Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-23
Mr.. CLEVELANDNOTlNJURED
An Accident That Gave Rise to Serious
Reports.

The country was startled last night by a
report that President Cleveland had met
with an accident, which was magnified into
a serious affair in the earliest accounts,
because Of the difficulty of getting accurate
information as to what had really happen
ed to the head of the nation. All accounts
agree that the President had narrow es-
cape from serious injury, and was ex-
tremely fortunate i'll that he got off without
SO much as a scratch.
The mishap occurred about o'clock at
the corner of 18th and u streets near the
crossing of the Chevy Chase railroad. The
President was on his way from the White
House to Woodley. He occupied the family
victoria, drawn by two spirited horses, q
chestnut and bay. William Beckett, the
Presidents regular coachman, sat in his
usual place upon the box.
According to a story told by an eye-wit-
ness, in crossing the electric railway tracks
one of the horses, the chestnut slipped on
the asphalt pavement and fell The other
horse became frightened and plunged about.
In kicking, 1t demolished one of the side
lamps on the victoria and part O fthe wood
work, and then fell on his mate
All this occurred in moments time D.
Beaver, D. Gilbert Hughes, Fred. Verm;Ilion
and Thomas c. Robinson, employees Of the
electric railway, which at this point changes
from the underground to the overhead sys-
tem rushed to the Presidents rescue They
jumped upon the horses and held them
down by their heads until Mr. Cleveland
could get out of the victoria. BY cutting
part of the harness the horses were quickly
released after the President had gotten
safely away.
Driven Home in a Blackboard
1t was found that the team was too de-
moralized for further use, and Beckett
was directed to take the horses and car
rage back to the White House stables
Senator Stewart, who happened to be in
the neighborhood, went to the nearest
telephone and called for another convey
ance for the President. Before its ar
rival, however. other means were provided
for taking the President to his suburban
home. 1t so happened that the driver of
Mr.. Gardiner Hubbard, who lives just
across the road from Woodley, was passing
by in a blackboard. He was hailed by
Beckett and asked II be would drive the
glad of the opportunity of doing SO, and
without further preliminaries the Presi-
dent boarded the blackboard and was
driven to his home without further acct
ample time for dinner, and was fortunately
enabled to be the first to inform Mrs
Cleveland of his experience, making light
of what he admitted might have been a
self at having escaped so fortunate with
out the least injury whatever.
The Official Account.
The statement of the accident given
out by Mr.. Thurber at the White House
is as follows: 1.-The accident was of a very
trifing nature. The President was driving
out to Woodley, expecting to get there for
dinner, when at 18th and U streets the
horses became alarmed and stumbled, fall
ing and breaking the harness. The Presi-
dent remained still in the victoria until
the team was quieted, but when IT was
found that it would take some time to
mend the harness properly the President
sent Coachman Beckett back to the sta
bles with the carriage. He was driven
carriage in time for dinner. The. Presi-
dent was not injured in the slightest. nor
were the carriage or horses even scratch
ed,'