A Frightful Death of Emma Memmott - Sheffield - August 1856

 A report from Manchester Times (Manchester, England), Saturday, August 9, 1856; 

FRIGHTFUL DEATH AT SHEFFIELD 

Shortly before eleven o'clock on Monday morning, a frightful accident occurred at the silver-plating works of Messrs. Wm Hutton & Sons, High Street, Sheffield. The unfortunate victim of the casualty is a girl named Emma Memmott, age 13 years who was employed to assist in the various occupations of the works. A few moments before eleven o'clock she was engaged at a lathe making up some finished articles when a shaft, which runs underneath the lathe, caught her dress. The place where she was caught was at the coupling point, and so firm was the hold which had been taken. that her efforts to disentangle herself were fruitless. She screamed aloud and a man named Birks, who was at work close by, ran to her assistance. 

A strong iron bar which had been placed in front of the lather had enabled her to withstand the drawing of the shaft and Birks who took hold of her, feeling that she was dragged from his grasp, called lustily for assistance and for the engine to be stopped. In another moment however the poor girl was dragged from his arms, the strong iron bar bent, and the body literally twisted around the shaft, which was revolving at the rate of 300 times a minute. It was about a minute before the engine was stopped and then the mangled corpse was shocking to be looked upon. Though it was presently known that the girl was dead, yet the men who extricated her from the shaft hurried her to the Infirmary but the attention of the surgeon was fruitless. 

A truly horrifying death and Emma was just 13 years old