The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-11-12
MRS. W.C.PATTON
IS THROWN FROM
RIG in RUNAWAY
Wife of Well-KnOWn Doctor
Saves Self by Jumping as
Horse Leaps Fence.
ANIMAL FRIGHTENED
BY BOYS AT PLAY
Buggy is Upset and Almost De-
molished When Dragged
Through Fence.

Mrs. w. c. Patton, of 400 Themis
street, wife of the we'll known physi-
clan, narrowly escaped death or seri-
Gus injury late yesterday afternoon,
when her horse ran away, on the
Bloomfield road, near the outskirts of
the city. The animal jumped a fence
into a pasture, upsetting the buggy
and hurting Mrs. Patton to the ground.
She escaped with a few minor bruises.
Mrs. Patton had spent the afternoon
as the guest of Mrs. Robert Giboney
and family, on the Bloomfield road,
just half mile west of the city limits.
She drove the family horse, which has
always been regarded as a gentle
animal.
Mrs. Patton left the Giboney resi-
dence shortly after o'clock to return
home. She had just crossed Louis
lana avenue, the western boundary of
the city, and was driving east on
Bloomfield, when the horse suddenly
became frightened.
Being a large animal, he instantly
became unmanageable and plunged
from one side of the road to the other
In spite of her heroic efforts to check
him, the animal got away from her
control and started on mad dash east
on Bloomfield.
Fearing that he would collide with
a vehicle driving out of the city, Mrs
Patton attempted to bring the horse
to a stop by turning him into the
fence. Giving a strenuous tug at the
rein she turned the excited horse into
the fence, but instead of checking his
flight, she only aggravated her danger
The horse reared and leaped over
the fence, dragging the buggy with
him. As it was drawn through, it up
set, throwing Mrs. Patton out. She re-
tanned her presence of mind and jump
ed just as the vehicle started to topple
over. Mrs. Patton fell to the ground
short distance from the buggy as il
turned bottom side upward.
The impact liberated the horse and
he dashed across the open field, but
was captured a short time later by
several men who had witnessed the
runaway. Mrs. Patton was only slight
ly bruised.
The top of the rig was demolished
and it was otherwise damaged, but the
horse was not hurt.
The physicians wife was congratu-
lated on her escape by her many
friends last evening. She attributed
the runaway to the horse becoming
frightened at some boys who were
playing along the roadside.
"He is not a fractions ANIMAL" said
Mrs. Patton, "and never once thought
of him running away. l was driving
slowly and when he SHE'D, frightened
the lines and thought would check
him. But he seemed to become more
frightened all the while. l knew that
Bloomfield road is a much Travelled
thoroughfare at that hour and l was
afraid he would collide with an auto
or wagan, and l therefore attempted to
bring him to a quick stop by turning
into the fence. When he jumped the
fence and the buggy overturned,
thought only of escaping, and leaped
out"
This was the second accident expert
enced by Mrs. Patton this week While
driving along Main street, in front of
the Glenn store, Monday afternoon, a
street car slid into Mrs. Patton's bug
gy, upsetting it. She was thrown out,
but she saved herself by jumping. She
was badly shaken up, but not hurt.