The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-17
a HORSES MAD FLIGHT.
Ran Through the BarrOOm at william
Beattey's Place.

William Beattey's saloon, 1861 Shelby
street, has been landmark of the South
Side for many years and has been the scene
OF many sensational incidents, but in all
its stormy career it has not witnessed any
more startling events than were enacted
tnere day or so ago. After being repeat
edly taunted about the dilapidated condi-
ton OF the front door steps-there are four
OF them leading up to the saloon door from
the sidewalk-the proprietor had them new
ly painted one day last week. Fresh paint
cards We're put up to warn patrons, who
were courteously directed to side door
A market gardener living a few miles south
or town drove up to the place on his way
nome after successful morning at market
ready to spend little of the money in his
well filled pockets. He hitched his horse
drowsy looking and gaunt animal, to a
telegraph pole i'll front of the place. He
was about to enter by the front door when
he observed the cards calling attention to
the fresh paint and went around to the side
uoor. Wnlle he was contentedly slipping
goblet OF malt at the bar with a crowd of
cronles whom he found there and whom he
proceeded TO treat his ears heard the clang
or q trolley car going south in front of the
saloon He hastily placed his half empty
glass en- the bar and hurried to the door.
friends.
My horse-Im afraid he will run away"
Inns was met with storm of jeers.
Run away? That old stack of bones? He
wouldn't run away from a Spanish fleet"
called one of the gardeners friends.
This was greeted by "haw-haws'' of ap-
prevail
Looking through the doorway the garden
er saw the old nag had paid no attention
to the car, and, with his head hung low be-
tween his knees, seemed to be doing peace
fully The gardener returned to the bar.
Scarcely had he drained his glass and or
dered EN- up again when a wild commo-
ton was heard in the street. High above
the noise on the sidewalk was heard the
clang, clang of the gong of a car coming
up the line and before the gardener had time
a large dark form plunge madly through
the barroom door from the sidewalk and
gallop through the saloon straight for the
back door, through which it fled into the
summer garden in the rear, where it dashed
into table around which two or three
men and girls were seated drinking beer.
A scream from the girls added to the con-
fusion as the form dashed against the table,
sending the beer glasses to the ground.
Everybody in the saloon was frightened.
The bartender was nearly paralyzed. When
they regained their senses they rushed for
the back door and were all amazed to find
the old nag peacefully looking around at the
Wreckage that lay in his wake His harness
was gone Not a thing was left on him eX-
cept the blind-bridle. Scarcely realizing
what had happened the gardener hurried to
over to enc side. The buggy had slipped
back over the sidewalk into the gutter, the
harness hanging to the shafts. On the four
freshly painted steps were marks of the
frightened horses hoofs, while marks on the
side of the door showed where the points
of the shafts had struck the building.
Frightened by the uptown car the horse,
suddenly awakened from his day dreams,
had wrenched himself loose from the tele-
graph pole and had dashed up the steps into
the open saloon door, where, the shafts
coming against the wall, the harness broke
and allowed the animal to continue his mad
flight into the garden in the rear. shoe
maker in the neighborhood was unable to
mend the harness, the only things damaged,
and the gardener pieced them together and
drove to a harness maker up toward Vir-
ginia avenue. The saloon man contemplated
the marks of the horse-shoes on the fresh
paint and sent for a painter to oblterate
them 1t was half an hour before the girls
in the summer garden were restored to con-
seriousness from the faint into which they
had been thrown by the sudden appearance
of the half-blind and bony horse who de-
veloped a greater speed that day than he
has shown SINCE he was retired from the
race track years ago.