Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-17

HE SAVED THE LADY
MN MOWERS BADLY INJURED IN
nrscr,,c Mrs. WALKER.
AN EXCITING RUNAWAY ACCIDENT.
The Horse. Becoming Frish'e"e"'
Dnshes Down Grace street IN" IS
stopped Mt 6rc"t
walker Not Much Hurt.

one OF the most exciting runaways tnat
have occurred IN this city IN lohs ''"e
happened Yesterday morning Oh east
Grace street and Mrs. william ]. Walkef
wife OF the manager Of the Llie-lhsu'ai''s
Company Of Virginia. the sole occupant
Of the vehicle, which was dashed ~
nieces In front OF the St. Claire Hotei'
WAS heroicaly rescued from what might
have been violent death By MI Charles
X Bowers. OF No. 40 east Grace street.
who. at the risk of his OWN lie, checAeu
the mad rush of Mrs. Walkers horse ana
received injuries which may prove 10 De
very serious Mrs. Walker ESCAPED WIN
only slight injury.
A MOST THRILLING ACCIDENT.
The accident was thrilling and MI
Bowerss act as daring and heroic as mas
ever been witnessed in such an occur
renee. Mrs. Walker entered her trap AT
her home. No 1O7 east Grace street
shortly before il o'clock. and drove alone
down Grace street The horse drawing
the vehicle was a spirited animal pHt
being a skilfu horsawoman. Mrs. walker
had no fear Of him. Nothing unusual
happened until Seventh street was reach-
ed. At that point the two tracks OF Inc
Union electric line cross Grace street
and Us Mrs Walker approached the cor
ncf two electric Cars-one going uorih
and the other south--did likewise. Know
ing that her horse was somew max aIralu
of cars, the lady touched him with the
whip, and he sprang across the tracks
just as both of the cars bore down upon
the tap. leaving only small gap through
which the horse and trap safely passed.
The motormen, seeing their proximity 10
the horse and vehicle, rang their gongs
loudly, and this frightened the already
nervous animal. AS a result he dashed
off down Grace street at d frightful speed
and dragged behind him the vehicle IN
which was seated the fair driver, who
Was then helpless so far as controlling
him was concerned.
The high rate OF speed at which the
trap was being dragged caused it TO sway
from side TO side i'm frightful manner.
aud at each revolution of the wheels 1T
| threatened to oyerturn. At Eighth street
the horse ran toward the curbing and
the vehicle coming in contact with
telegraph pole, one Of the rear wheels
was shattered. Still the maddened horse
plunged OH, and Mrs. Walker chung TO
her seat in the frail vehicle which was
being dragged after him.
MR.. BOWERs'S HEROIC ACT.
It looked as if the horse was bound
10 rush into the iron fence around the
| Capitol Square, which has been the death
OF several frightened animals. and that
the lady would either be killed or badly
injured by being thrown TO the stone
I !
and the horse saved. Mr.. Bowers had
left his home. near the corner Of Seventh
and Grace streets. only a few moments
before the runaway started. and was
walking slowly down Grace between
/ Seventh and Eighth streets. when the
/ cry Of Look out for the runaway" fell
| upon his ears. and caused him to look
in the direction from which tho horse
was coming. Realizing at a glance the
| danger in which Mrs Walker. whom he
! did not know, was placed and giving no
| thought to himself, he ran out In the
| middle of the street. and calculating TO
a nicely the speed of the horse. sprang
at his head as he bore down upon him.
and grasping the bridle-rcin, chung on
with a stout, tenacious grip. which had
! the effect OF very greatly checking the
| animals speed. The horse. after being
| thus checked. plunged about until final
| ~ it freed itself from Mr. Bowers. and
! that gentleman, already badly bruised,
was thrown violently to the ground. his
| head striking against the curb-stone,
HAD FALLEN IN A FAINT.
In the mean time Mrs Walker. be-
coming thoroughly overcome by the ex-
| element tainted away, and when the
vehicle was so suddenly stopped she fell
| to the ground still unconscious.
The horse, freed from Mr.. Bowers's
| grasp, continued his run, going straight
| down Grace street. At the corner Of
| Ninth street the animal turned. and i'm
! doing so struck teiegraph-po and fell
| to the ground: whereupon, a number Of
| bystanders caught his head. holding him
down. and ending his damaging work.
MRS. WALKER NOT BADLY HURT.
Both Mrs. Walker and Mr. Bowers
were tenderly picked up. The former
was carried into the residence of Mr..
| Thomas Nowlan, close by, and the lat
ter was taken to his home, on the next
block. Drs. George Ben. Johnston. Ed
win L. Hobson, and Stuart Mcclure.
who were i'm the neighborhood at the
time. were quickly summoned to Mrs.
| Walker and Or. Hugh Taylor was called
in Ia attend Mr.. Bowers
| Mrs Walker soon recovered conscious
ness, and it was found that no bones
We're broken. In falling she had struck
on her shoulder, and IL was somewhat
| bruised She seemed to be suffering
more from shock than from anything
else. The fact that she had tainted be-
fore she was thrown from the trap,
perhaps, accounts for the fact that she
was not more seriously hurt Upon re-
covering consciousness she asked about
the gentleman who had tried to stop
| her horse. She was removed to her
home in a short time, and it is thought
will have recovered entirely in a few
! days.
MIR. BOWERS'S INJURIES.
Mr.. Bowers did not fare so well as
| Mrs Walker did. He was badly hurt.
| and when the physician reached him he
was talking i'm an incoherent manner.
| He had struck the back Of his head
against the edge of the curbing iu fall
ing. and is suffering from conclusion
of the brain. No bones were broken in
his body and no serious results are
now anticipated. He was badly bruised
from head to foot, where he had been
tossed about and dragged by the horse,
but It is hoped that he will soon re-
| cover.
witnesses Of Mr. Bowerss attempt to
stop the horse pronounce 1t to have