James and Amelia Saunders – grave tales

DEATH OF J. A. SAUNDERS

INQUEST PROCEEDINGS. VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH.

In the Boulder Courthouse yesterday morning, before the Coroner, Mr. J. E. Geary, and a jury of three, an inquest was held in connection with the death of James Archibald Saunders, who was killed on the morning of September 23 last through being caught in the plant. Mr. Geo. McKennay represented the A.W.U. (Mining branch), and Mr. R. G. Moore, the Inspector of Machinery, while Sergeant Spry assisted the Coroner.

Dr. Inman Way stated that on September 23 1930, he was called to the Lake View and Star treatment plant a little after 10 o’clock, where he saw the mangled remains of a man about 60 years of age. Life was extinct, and he ordered the body to be removed to the morgue. Judging by what he saw, the injuries were consistent with the man having been caught in machinery and whirled round. Death must have been instantaneous. Bernard St. Patrick Gillett, medical practitioner at the Government Hospital, Kalgoorlie, related how, on September 23, he made a post-mortem examination on the body of a man about 60 years of age. The body was mangled and lacerated, and death was due to the injuries.

Arthur Leopold Cribb, mill manager on the Lake View and Star treatment plant, said he saw deceased on the morning of the fatality, about 10 o’clock, when witness gave him instructions to clean out the amalgam barrel at the plant. Saunders went to carry out these instructions assisted by a young man named Young, who is employed at the mine. To get in the. barrel to clean it out witness said the deceased knocked the belt off the pulley on the line shafting. When the belt was taken off it would have been tied up to a rope on a beam above the main shafting. The rope would be about a foot above his head and the shafting would be spinning around close to him. There is a railing along the shafting about three feet high. Witness did not see the accident, but when informed that it had occurred he found deceased’s body on the floor. It was very badly mutilated. Saunders had  performed that work many times previously, and was quite familiar with it. He was a steady, reliable man and always sober. Castor oil was used on the belting, and possibly some of the oil might have been on the shafting. In answer to Mr. McKennay, witness said that belt syrup might at times be used. There is a certain amount of dust about the plant and that is why the oil is used. The shafting does about 280 revolutions a minute.

John Thomas Young, a laborer, employed on the mine, said about 10 o’clock on September 23 last he was assisting deceased, who told him that he wanted him to help him with the barrel. Saunders went up on to the platform where the shafting was and witness knocked the belt off the pulley on the barrel and it fell on the floor. Witness held the belting with both hands to prevent it touching the shafting. Deceased was on the platform about 15 feet from the floor and Young was looking up. Saunders was also holding the belting with his left hand and he reached for the rope, which appeared to witness to be caught. Witness glanced round and next saw deceased being whirled round the shafting. He did not see it catch him. When Young saw Saunders reaching for the rope, he was about 6 or 8 inches from the shafting, which would be about level with his stomach. Deceased wore a loose khaki shirt, belt and dungaree trousers. The ends of his belt were projecting about one or two inches. Witness said he often noticed that deceased’s shirt was very loose over the top of his trousers. While reaching for the belting he seemed to be standing almost upright. Witness considered that Sanders shirt got caught in the shafting. He had previously assisted deceased in that kind of work and had always gone about it in the same way.

Saunders had never complained of the work being dangerous. Victor Lloyd Robottom, shift boss on the Lake View and Star treatment plant, said he knew deceased well. He was a capable and sober man. On September 23 witness saw Sanders on the platform of the line shafting about 10 o’clock. Though he could not see what he was doing, Saunders appeared to be tying up the belt from the shafting. Young was on the floor assisting him. Immediately after, Young came to witness and informed him that Saunders had been caught in the belting. Witness rushed back and switched off the power. From this time to when witness saw deceased on the platform would only be a few seconds. After switching off the power witness returned to the accident, and saw portions of the body lying about the floor below the shafting. On looking up he saw the belting wrapped round the shafting, together with some of the deceased’s clothing. The double length of the  belting would be about 60 feet. Robottom stated that after the accident he noticed the dust piping was disconnected and broken. The platform railing was also broken, probably through the belt striking it.

James Archibald Saunders died 23 September 1930

Police Constable Vivian related how, on the morning of September 23, as the result of a telephone message, he went to the Lake View and Star treatment plant, where he was shown the mangled remains of a man, whom he ascertained were those of James Archibald Saunders. Dr. Way was in attendance. The constable had the body removed to the Boulder morgue. On the following day he went with Mr. Cribb to the morgue, where the latter identified the body. At the conclusion of the evidence the jury returned the following verdict:

James and Amelia SAUNDERS – photo Danelle Warnock

That James Archibald Saunders met his death on September 23, at the treatment plant of the Lake View and Star mine, by being accidentally drawn into the line shafting and crushed, there being no blame attachable to anyone.