William Smith

William Smith died from a fractured skull.

He had been at Clough Hall during the miner's demonstration in early June 1902.

He had been a collier from Kidsgrove and had been married with seven children.

His post mortem showed that he had a fracture to his skull that extended five inches over his right ear which it was thought would have required considerable force to produce and was probably caused by a bludgeon or some other blunt instrument.

His cause of death was given as haemorrhage on the brain.

Several witnesses said that they had heard screams for help and that when they had gone to look they had found William Smith lying in the carriage drive dead.

A woman that was seen standing beside him said that her husband had been in America at the time with Barnum and Bailey's show and that she had lived in Hanley. She said that she had visited Clough Hall on the day of the miners' demonstration and saw William Smith at about 11 o'clock in a refreshment bar and had a drink with him and said that he then suggested seeing her to the station.

She said that as they were walking to the exit gates that three men sprang out and that one of them put his hand over her mouth and that she then became insensible.

She said that when she regained consciousness that she saw William Smith lying in a pool of blood and unconscious and that the men had gone off with her umbrella and purse.

she said that she didn't see the men strike William Smith but said that there was a scrambling between them.

At the inquest it was heard that the woman could not identify the men and the police said that even if all the men in Staffordshire were brought before her that she would not be able to make an identification.

After hearing the evidence the jury returned the verdict that William Smith was found dead but that there was no evidence to show how he met his death.