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View Tree for John ROBSONJohn ROBSON (b. 1845, d. 10 March 1896)

John ROBSON was born 1845 in England, and died 10 March 1896 in Weir, Cherokee, Kansas. He married Jane BELL on 22 October 1888 in Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas, daughter of George BELL and Jane JOBSON.

 Includes NotesNotes for John ROBSON:
Miner Killed at Weir City

Weir City, Kan. March 12.--John Robeson, a miner in Hamilton & Braidwood's No. 1 mine, was almost instantly killed
Tuesday night. He went into a room to fire a shot that had not gone off, when it was discharged with fatal effect. He
leaves a wife and five children.
--Pittsburg Daily Headlight March 12, 1896

Man Killed.
John Robinson (sic), a Miner, Fires a Shot and is Killed by the Explosion

Last evening when the shot firers went down into Hamilton & Braidwood's No. 1, at Weir City, John Robinson (sic)
accompanied them. He was a miner and worked there, but had no business that called him into the mines.

About seven o'clock, the shot firers had as they supposed completed their tasks, but a miner informed them that there
was two shots in his room that he had failed to mark, and he started to fire them. Robinson went with him and asked
permission to fire the two shots which was granted. There was a quick explosion and it is supposed that Robinson
applied the match in the wrong place. Robinson was injured by the flying coal in the body and about his head. He died
before he could be taken from the mines. When hoisted out the body was taken to his home near the mines.
Deceased leaves a wife and five children in very poor circumstances.

Coroner Dr. Huffman was notified last night of the accident and the result of the inquiry will be given tomorrow. From
all that we could gather there was no one top blame. It was simply a fatal accident caused by recklessness as the
deceased, an old miner, knew how to fire shots.

This is a very sad affair and one that will doubtless call for something more than sympathy.
---Weir City Sun

Fatal Accident.

Leavenworth, March 14th, 1896
A life has been sacrificed, a wife left husbandless and five children fatherless through want of respect for and failure
to observe the law relative to shot firing in the coal mines of Kansas.

On the 10th inst., a man named James McTavish employed at Hamilton & Braidwood mine No. 1 located at Weir City,
informed the pit-boss that he had two shots to fire in a room that he had just commenced to work in and requested
him to so notify the shot-firers. The pit-boss did notify the shot firer that there were two shots to fire in McTavish's
room; but inadvertantly failed to inform them that McTavish had left the room he had formerly occupied or the location
of the room in which he had commenced to work; the consequence was that McTavish's shots were not fired and the
shot-firers so informed the son of McTavish, who was standing on the pit top when they came up after firing, as they
supposed, all the shots in the mine. The boy went homeand told his father the shots had nopt been fired; a neighbor,
named John Robson, urged McTavish to go to the pit-boss and request permission to go into the pit and fire his own
shots and in the event of the pit-boss granting the request he, Robson, would go into the mine and assist him. McTavish
did so. At first the pit-boss refused permission saying he would go into the mine early in the morning and fire the shots
himself. McTavish still continued to urge his request, stating that the room was damp, that before morning he feared
the powder would be spoiled and he could ill afford to lose it, besides, were the shots not fired, it would cause him to
lose the next day's work, as he had no coal loose to load except what these shots would make. The pit-boss grudgingly
granted him permission to go into the mine and fire the shots.

McTavish immediately joined his friend Robson and the two men and the boy went into the mine. The shots were located
on opposite sides of a room that had just been cut through a horseback, and was not more than twelve feet wide, they
tamped the two charges and McTavish proposed that he light the squib in one at the same time that Robson lighted the
squib in the other. Robson objected to this insisting that McTavish, who is an old man, should retire back towards the
entry, hold a light and that he, Robson, would light both squibs and run out; he had often done it before and there was
no danger. The proposition being agreed to, McTavish went back a few yards and Robson lighted one squib, stepped
over to the other and according to the statement of McTavish, the moment that he applied the flame of his lamp to the
squib of second shot it went off and Robson was killed; his body being found lying against the side of the room opposite
the one on which the second shot was located, being proof positive that his body was thrown across the room by the
force of the shot when it was exploded.

Had the law been observed, this accident would not have occured and yet whoare we going to prosecute? The pit-boss
was acting within his rights under the law when he deputized McTavish as a shot-firer to enter the mine and fire his own
shots. McTavish was acting in accordance with the letter of the law in doing so after being deputized; Robson, however,
had no authority to act as he did. McTavish, when urging his request failed to inform the pit-boss that Robson was
going to accompany him. The pit boss did not give Robson permission to enter the mine and fire the shots and so it
appears that he, Robson, was the victim of his own illegal act.

I do not expose this matter in detail for the purpose of critising poor Robson; he was undoubtedly possessed of a great
big heart overflowing in sympathy for the distress of his fellow workman and his action has already been judged by a
greater, juster and more infallable Judge than any on earth; but to point out how careful and judicious mine manager's
should be in exercising the authority given them under the law in appointing men to perform this dangerous duty. It is
quite evident in this instance that the hesitation manifested by the pit-boss in giving McTavish permission toi enter the
mine to fire his own shots was caused by an inward conv=iction that he would not be acting right in doing sdo, and if
he had been governed finally by his judgment instead of his feelings, Robson's wife and children would still have
been possessed of their natural provider.

R. Brown
State Inspector of Coal Mines.


More About John ROBSON:
Burial: 13 March 1896, Cherokee Cemetery, Cherokee, Crawford, Kansas.
Census: 01 March 1895, Baker Twp., Crawford Co., KS Age 49.
Obit?: 11 March 1896, Y.

More About John ROBSON and Jane BELL:
Marriage: 22 October 1888, Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas.

Children of John ROBSON and Jane BELL are:
  1. +Ida Mae BELL ROBSON, b. 23 May 1882, Charlottesville, Albemarle, Virginia, d. 27 October 1952, Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan.
  2. +John `Jacko' ROBSON, b. December 1885, Kansas, d. 1955.
  3. +George `Gordy' ROBSON, b. August 1887, Weir, Cherokee, Kansas, d. 22 August 1969, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.
  4. +Thomas `Cat' ROBSON, b. December 1889, Weir, Cherokee, Kansas, d. 30 December 1980, Bakersfield, Kern, California.
  5. +Joseph `Pick' ROBSON, b. 12 January 1891, Weir, Cherokee, Kansas, d. 06 June 1973, Pittsburg, Crawford, Kansas.
  6. Edward 'Pusso' ROBSON, b. 03 June 1895, FLEMING, Crawford, Kansas, d. 31 August 1965, Pittsburg, Crawford, Kansas.
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