The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-28
z EXCITING RUNAWAYS.
w. NJ. Forbes and Mrs. NIiIlard Have
Narrow Escapes.

BY the narrowest of narrow escapes
two Topeka people were the victims
of runaways on Kansas avenue late
last evening and this noon. In both
cases the runaways were on Kansas
avenue and the buggies were torn to
pieces unfit for repairs. The two
persons who escaped harm from the
runaways were Mrs. Millard. wife of
Doctor NJ. A. Millard and w. NJ.
Forbes, of the W. M. Forbes & Co..
real estate dealers.
Mrs. MiIlard was driving the family
horse south ON Kansas avenue when
the horse became scared at some OBJ
ject at the corner of Tenth and Kan
sas avenue. 1t reared up and at first
commenced to back but when urged
forward by Mrs. Mil!ard it struck out
on run south on Kansas avenue.
AS the horse ran on 1t increased its
speed at every step and when Eleventh
street was reached it was going at a
terrific speed while the-fight buggy
was swaying from side to side. Mrs.
Millard did not seem to be frightened
but held the reins as tightly as pos
sibie. However, the horse failed to
respond to the tight reins and the
words of the driver and was soon
tearing down the incline as fast as it
could go.
When the runaway came to Thir-
teenth street the horse gave a 1urch
toward the drinking fountain at this
intersection and with a crash the
buggy coIlided with another buggy
standing at the fountain and occupied
by an old colored man and his young
son. To onIookers it looked though
all of the three people would be in
jured seriously as horses, buggies and
occupants were piled in heap. When
the wreckage was untangled 1T was
found that Mrs. Millard was not in
jured in the least. with the exception
of a few scratches on the face and
arms. The old colored man and his
little son were mingled in the dust but
not receive a scratch. Both of the
buggies were completely demolished.
not enough being left of them to use
as repairs.
This morning about II o'clock Mr..
w. NJ. Forbes was just driving from
his place of business on West Seventh
street and had turned down Kansas
avenue north expecting to meet a
man on business at the Throop hotel.
Just in front of the Stansf1eld drug
store the shafts of the buggy became
loose and one side fell against the
horses leg. The horse being of a
nervous nature became frightened at
once and started with a leap down
the busy avenue. 1t looked as
though the driver, Mr.. Forbes, was
doomed until the buggy swerved and
hit horse and buggy in front of the
Fair store. The impact turned the
horse and buggy clear onto the side
walk and the runaway swerved again
into the center of the avenue. But
the impact was too much for the bal
ance of the dancing buggy and it
turned throwing Mr.. Forbes to the
pavement. He hit the pavement
with his shoulder and rolled for a few
feet before he could be picked up by
pedestrians. Mr. Forbes is rather an
old man and it was thought that the
fall on the pavement would be serious
He was taken into the F'lad drug store
and his injuries dressed at once. He
sustained two bad bruises on both of
his hands but otherwise he was not
injured. He took the car home af-
ter he had his injuries dressed:
At Sixth street the runaway horse
with the buggy dragging behind it
turned east and the buggy turned a
somerset breaking itself up into many
pieces The shafts stuck to the horse
and the animal was caught at Sixth
and Branner by George Butts mer-
chant at this corner. The horse was
not injured in the least and was re-
turned to Mr.. Forbes residence.
In speaking of the matter Mr..
Forbes said this afternoon:
1--WE have some new kind of a
patent on the shafts and this became
loose and rubbed against the horse.
As a rule the horse is very reliable
but is of a nervous nature l did not
know what would happen when l felt
us going down the avenue at such a
terrific rate and / was unprepared for
the shock in front of the Fair store. I
guess that nothing is damaged except
the buggy and L consider myself very
fortunate in getting out or the run
away as did,"