Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-11-16
GREAT BIT OF LUCK.


when a mighty badlooking accident
occurred
"At Forty-second street a we'll
dressed. middle-aged man undertook to
swing himself on board the open car
while II was starting. just after max
ing the stop at that corner.
He had got one foot on the running
board. when the foot that still rested
on the wet pavement slipped. He
slipped aud fell forward on his hands.
His left leg shot beneath the wheels
of the moving car.
The conductor who was collecting
fares from the running board, frantic
ally rang the bell to stop the car. Then
men in the car, including myself,
shouted hoarsely, and the women on
the car screamed as II bedlam had
broken loose. One Of the women sank
back in dead faint. and she had to
be carried into a drug store after the
incident was over
The conductors signal to the mo-
tOrman was too late. The car wasn't
brought to a stop till there was a hor-
rible grinding. jolting, crunching
sound. The wheels had passed over
the middle-aged mans left leg. It was
slckening.
"A hundred pedestrians rushed from
the crowded sidewalk to do what they
could to assist the PROSTATE man.
when they got to him he was lying
downward, with his face resting on his
hands. His hat had fallen some dis
lance away. and his head looked gray
and venerable.
But the PROSTATE man was laugh
ing just fit to KILL
"He was absolutely shrieking with
merriment. He was giving vent to ex-
plosions of pure enjoyment. He posi-
lively shouted and bawled in the over
plus of his tremendous mirth.
"IIe laughed so hard that it seemed
as if his sides must be just aching
him.
People away up Sixth avenue heard
his happy, boisterous ha! has! and
came rushing along to see what was
producing all of the fun.
"'The pain of having his leg cut off
has put the poor old gentleman off his
lead. was the sympathetic remark of
lot of us who stood around watching
him and listening to his almost VIC
lent outbreaks of mirth. His agony
has made him delirious, poor old chap
became the universal verdict as the
middle-aged mans roars of laughter
grew even louder.
but there was something in the
quality of his laughter that puzzled
me, for all that. II sounded to me like
mighty healthy. human. rollicking
laughter-laughter that was actually
proceeding from the mirthful midriff
of the turnover man. To my ears 1t
didn't have even a little bit of the grue-
some sound of the kind of laughter
that proceeds from those in a state OF
delirium.
There, there. old chap, easy now
we'll get you out of that fix all right
said some of the willing helpers. as
they started to see what they could do
toward disentangling the middle-aged |
man from the wheels of the car.
Thanks, boys, he replied, to their
amazement. in a tone of perfect I'M
Outstanding. But, say he went on.
it's so blamed FUNNY! and he went |
into another paroxysm of laughter
"The helpers looked at one another |
with mystified countenances.
why. that mans not hysterical, !
nor bug-house. either said one of
them. Say, old friend, he continued, |
addressing the still PROSTATE man,
what's all this that's so Internally |
funny, hey? You might as well let
us all in on it, hey?'
"The man who was lying face down
ward on the wet pavement, with his |
leg still under the car wheel. re-
strained his mirth with great difficulty |
long enough to gasp:
"'Why. dang it all, boys, can't YOU
see that the leg that's been run over
is a woo-woo-wooden leg! and then
he howled joyously once again.
THE willing helpers looked as If
they'd gone up against a sad sort Of a
sell. but the PROSTATE mans laughter
was perfectly infectious. and they
Joined in It,
Then they managed to pull him
from beneath the car. when they saw
THAT, sure enough. the crushed leg was
OF the seasoned ash variety.
"They put the good-humored mid
dIe-aged man into cab and sent him
along to the home address he gave. He
| 4 .
the cab window before starting for
home.
"'Well, boys, he called out. I mayn't
have beat the devil around the stump
this time, but I'll be hanged II T
haven't beat him with it,"
"Whereupon the big bunch broke
into a spontaneous cheer for the old
boys gameness. and the car went
ahead about its business. Washing
I