The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-09
Helper On McGee Coal Truck, With Aspirations to Be a Chauffeur, Starts Off On Joy Ride In Main Street With Disastrous Result.
Cars Owned By Mayor Will sons Brother, and Drug gist Swept Along In Front of Uncontrolled Vehicles and damned Into Store.


 Bowling down Main street with the slow, irresistible force of a British tank" a runaway auto truck, loaded with five tons dof coal swept everything before it, this morning, near State street, picked up two au- tomobiles which it carried a block, damned against it's hood, and wound up it's mad career by snapping off a pole and hurling it through the windows of the Traveller Shoe Go.
 The two machines which lay in the path of the runaway truck. owned by Harold Wilson, brother of Mayor Clifford B. Wilson. and Mrs. Wilma M. Robertson, were demolished by the collision with the pole and flying glass threatened to injure pedestrians 7 who fled in all directions from the scene.
 About sso'clock this morning, the auto truck. which was operated by John Miller. an employ of Patrick Magee, coal dealer, stopped south of State street, in Main street, and Mill Ter went into a store to find out to whom he was to deliver the coal.
 In his absence, his helper. William Freeman, 22, years, of Housatonic avenue, conceived the idea that he would take a joy ride. Besides l H,< sav>Sc told the police. So Freeman, who has never driven a machine, damned the clutch into high speed and started north in Main street.
 Mrs. Robertson's auto was standing outside her drug store at 870i Main street. The coal truck picked up the machine, which was of limousine style, pushing it along in front, broadside fashion. Freeman men, time was white in the face, and trembling, pulling this and that lever in an unsuccessful effort to shut off power.
 He neared Main and State streets, when Traffic Policeman J. F. Halp1n and Policeman George Fitzgerald sighted him. Halpin rushed over in front of the First Bridgeport National bank, jumped onto the seat of an Adams Express wagon and drove the horse out of FreemAn's way around into State street.
 Policeman Fitzgerald stopped a troll ley which was about to turn into Main street from State street and which would have met the onrushing coal truck had its progress not been halted. The police shouted madly at Freeman and spectators stood open-mouthed wondering what next would happen. They did not wonder long.
 Wilson's car was standing just be- low the team belonging to the Adams Express company. The coal truck with Mrs. Robertson's auto act ing as buffer whacked Wilson's nna- chine, a small car, the collision wedg- ing it securely against Mrs. Robert. sons car.
 The procession started onward, the coal truck pushing along the two. ma chimes when the corner of State and Main streets was reached. Freeman lost his head altogether by this time and with blanched face sat trembling in the seat of the truck He gave the wheel a turn and the train of cars headed for the sidewalk.
 Wilson's car hit a white way" pole, and snapped it off at the base The failing r-'o crashed through the win dows of the Traveller Shoe Co.,, glass flew in all directions, shoes flew through the air and pedestrians fled
 The collision demolished both of the buffer machines and caused sufficient damage to the coal trucks engine to halt it. Freeman trembling was taken fom his seat and locked up for driv- ing without a license. As he was led to a cell still trembling his last words were Never again."