The hydraulic press., 1860-08-04
Stage NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Injuries to
Judge O. p. Stidger.

| Judge Os r. StlO&eTs
A telegraphic dispatch was received in this
place from Timbuctoo,o on Monday last, announc-
! ing the melancholy fact, that our fellow-towns-
man, Judge o. P. Stidger, had been seriously in
jured by the upsetting of the opposition stage
coach belonging to the Combination Company,
near that town. The writer of this article, in
response to the claims of friendship lost no time
in procuring conveyance and repairing to the
scene of the accident, where he arrived, in com.
pany with son of Judge Stidger's, about o'clock
of the same afternoon. They found Judge Stidger
on pallet in miners cabin, not more than
hundred feet from the spot where he had been
picked up, suffering intense pain. Drs. Simpson
and Ross, OF Timbuctoo, assisted by a physician
from Parks Bar, had previously been summoned
to his aid, and by the application of their surgical
skill, made his condition as comfortable as was
possible under the circumstances. DIR. Gray, of
Marysville, accompanied by James Haworth,
Esq, President fthe California Stage Company,
arrived on the spot about Z o'clock, z. NJ.
1t had been found, on examination, that Judge
Stidgers wounds consisted of fracture of the
| thigh-bone, near the socket, and second frac-
ture OF the leg, short distance above the knee.
His right leg had also sustained compound and
comminuted fracture, some six or eight inches
above the knee, extending down, as it is feared,
to the articulation or enarthrosis. In addition,
the clavicle, OF collar-bone was broken, the left
cheek-bone mashed in, the left eye considerably
bruised, the scalp of the head torn off down to
the ears, besides injury to the left side, on the
ribs, and other bruises and scratches, which gave
him the fTightful appearance of a man who had
been broken upon the wheel
After sundown, the citizens of Timbuctoo, with
kindness OF heart truly commendable, repaired
to the cabin in large numbers, where litter was
in waiting, upon which Judge Stidger was placed,
and borne, by easy stages, to room provided in
the building occupied by DR.. Ross.
A number of rumors have been put in circula-
ton as to the cause of the accident, all tending
to exculpate the driver and the Stage Company
The former has always borne an excellent char
acter IN this community for sobriety, and as
superior reinsman. None esteemed him person.
ally, higher than Judge Stidger himself The latter
have extended favors to the writer, which would
prevent him from uttering word of gratuitous
censure. He proposes, therefore, to state the
facts simply as he received them from eye-wit-
nesses, with such comments as the case would
seem to demand and warrant.
First, the writer deems it proper to state, that
Mr. Stidger did not exonerate the driver, as was
supposed and asserted by the Marysville Appeal
Second, the team was going at full trot when
the short turn was made which produced the ac-
eident Third, the ethorough-brace, which is rep
resented to have been cut, if cut at all, was cut
on the right side. This would have caused the
body of the coach simply to sink down upon the
runninggear, or at least, to turn over upon the
right side; whereas, it upset upon the left. But
as a further and more complete refutation of such
an idea, it is only necessary to state, that few
moments after the accident, the coach was righted
and proceeded on its journey to Marysville, with
sixteen passengers!
These are the facts, set down without extenu-
alton or malice. The writer was on the ground
a few hours after the occurrence, and obtained
them from those who beheld the accident, and
should therefore be competent to Judge of its
causes.
The spot where the coach upset, was at the
bottom of a siding hill, about mile below Tim
buctoo, where it turns off to cross the Yuba, on
bridge recently constructed for that purpose at
the head of Parks Bar. In making the turn, the
speed of the horses was too great. An acute
angle had to be described, and the centrifugal
tendency of the rapidly-moving coach, precipi-
tated it on the side and in the manner that has
been described. very slight knowledge of the
philosophy of gravitating force, would have en-
abed the driver to foresee and avoid the accident
whose sad consequences we have been called
upon to narrate.
|. Judge Stidger and lady from this place, were
seated outside of the coach-one alongside the
! driver, and the other Immediately above. There
were seventeen passengers, in all, aboard; seven
outside and ten inside. The lady was slightly
bruised on one of her arms, and Chinaman
sustained some immaterial injury; but Judge
Stidger, falling across the sharp edge of stone
firmly imbedded in the earth, with the coach on
top of him, was mangled in the manner already
described.