IN LOVING MEMORY OF
ROBERT BRADSHAW
SON OF JOHN AND BARBARA HANKEY
WHO WAS KILLED AT THE ASKAM IRON WORKS
FEB 1ST 1894 AGED 19 YEARS.
ALSO THE ABOVE JOHN HANKEY
WHO DIED DEC 11TH 1874
AGED 40 YEARS.
ALSO WILLIAM BRADSHAW, THEIR SON
WHO DIED NOV 23RD 1871
AGED 10 MONTHS.
ALSO PATTISON SON OF
WILLIAM AND BARBARA PENNINGTON
WHO DIED JAN 8TH 1883
AGED 3 YEARS.
ALSO THOMAS TEBAY,
WHO DIED AT JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 4TH 1894, AGED 31 YEARS.
ALSO THE ABOVE WILLIAM PENNINGTON
WHO DIED AT KIMBERLEY, SOUTH AFRICA,
JUNE 6TH? 1903, AGED 61 YEARS
ALSO THE ABOVE BARBARA PENNINGTON,
WHO DIED NOV 4TH 1916 AGED 80 YEARS.
“AT REST”

MURDER OF AN ASKAM MAN ABROAD

Information has been received by Mrs. Pennington, Ireleth-road, Askam-in-Furness, of the death of her son, Thos. Tebay, aged 31 years, and the particulars given point to a horrible murder having been committed. On June 2nd, Tebay was waylaid in a lonely spot near Johannesburg and robbed of a considerable amount of money. When found by a pedestrian, he presented a sickening sight, his head having been fearfully battered in. He was removed to a dwellinghouse, and great care was taken, three doctors being constantly in attendance, but he never regained consciousness, and died on the 4th, two days after the occurrence, and was buried on the 6th. It is stated in the letter that two or three Cornishmen have been arrested by the police authorities, it being suspected that they concerned (sic) in the murder. The deceased left the Furness district six years ago. He leaves a widow and one child at Chorley. The deceased was a brother of Robert Hankey, who was killed in the ironworks some months ago.

SINGULAR FATALITY AT THE ASKAM IRONWORKS

On Thursday night, a strange accident occurred at the Askam Ironworks, whereby Robert Bradshaw Hankey, aged 20 years, living at Ireleth, met with an untimely end. Between seven and eight o’clock he was talking to some of the men at the works, and left them to attend to his own duties in one of the boxed bays of iron ore, which are emptied into the barrows by means of shoots. Nothing more was seen or heard of him until half-past ten o’clock, when a man found Hankey’s arm was protruding through one of the shoots. On examination it was found that the poor fellow was quite dead, the body being cold. The body was conveyed to his home. Deceased was a member and player in the Askam Football Club, and had occasionally been included in the first team. He was one of the picked fifteen to play against Carnforth on Saturday. Much sympathy is felt in the district for the bereaved relatives.

Another account says: - Hankey was working on the night shift, and was seen at 4.45 by Frederick Sirett, foreman. The deceased was then at his usual employment on the gangtree (sic – gantry?), and it is conjectured that in running down the shoot the metal had stuck, and with the intention of loosening it he got a crowbar. Whilst using this he must have overbalanced himself and fallen into the box, and dropped a distance of nearly 50 feet, landing at the bottom head first. He was quite dead when found.

On Saturday, Jno. Poole, Esq., opened an inquest at the Bay Horse Inn, Ireleth, before a jury, of whom Mr. John Noble was foreman. The evidence of Wm. Buxton, Thos. Proctor, Fred. Sirett, was taken, and they stated it was the duty of deceased to loosen the ore if it got stuck in the shoot, as it did sometimes when damp.

Deceased’s mother said the lad had often complained of the dangerous occupation, and had said that somebody would be killed. Accidents had occurred there before, but had not been fatal.

The inquiry was adjourned, so that further evidence could be got, and the jury and coroner see the place where the accident occurred.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT ASKAM. – The adjourned inquest on the body of Robert B. Hankey, was resumed at the Vulcan Hotel, on Wednesday, when the Company was represented by Mr. S. Hart Jackson, and the friends of the deceased by Mr. R. F. Thompson, Kendal. The jury returned a verdict of Accidental Death, adding a rider to the effect that there was not sufficient protection for the workmen, and in future there should be a rope suspended from a bar at the top by which the man in the box could escape.

SUDDEN DEATH AT ASKAM. –  On Friday morning (i.e. 11 December) a miner named John Hankey, residing at No. 1, Huddleston Row, Lots, Askam, died very suddenly. The man was seized with pains and grew seriously ill. Dr. Anderson, of Askam, being called out of bed shortly after midnight to visit him. The doctor was quickly in attendance. The patient seemed merely to be suffering from colic, and the doctor gave him some medicine. Hankey then seemed better for an hour or so. About 2 a.m., however, he suddenly staggered whilst in the kitchen, and fell down dead. The relatives quickly summoned Dr. Anderson, who was instantly in attendance, when he found that life was quite extinct. The deceased leaves a wife and a family of young children. He was employed at the Greenscoe mines, the property of the Furness Iron and Steel Company, Limited, of Askam, and has been about ten years in that neighbourhood. He was a strong-built fellow, with every appearance of health. Some time ago Hankey was employed filling ore at the back of the furnaces, and was also for a time engaged on the slag bank, so that he was well-known on the works.