The evening times., 1899-12-15

NEW YORK, Dec. 15.-An ordinary cab.
a horseless carriage. bike policeman. and
crowd Of about 800 people all assisted in
making Fifth Avenue between Forty ninth
and Fifty-third Streets. very lively place
early last night The horseless carriage
was the liveliest performer most Of the
time.
Before the automobile was sub
dued by the bike policeman, its motorman
was disabled and sent to the Flower Hos
pitai with his right leg broken.
Joseph Mclaughlin, q cab driver en-
ployed by the New York Cab Company,
was the cause OF all the trouble. Driving
to the company's stables at 7:45 O'Clock
he turned into Fifth Avenue. not looking
carefully where he was going. George Du
gree was seated on his automobile at For
ty-ninth Street, waiting for a customer.
Mclaughlin did not see the motionless au-
tomobile until 1t was too late to avoid
collision, and the two vehicles came to-
gether with a crash which threw Dugree
from his seat. In falling he tried to save
himself by grabbing at the lever nearest
him. That CHANGED to be the lever that
turns on the power. At the moment that
Dugree's head hit the street the automo-
bile started up Fifth Avenue at Its highest
rate OF speed.
1t ran straight for 4 little more than a
block, and then suddenly sweryed in toward
the curb bringing up with a bang. Then
1t started again, and this time got on the
sidewalk 1t ran along the sidewalk a
little distance and then bumped into one
of the houses. Then it started to tura
around in short circles. These circles
gradually widened, and then it left the
sidewalk and took to the street again.
In the meantime Policeman Clarkin, of
the bike squad. had run into the street
and picked Dugree up. The motorman
was not badly hurt and he and the po ice
man ian after the runaway automobile
ard soon caught up with it. There was
crowd around the thing by this time max
ing feeble attempts at stopping it, but
more OF the time trying to dodge its reck-
less movements. Clarkin tried to Climb
upon the machine to shut OF the power,
but the automobile lodged him success
fully. Dugree was better acquainted with
the machine and he at last succeeded in
climbing up to his seat. But the automo-
bile was not ready yet to resign its free
dom. 1t acted like runaway. mule and
Immediately shook Dugree off his seat.
This time Dugree was not SO lucky in his
fall. He landed on the pavement and the
automobile before he had time to rise ian
over him, breaking his right leg. Then
the horseless carriage darted up Fifth Ave-
nue. for another block and again resumed
its circling about.
The street was well filled. with carriages
of people on their way to the theatres and
the scrambles to get out of the way and
the shouts OF the people vino were enjoy
ing the excitement increased commotion
the like of which Fifth Avenue has not
seen in many q day. Finally at the corner
of Fifty I-hifd Street. the carriage again
got on the sidewalk. 1t was here that
Clarkin saw his chance. AS the machine
bumped into one of the houses he jumped
and turned OF the power.
The automobile was not damaged. Nc
Laughlin was arrested and taken to the
East Fifty-first Street station where the
sergeant decided he could go free to take
his chances in civil suit