From the Kentish Chronicle, 6 June, 1863.

A MAN BURIED ALIVE IN A CHALK PIT.

On Saturday, Mr. W. P. Callaway, deputy coroner, and a respectable jury held an inquest at the “Chequers Inn,” Doddington, on the body of Edward Foster, labourer, aged 20 years, who was killed by a full of earth in a chalk pit on Friday morning.

The first witness called was Ann Wildish, widow, of Doddington Hill, who deposed:- Yesterday morning about half past six I was in doors and heard some one approaching. My house is close to the entrance of the chalk pit in which the deceased was found. I looked out of the window and saw the deceased. He was then going to his work in the pit. He had none of his tools with him then.

Frances, wife of Mr. Jesse Higgins, of Doddington, deposed:- I reside within a short distance of the pit, and my husband is master of the lime works. About half-seven yesterday morning two carts came for lime, and my husband not being then in the way, I went down into the pit to see if I could find deceased; but I could not see him. I could not find his shovel, but I saw that the bank had fallen in, and I could see a portion of a wheelbarrow, the remainder being buried. I went for assistance to the men with the lime carts, and they commenced digging for the deceased. I was present when the body was found. The bank was not hanging over when I saw it previous to the accident.

David Millens, bailiff, of Down Court, Doddington, deposed:- Yesterday morning, about seven o'clock, I went to Mr. Kemmin's pit for lime. I could find no one there until the last witness came. I enquired for deceased and the last witness said he could not be far off, and she went down to the pit, to find him, and came back to me saying she was afraid he was buried as there had been a fall of chalk. I went to the pit and saw there had been a fall, and a portion of a wheelbarrow was visible. I commenced digging and continued doing so for about three-quarters of an hour when I came to the body of deceased. He was lying on his face quite flat. The body was a very short distance from the wheelbarrow. The deceased was quite dead when we found him. I assisted to remove the body.

Walter Kemmins, lime merchant, of Greenstreet, deposed:- The pit in which the deceased was found belonged to me. I have worked it for about two years. The deceased has worked for me off and on for four or five months. I have worked the pit for the last twelve months continually, and have been in the habit of constantly seeing it. I was at the pit last Monday. The deceased was then working there alone. He was working there alone until the morning of his death. I last saw the deceased alive on Thursday night. He was then at Highsted, working in another pit for me. On Monday last, when I went to the pit, he was pecking chalk from the bottom of the bank. I stopped him and gave him special orders not to touch the bottom any more, until he had thrown in a peak which was then hanging over. The reason why I told him so was that I considered the place unsafe. I am certain the deceased did not follow my instructions or I should be able to see the marks of the pick which he must have used in throwing in the top.

Henry Adam M.D. and M.R.C.S., of Greenstreet, deposed:- I was sent for yesterday morning to the chalk pit, and on arriving found the body of deceased lying in the lime house. I examined him and from the injuries I found I am positive death was instantaneous. I am also positive the deceased was stooping at the time of the accident as the spine in fractured in two places. There was also fracture of the pelvis, and both bones of the left leg and left foot were broken. Most probably the skull would have been injured if the deceased had been standing. The cause of instantaneous death was dislocation of the vertebrae of the neck.

The deputy coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict that the deceased was accidentally killed by the falling of a bank of chalk.

Abergavenny Chronicle, Friday 29 January 1897.

Four Years For Arson.

Albert Terry, publican, at Doddington, Kent, was charged at Maidstone assizes, before Mr. Justice Matthew, with feloniously setting fire to a windmill of his own at Lenham on December 23rd last with intent to defraud.

Mr. C. Gill and Mr. A. Gill appeared for the prosecution; Mr. Dickens, Q.C., and Mr. Hobler for the defence.

The prosecution alleged that in February, 1896, the prisoner, the owner of a mill some four miles from his home, went to the then tenants of the mill, who was in pecuniary difficulties, and proposed to him to set fire to the mill, taking with him a tin of pitch and two sacks of shavings. The tenant refused, and subsequently gave information to the police, who kept watch on the mill. The tenant stated that he burnt the shavings and through the tin down the well 45 ft. deep. The tenant subsequently was sold up and left, owing rent. The mill then remained empty.

On December 21st it was stated that the prisoner brought a sack of shavings and half a gallon of harness oil.

On the 23rd he was away from home in his high dog-cart several hours in the afternoon. That evening, about 7:30 a policeman noticed the marks of wheels in the snow on the drive leading up to the mill. A little previously a witness had noticed the high dog-cart with two men in it drive up there.

At 10:20 p.m. the mill was on fire at the top and was soon burnt down.

The policeman then measured the width from wheel track to wheel track. It corresponded, it was stated, with the width of the wheels of the prisoners cart.

For the defence, witnesses were called to prove an alibi and to show that the wheel tracks could not be those of the prisoners cart.
Mr. Dickens urged that no motive for the crime, such as over-insurance, had been suggested.

The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and he was sentenced to penal servitude for 4 years.