The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-12-11
SERIOUS
ACCIDENT.
John Jefferson Found Unconscious on a
Mountain Road.
HIS INJURIES MAY PROVE FATAL.
Evidently Attacked BY Heart Ailment and
bis Foot Caught Between the Wheel
spokes as He Fell Prom His
carriage Whirled and
Dragged.

John Jefferson, a married man residing on
Monbeck's farm near Kreb's station and a
son of William Jefferson, Of town, met with
a serious accident while driving over the
mountain from town towards his home yes
tsrday afternoon. The victims condition is
such that the doctors in attendance cannot
tell what the result will be.
Jefferson was employed as laborer at the
Kohinoor colliery and drove to and from his
work every day with horse and carriage.
He left the colliery at $3.50 yesterday after
noon and directed his course homeward
Several people who came to town towards
evening from hunting trips on Locust noun
tain say they passed jefferson and observed
nothing unusual in his appearance, or de-
meanor.
The next seen of Jefferson is told by q
teamster in the employ of Daniel Troy. q
timberman The teamster says he was pro-
ceeding slowly along the mountain road in
the direction Of the valley and had reached
point a short distance beyond what is
known as "the fats" when he heard the
noise Of a team approaching from the rear
lie turned to see who was driving behind
him and observed horse approaching at a
jogging gait and drawing a carriage with no
occupant. The teamster concluded that
there was something wrong and, after stopp-
ing his team, alighted and awaited the ar
rival of the horse he saw approaching. He
stopped the animal and, after securing it,
went back along the road to look for the
owner and driver He did not 90 far before
finding the unconscious form of Jefferson at
the side Of the road The victim was bleed.
ing profusely from cuts on the head and face
The teamster did not know the v:ctom, but
John Wilcom, of l13 West Line street town,
who was returning from hunting exped-
ton, made the Identification and accom-.
panied the teamster and unconscious victim
to the latter's home.
The Drs. Rentschler, of Ringtown, were
called in attendance and worked for hours
with the victim, but could not bring him
back to consciousness. This morning DR.. G.
M. Hamilton of town, was called in consulta.
tion. He returned at noon and stated that
the victim was in precarious condition. The
injuries consist of a badly sprained ankle
and knee, injuries to the head that caused
conclusion Of the brain, and a bad lacera-
tioE Of the sclap. 1t was torn from the top
of the skull and Tapped over. The victim
was still unconscious this afternoon
1t will be impossible to tell just how the
accident occurred until the victim is able to
tell his story, although there is one
supposition that seems quite reason
able. When the teamster stopped
the horse the animal was not heated, or
nervous, and the reins were lying over the
dashboard. There was nothing to indicate
that the horse had runaway. An examina-
ton of the carriage, however, showed that
bolt at the rear was broken. Marks along
the road showed that jefferson had been
dragged twenty or thirty yards before his
body fell to the roadside. 1t is also known
that heart disease has caused the death of
three members Of the family The suppo
sitiOn is that Jefferson heard the rafting of
the broken bolt and leaned out over the side
of the carriage to look at it; that in doing
this he received a mild attack of the disease
and fell out Of the carriage 1t is also sup yosed
that as he fell one of his feet was caught be-
tween the spokes and the unconscious form
was whirled around with each turn of the
wheel until the foot finally became released
Jefferson is 28 years of age and his family
consists Of himself wife and one child.