While recently doing some research on the Lawlers Cemetery I came across the following accident which has not been included on the Eastern Goldfields Miners Memorial or on the WAVMM. There is a particularly sad story with this death which I will relate:-
The Truth, 4 July 1908, page 5
A MINER MANGLED AT MOUNT SIR SAMUEL-
The Sad Story Of the Worker’s Widow:-
On 21st February last, an accident occurred at the Belevue mine, Sir Samuel, by which a miner named Frederick Reid lost his life. His widow, Mrs Annie Reid thus describes the occurrence:-
My husband was working at the Bellevue battery, and he and Mr. Blaney, the battery manager, were examining a belt that had been lying idle for about nine months. Mr. Blaney was holding the belt at the pulley end, and he told my husband to hold the other end. The belt was saturated with oil that had been dripping on it all the time the belt had been lying idle, and Mr. Blaney says he does not know how the belt caught, but it caught on the pulley at his end, dragging my husband in head first.
The acting manager sent an urgent wire to Lawlers for a doctor. My husband was brought home about 10 o’clock at night, and next day we took him to the Lawlers Hospital, a distance of about 32 miles, but he died on February 24, never having regained consciousness from the time of the accident. After my husband died, the Dr gave me a certificate of death, but
‘NO INQUEST WAS HELD’
to my knowledge. After he was dead, and I came home, I asked the manager of the mine what they were going to do in the matter, and he told me the insurance company could do nothing until after an inquiry had been held, so I left them pending an inquiry. Less than a week later the manager sent for me again, and he said the insurance company was prepared to pay me £400 (the full amount), and I said I would be prepared to accept that, on conditions that they paid the doctor’s bills and the funeral expenses (the doctor’s charge was thirty guineas), but they sent word they could not pay me more than the £400. In the meantime I wrote to the Department of Mines, asking for an inquiry to be held. I got a postcard saying the matter would be seen into at once.
Afterwards I received the following letter: Mines Department, Perth, 9th May, 1908.
Madame,—In reply to your letter dated 26th March, addressed to the Hon. Minister relative to the death of your husband through injuries received whilst working on the battery at the Bellevue mine, Sir Samuel, I beg to inform you that both the Coroner and acting Coroner were satisfied that death was due to accidental causes and that no inquest was necessary – The report of the Inspector of Machinery on the matter does not cast any blame on the management of the mill. I have, etc (Signed) I S. King, Secretary for Mines.”
How airily the doctor and the coroner and the secretary for Mines, and the Hon. Minister dismiss the case! It is nothing to them that a ‘WOMAN IS LEFT A WIDOW’ and that her children are fatherless, because someone blundered. The fact that the sum of £400 was offered spontaneously may be taken as collateral proof that there were circumstances attached to the case which would have tended to induce a jury, or a court, to grant a larger amount, and no matter how complacent the officials may have been, the fact remains that Mrs. Reid was not satisfied to accept the amount offered, without the holding of an inquest, and that the Department of Mines has done nothing to satisfy her first request.
The Mines Regulations Act of 1905 says “With respect to every coroner’s inquest on the body of any person whose death has been caused by an accident where practicable the constable or other summoning officer shall summon as jurors persons accustomed to the working of mines. Also representative of the person killed and a representative of a miners association in the district, or any industrial union of workers the locality of such accident and be present at an inquest”.
This Act IS VERY PLAIN with regard to the procedure in case of accidents. The manager of any mine shall, on the occurrence of any accident attended with serious injury give notice, any manager who omits to give notice will be deemed guilty of an offence.
Lawlers Hospital
The Warden or mining Registrar shall, if he thinks necessary, hold an inquiry into the nature and cause of the accident A representative of an industrial union of workers, in the district shall, subject to the regulations, be entitled to examine the place where the accident occurred, and may appear at inquiries held respecting accidents, and shall have the right to call and examine or cross examine witnesses. When the Mines Act Amendment Bill was before the House, the Goldfields Labour members were vigilant in their endeavour to have these clauses dealing with accidents and death, included. An inquest should have been held as to the cause of death of Frederick Reid in the Bellevue battery last February, and the least this casual and callous department can do is to administer the Act as it is set down in the Statue Book, and not make any harder than is necessary the lot of this grief stricken widow of one of the slaughtered workers.
Frederick Charles Jackson REID a 39 year old married man from Westminster, London, England:- Cause of death- Fractured skull. Buried in the Lawlers Cemetery. His death was registered in the East Murchison 5/1908.
His occupation was given as plasterer and miner. He was the son of Frederick REID (Plasterer) and his mothers maiden name was ‘Fuller’. At the age of 22yrs he married Annie MARSDON in Richmond, Melbourne Vic. They had two children:- Charles Augustus REID aged 17 and Walter REID aged 15 at the time of their fathers death. He had spent 12 years in New Zealand, 15 yrs in Victoria and 9 years in Western Australia.
After some more research and some wonderful investigation from Annette from the Mines Dept (Now the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety), we have come to the conclusion that some how this man and his terrible accident has slipped though the ‘records’ net. He did indeed die on that date and he is buried in the Lawlers cemetery and I am sure that his wifes account to the newspapers is true. So it has been decided to add him to the Miners Memorial both the engraved one at the WA Museum and on the WAVMM. Maybe we will find a relative for him as well.
