Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1904 — THE STRAIGHT OF IT. [ARTICLE]

THE STRAIGHT OF IT.

W. L. Wood of Parr was in the city a few days ago and in response to inquiries regarding the condition of his wife and daughter, who were recently quite badly injured in a runaway accident near Alf Donnelly’s farm, north of town, he said that the little girl was getting along all right, as she was not badly injured, but Mrs. Wood was not improving very much. She was suffering from concussion of the brain, and her condition was such at that time that he did not know whether she would get over it or not. Mr. Wood said, also, that there was a general misunderstanding regarding the accident. They were coming to Rensselaer —not going home, as generally reported—and on turning the corner by Alf Donnely’s the horse became somewhat frightened at the auto, which was a short distance north of the turn. He got out of the buggy to lead the horse past the corner and turn it south. He then walked back to the buggy, picked up the reins and had put one foot on the step to get into the buggy when the exhaust to the auto suddenly starting up again frightened the horse and it lunged forward, throwing him under the wheels and dragging him for some distance by the reins. A wheel passing over his fingers clasping the reins forced him to release them, and the horse started down the road toward Rensselaer at a break-neck speed. Mrs. Wood and the little girl being left in the buggy with no reins to guide the horse did the only thing possible under the circumstances, and jumped out. The report that the horse was a notorious runaway, he says, is also untrue. He had owned the animal for five years and Mrs. Wocd had driven it hundreds of times. The report that Mr. Montgomery lead the horse past the auto is also without foundation* likewise the published statement that the horse ran clear to Rensselaer before it was stopped. It was stopped at the Bruce Porter farm a short distance south of where it started.