Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	21st December 1904
Colliery:	Derwent, Hunter Pit
Cause:	(See description below)
Lives Lost:	1

A strange case of suicide in a mine occurred at the Hunter Pit belonging to the Consett Iron Company, Ltd. Robt. Minks, a master shifter, 50 years of age, went to work as usual on November 20th, about 10 o'clock at night. About 2 o'clock the following morning he spoke to one of the workmen in the pit, and after that nothing was seen of him till his dead body was discovered on December 14th. As soon as it was known that Minks had not returned home search parties were organised, it being thought that he might have been caught by a fall of stone. Very careful examinations of the roads and old workings were made by six gangs of men, each gang consisting of three officials and three workmen. Any fall that appeared to be at all recent was turned over, and the old workings were explored for considerable distances without avail. All sorts of theories were set on foot; that he might have been murdered and thrown into the old workings, or that he had got out of the pit unnoticed and had left the neighbourhood; but such theories the management thought impossible, and they continued their labour daily. A bloodhound was taken down the pit, but nothing was found, and the services of a blind clairvoyant who stated that he could lead the explorers to a fall between two props under which the body would be found, were requisitioned at the request of the deceased man's son.

Eventually on December 14th, James Steel, another master shifter, in company with some other men, after passing over two falls in a bord which had previously been examined, came to a third one, which reached within 14 inches of the edge of the band. On putting up his light he saw two feet, and the dead body was discovered lying on the top of the fall with no stone on it, but with a severe wound in the head. His hand-lamp (the colliery is worked with naked lights) was found carefully placed on a ledge of stone beside him with the door open, and his cap was lying on a small ledge on the opposite side. The manager, the doctor, and ten workmen's representatives saw the body in situ, and it was then removed to bank. At the same time some powder fuse was found, and later on a detonator wrapped in paper and placed under a stone. The lamp had a considerable quantity of oil in it, showing that it had not burnt out. Examination of the head showed a severe fracture of the skull, and it was clear from position of the body that it could not have been placed there by another person, and there was not room for anyone to have exercised sufficient strength to cause such injuries in such a confined area. Suicide, therefore, was the only alternative.

It was elicited at the inquest that some time previously he had had a conversation with another master shifter, William Gibson, as to the length of time fuse took to burn, and as to the strength of a detonator, and, in order to show him, Gibson got a detonator and laid it on a brick and fired it. It smashed the brick, and Minks remarked "That is strong enough for anything."

On the night of the 20th or morning of the 21st he would not require any explosives as no blasting was to be done in that part of the mine, but he borrowed the key of the place where some detonators were kept from Gibson, and this key he returned soon afterwards without making any remark. Gibson did not think anything of his asking for the key, as there was some gear in the same place which deceased might have required.

From all the circumstances of the case it seems quite evident that he made all his arrangements, and then deliberately laid down on the top of the fall, placed a No. 8 detonator on his head, and lit the fuse at his lamp and awaited the result.

Source:

1904 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2506)

	Minks, Robert, aged 50, Master Shifter, committed suicide in the mine by exploding a detonator on his head
	All names found

 

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