital sent word that it was not a case of small-pox but scarlatina, and notice was given to fetch the woman away at once, This was done, and the expense of the ambulance to take her, and a conveyance to bring her back, had been incurred.
The woman's husband had since applied for the destroyed goods to be replaced, and asked for compensation for loss of time spent in running after the matter.
Mr Savile had told the man that the notification had been made by his own doctor, and that the affair would have to be reported to the Board before anything could be done.

Not Imported From Batley

Mr Redfearn said the Board ought to know whether they were liable for expenses incurred through the mistakes of a medical man. He was a strong advocate for the adoption of the compulsory clauses of the Infectious Diseases Notification Act. But it would be an awkward thing if doctors notified cases as small-pox and they turned out to be something else, and the Board had to bear the expenses.

He suggested that their clerk look into the matter and report as to what the Board's power was in such cases at the next meeting. The subject was referred to the next meeting of the Board. In the meantime, the surveyor was instructed to supply new goods in lieu of those destroyed.

Mr Redfearn referred to the case of the man, Oxley, the watchmaker, who was recently removed to the hospital from Market Street, suffering from small-pox. He said the sanitary inspector to the Batley Corporation had denied that the case had been imported from Batley as had been stated in some of the newspapers.

Another Case Of Small-Pox

It was also stated that the man had not been sleeping at home for eighteen months, and the official thought Batley Corporation had quite enough to contend with in the matter without inaccurate statements being squandered and broadcasted about them. (Hear, Hear). Therefore he asked him (Mr Redfearn) to correct the statement to the Board.

The Chairman observed that the board did not cause the statement to be circulated, because on inquiry they had found that the man Oxley, had been sleeping on his shop premises since the robbery at Messrs Pinfold's, as a matter of precaution. The matter was then dropped.

The Inspector reported another outbreak that day — a boy named Spivey, resident in Queen Street, who had been removed to the hospital, and the usual precautions taken.

There was no other business of public interest.