The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-03-24
The Story Of Marvellous Stage Ride.


One of the darkest, coolest, rainiest
nights of the past month, says the San
Ia Barbara (Cal.) Press, an adventure
occurred in neighboring county which
deserves TO be perpetuated among the
remarkable episodes of stage travelling.
The lady and gentleman who were
prominent actors in the almost tragedy
were recently at the Morris House, and
the story is III no manner exaggerated
or overwrought. This couple were the
sole occupants Of the interior of the
stage on the night in question, and
were sitting silently muffled up wishing
for morning to dawn. The hack was
drawn by two horses that were quite
restive and high-spirited, though the
drowsy passengers gave little heed to
this fact until afterward. The night
was so dreadfully dark that it was al
most impossible to keep in the road.
and the stage was finally broneht to an
abrupt halt by one ofthe wheels striking
against stump. The gentleman par
TALLY undid the robes In which he was
muffied, and asked the driver if he
needed any assistance, and receiving
negative answer, snuggled back into his
wrappings. Presently the stage moved
on and the incident attracted no further
attention. In o little while another
stoppage occurred and the passengers
had vague consciousness that the
driver again descended to arrange some
thing about the wheels or traces. The
rain battered Increasingly upon the roof,
the wind moaned through the forest
branches. and weary, exhausted and be-
numbed, our friends were only semi
conscious Of the fact that the stage
again resumed its journey. Suddenly
the gentleman became impressed with
the idea that they were travelling at too
high q rate of speed, and this convic-
tion became so strong that he finally
leaned out of the window far enough to
ascertain that the driver had disappeared
and his horses were running away.
Without awakening his wife TO a sense
of their danger he attempted to perform
feat which few men would have the
nerve to do in broad daylight. This
was to climb out of the window while
the team was running at full speed, and
swing himself up on to the drivers seat
so as to secure the reins. 1t required
the strength of an athlete and the cour-
age of a hero to accomplish this task,
but 1t was accomplished. AS soon as
he gained the drivers seat he reached
for the reins which he expected to find
twisted about the brake, and to his utter
horror found they were gone. Mean
time the horses were running at the top
Of their speed, the hack was being vio-
lently jolted and tossed froxa side to
side, and the ominous darkness into
which they were plunging threatened
instant destruction. Leahing over the
boot trying to reach down and find the
reins, the stage gave a sndden mrch and
the gentleman was hurled headlong un-
der the wheels. There was nlomenta.
| rily a stunned sensation, a sharp pain as
| the wheels passed over his legs. and
| there was a rush and clstter of hoofs as
the runaway team disappeared in the
| darkness, The Wife was gone in the
rusaway stage. Fiction never conjuret
| up many situations more uniquely un
| comfortable. Tnmbled unceremonious
| ly out into the mud and water, with
half-broken leg and a full knowledge
| that his wife would be dashed speedily
| to a horrible death, our friend was al
most frantic when he finally arose anC
commenced gropng along in the dark
/ ness.
1t was not very long before the drive
came rushing along in pursuit of the
stage and hispassengers, and gloriousl,
astonished he was to meet with one o
them under such circumstances. There
was nothing to dc but follow the roat
and await the termination of affairs
Suddenly, as they were passing over :
brushy knoll. they heard a sound whicl
they readily knew must be occasionet
by the runaway team. The wonder O
II, however, was that the team was evi
IDENTIFY coming toward them. By som
means the horses had turned around ant
were coming back. 1t was no easy mat
ter to check the frightened animals, bu
by vigorous shouting and hurrahin,
thew were turned into the brush an
caught. Rushing to the stage to SO
what he'd become of his wife, the gen
tleman found her all wrapped up as h
had left her. and totally oblivious of tn
fact that she had been the object of an
particular solicitude on his part, or tina
he had heen absent from her side, O
that she had been in any danger. Sh
knew the stage was going very rapidly
but innocently supposed that the drive
was making up for lost time. Not
: thing was broken about the carriage Q
, harness.