Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-18
RUNAWAY SMASHES
BUILDING FRONT
MANY Pedestrians Barely Escape with
Their Lives-Victims Bruised
In Piles of Lath and
Plaster

A runaway, exciting and unusual IN IT,
self. and by the merest chance no more
disastrous in its outcome, ocurred yester-
day shortly after the noon nour on san
Pedro street, north of First street.
Two maddened horses attached to
light wagon, which swayed and pumped
behind them, dashed down the street for
block, scattering pedestrians and other
wagons in their path and finally plunged
at full speed into a barber shop, wreck
ing 1t completely and slightly injuring
the proprietor and customer, who were
in the shop, at the time. .,o ,o re-
sides at 652 North State street, Stoppeu
his wagon at the curb on the east siae e
of the street, near the intersect99n rol OF
moved the brides and hung, them on
the names of the collars and then placed
two old gunny sacks. used as feed pass'
tention to something else. He dld not
tie the horses, nor secure them IN any
way. Just what frightened them IL is
not known. but within a few minutes
after the owner had walked away from
them the horses snorted and jumped, and
then at full speed dashed down the
street.
There were a number OF pedestrians
crossing the street back and forth at the
time and some of them had barely time
to get out of the way as the wild nn horses
BY G. Cottrell was not so fortunate as
to wholly escape. Cottrell was driving
toward First street and tried to pull his
wagon out of the path of the runaway
animals, but his wagon was struck ano
the rear wheel shattered. A buggy con
tanning q man and woman narTqwly es,
capped, the man driving onto the slde'
walk to get out of the way.
Wreck Barber Shop
A hundred feet further on mar
{,,fA fIa nf Cfrppt
waved a piece of sail cloth In the races
Of the horses. They turned suddenly, anc
dashing across the sidewalk, plunged di'
rectly into the barber shop of c; Matsui
carrying the entire front of the shop with
them and smashing mirrors and side
boards and other furniture in theil
| path.
| Matsui, the proprietor of the shop. was
at work at chair in which was Gus
toner getting shaved. The front OF tht
pole of the wagon struck the chair in the
side. hurling it and the recumbent man
with the barber fully ten feet, dashinf
both men and the chair through {
wooden partti93n mtg renr T9G smes
Dowell, who was making his rounds, hat
heard Of the runaway and hurried to tn
scene just in time to catch the horses ans m
With the assistance. OF number OF by
ISLANDERS he succeeded in backing .th
horses and wagon out Of the shop and oil
to the street. shinen came painting "
at this moment and wanted to talk
charge of the team, but the officer place.
him under arrest for leaving his team
united.
A large number Of Japanese who ha,
gathered at the scene had eXtricate
Matsui and his customer from the wrecl
which they were buried, and they adde
to the excitement by demanding dam
ages for the wrecking of the shop.
the city Jail and then before Judge Cham
bers in police court, where fine of 81
was imposed on the junk dealer for nc
tying HIS horses. Matsui, VINO was pres
ent, stated that his shop, with its broke
chairs and other fixtures, was damage
to the extent of more than 800.