The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-25
w. K, IT,, in Hands of
 Mob of Italians.
BOY RUN DOWN BY AUTO
Millionaire Draws Pistol, But is
 Soon DiSarmed.
Police Arrive on the Scene and Rescue the Forefgners-UrchIn Not Ser IousIy Hurt, Although Crowd
 Thought He Was.

Florence, Italy, Feb. 24.--w. K. Vanderbilt. Jr. is detained at Ponte- dera. on the road to Pisa. having had an automobile accident in the street by which a boy was injured. The boy is not seriously hurt.
 The incident involved the detention of both Mr. and Mrs. w. K. Vanderbilt, IT,, and their chauffeur. and turns out to have been much more serious than at first reported. Nh. vanderbilt and his chauffeur were mobbed. and the former drew a revolver and both MT. Vanderbilt and his chauffeur were ar rested and taken to the police station. Mrs. Vanderbilt was escorted to the best hotel in the place, where, accord ing to the latest adv1ces. she was awaiting developments.
 The Vanderbilt automobile. 1t ap. pears, was not going at excessive speed but when turning a sharp street corn CT in Pontedera, 1t ran down child. q boy about five years old, and injured him about the head. Though the boy was not seriously hurr, his face was covered with blood. The automobile. which was stopped as soon as 1t occu- pants noticed that an acicdent had oc- cured, was soon surrounded bv . crowd of excited people who indignant ly and threateningIy berated its occu' pants. In the midst of the excitement the report spread that the child was dead and the townspcop1e became so enraRed that they attacked the chauf~ feur.
 Drew a Revolver.
 In fact matters reached very crit ical stage, and MT. Vanderbilt, believ- ing that the lives of the party were in danger, drew a revolver. Before ne could use the weapon, however, several men jumped into the automobile. dis armed Mr. Vanderbilt, and kicked and cuffed him.
 By this time the police had become awara that something unusual was bapuening and a party of gendarmes hurried to the scene to protect the autouaobiIists. owing to the tury or inc people the officers took the Wander bIlt party into a neighboring shop TOT safety. There they were immediately oS inc people urging their companions to take summary vengeance on the
 As a coincidence the shop in which the Vanderbilts were taken was owned hy A relative of the injured poy' which did not tend to calm tne A0ei InRs of the mob.
 ," Evsntually an oficer of gendarmes ,.,i+h endorsements arrived on the scane and after the townspeople hao sorosu,hat calmed down, succeeded in reso1fng the automobilists, who were taken to the police statlon, ioaIu"Su Ss q crowd of shouting people. me leao- nrotssted vigorously against the eiieged carelessness of the automooil- ist1 and said that 1t was time to put @ ston to such incidents. involving loss of life, which were constantly increas- i"S Mr Vanderbilt and the chauffeur --,sre detained at the police station, un- Yer arrest. and Mrs. Vanderbilt. who ~,ss shown every attention possible Was escorted to the best hotel in Pom
 The father of the injured child. ~,hcn asked if he wished to bring suit srsinst Mir. vanderbilt not only refused to do so, but also declined to accept inc indemnity due him under the law. Tbereupon the judge granted MT. Van 5ashiIt nrovisicnal liberty and, accom- nanied by Mrs. Vanderbilt. he left for Pisa. Before departing MT wander biit gave $40 to the local hospital