Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-01-11
AUTOMOBILE ON A TEAR.
Raises Ructions in Fifth Avenue and
Breaks Motorman's Leg.

An ordinary cab, a horseless car
riage, bicycle policeman and a crowd
OF about 800 people all assisted in MAX
ing Fifth avenue, between Forty-ninth
and Fifty-third streets, a lively place
last night. The horseless carriage was
the liveliest performer for the greater
part of the time. Although finally
subdued by the bicycle policeman it
put its motorman out of business and
sent him to Flower Hospital with his
right leg broken.
Joseph Mclaughlin, a cab driver.
was the cause of all the trouble. At
'45 o'clock he turned into Fifth
avenue, not looking over-carefully
where he was going. Geo. Dugree
was seated on his automobile at
Forty-ninth street, waiting for a GUS
toner. Mclaughlin did not see the mo-
tlonleSs automobile until it was too
late to avoid collision, and the two
vehicles came together with a crash
which threw Dugree from his seat. In
falling he tried to save himself by
grabbing at the thing nearest him.
mat CHANGED to be the lever that turns
on the power. At the moment that Dug
ree's head hit the street the automobile
started up Fifth avenue at it's highest
rate OF speed.
The devil himself might have been
IN that automobile. 1t ran straight for
little more than a block, and then
suddenly Swerved in toward the curb,
bringing up with a bank. Then it
tried again, and this time got on the
sidewalk. 1t ran along the sidewalk
little distance and then bumped into
one of the houses. Then it changed its
mind and started to turn around in
short circles. These circles gradually
Wldened, and then it left the sidewalk
and took to the street again.
In the meantime, Policeman Clarkin,
OF the bicycle squad, had run into the
street and had picked Dugree up. The
motorman was not badly hurt and he
and the policeman ran after the run
away automobile and soon caught I'D
with it. There was a crowd around
the thing by this time, making feeble
bluffs at stopping it, but more of the
time trying to dodge it's eccentric
movements. Clarkin tried to climb
up on the machine to shut off the
power, but the automobile lodged him
successfully. Dugree was better ac-
quainted with the machine and he at
last succeeded in climbing up to his
seat. But the automobile was not
ready yet to resign it's freedom. It
acted like runaway mule and imme-
diately shook Dugree off his perch.
This time Dugree was not so lucky in
his fall He landed on the pavement
and the automobile, before he had time
to rise, ran over him, breaking his
right leg.
Then the horseless carriage darted
up Fifth avenue for another half d
block, and again resumed it's crazy
circling about. The street was well
filled with carriages of people on their
way to the theatres and the scrambles
20 get out of the way and the shouts OF
the people who were enjoying the fun
created a commotion the like of which
Fifth avenue had not seen for many a
day.
Finally, at the corner of Fifty-third
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 off the power. The
crowd seemed disappointed. The
automobile was not damaged. Nc
Laughlin was arrested and taken to the
East Fifty-frst street station, where
the sergeant decided he could go free
to take his chances in a civil suit
Dugree was taken to Flower Hospital
He will be unable to move for several
weeks.-New York Sun.