Ernest Alfred Morcom

ACCIDENT NO. 18 - January 30th. - An inquest was held by Coroner Fisher over the body of Ernest Marcum.

William Yonkala, upon his oath says: “I work at the 4th level No. 2 shaft Franklin Junior Mine. I was working there today. I was working with Ernest Marcum today when the accident happened at about 12 o'clock noon. We were going to dinner. He walked ahead of me about 15 feet. He was close to the shaft. I told him to look out for the shaft. He moved a little and dropped right in the shaft. Nothing knocked him in. The guard rail was net up at the time. It was taken out to dump the car. The car was standing there at the time. He had some drills with him at the time carrying them on his shoulder."

Stephen Moyle testified: “I work for the Franklin Junior, as a miner. Was working there today at the 6th level, No. 2 shaft. I have seen the deceased.I am not much acquainted with him. He came down the shaft and fell on our dull drills at the 6th level. I came to him first after he fell. He was dead when I saw him. He fell before the skip came down. He fell about 300 feet."

John Doney testified: "No. 2 shaft is a single shaft. There are two parts with a guard wire fastened to them. The opening at the back of them is six feet and the car is four feet wide. That leaves only one foot on each side of the car. There are guard rails put there and the trammers have strict orders to keep them up only when they are dumping the car.”

Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said Ernest Marcum came to his death on the 30th day of January 1905, by accidentally falling in No. 2 shaft from the 4th to the 6th levels in the Franklin Junior Mine.”

• Residence: Luxulyan, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom - 1891
• Residence: St Austell, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom - 31 Mar 1901