Reports from the South Wales Argus archives 100 years ago

At Blackwood on Friday, Mr J.B. Walford held an inquest on the two boys whose bodies were found in the Sirhowy.

The mother of the boy Wilfred James Hughes, residing at 15 High Street, Blackwood, said her husband was an assistant ostler at Gelli Colliery.

The deceased boy was five last birthday, enjoyed good health and was sharp.

She last saw him alive between four and five o'clock she went outside to look for him but found he was no there.

The other little boy who was drowned was a playmate.

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Ger boy had been to the river last summer, when he took off his boots and went in.

he was admonished and warned not to go to the river again.

The widowed mother of the boy Willie Alfred Beavan said he was six. She last saw him alive just before five on Tuesday, outside the house at 13, High Street.

She did not know he was going away and missed him just after six.

She had previously cautioned him not to go to the river. He was a healthy boy, but not so active as the others - William John Bishop, a lad of 15, employed at Rock Colliery, knew both boys by sight.

He saw them by a gate about 20 yards from the river, playing with muck and water, about dusk on Tuesday.

He spoke to them and asked them to come home. They refused, and he caught hold of one of them to drag him away, but the other started pelting him with muck so he left them.

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They were playing in the vicinity of the river, at a distance of five minutes walk from their homes.

He went to the house of the boy Beaven and told his brother where he saw the two boys.

It was then about seven o'clock .

Some people then went to the river to look for the boys.

When tried to get hold of the boys he did not know that they were in any danger.

The Coroner complimented him on his interest he took in the boys in trying to get them to go home.

Albert Bradfield, one of the people who searched for the boys in the river, found the bodies at about nine o'clock.

He was concluded that the boys had drowned.

The Coroner expressed sympathy with the parents and said they were not to be blamed. The boys had been cautioned not to go near the river.

Colliery Fatality

Edward Johnson, 56, who lived in Cwmtillery, sustained an accident in a colliery a few day ago.

He was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital but died on Friday.

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Tributes have now been offered from Mr Johnson's family and friends.