People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 September 1895 — To Be Deplored [ARTICLE]

To Be Deplored

As Misses Emma and Alice Clark, living near Wolcott, were driving to Rensselaer in a cart last Monday they met two men riding bicycles near the east approach to the bridge one mile east of Rensselaer. Their horse became frightened, and after passing over the bridge it overturned the vehicle and kicking itself loose ran away. Both of the ladies weie seriously injured. Miss Emma having one bone of the right arm broken and the other bone of the same arm dislocated. besides sustaining severe bruises and shock. Miss 2\lice escaped with less injury than her sister, though badly bruised from the violence of the fall. The ladies were at once taken to the home of A. L. Padgett at the Rensselaer Stock Farm and Doctors Loughridge and Berkely called to attend them. The nature of the injury to Miss Emma’s arm is such that it may be a permanent disability, as the elbow is always a delicate part to be injured and liable to serious consequences. Mrs. Geo. Dougherty, a friend of the Misses Clark, came to see them at once and ministered to their, wants, and the family of Mr. Padgett did all in their power to make them comfortable. Tne names of the bicyclists, who were the unintentional cause of the accident. are S. M. Bennett and 1. A. Bennett brothers, in the employ of the Electric Appliance Company, 242 Madison street, Chicago. They are taking their annual vacation by wheeling through to Ohio. They are gentlemanly appearing young men. and in their statement that they were entirely ignorant of having caused any accident, or that an accident had occured, their candor and straightforwardness convinced everyone of their innocence of anything dishonorable in not stopping to assist the ladies in their trouble. Johnathan Clark, brother of the injured ladies, acting under the supposition that the boys had caused the accident from riding too fast, and believing that they knew what had occurred and had disregardfully rode away, caused their arrest at Remington and had them brought back to Rensselaer, where they were taken before Justice Morgan the same evening. In the absence, of Prosecuter Douthitt Deputy Shields, assisted by R. W. Marshall, represented the state, the latter acting as special council for the complaining witness and preparing the papers for presentation to the court. The boys were defended by Ferguson & Wilson, Mr. Wilson having the case in charge, it took Mr. Wilson but a few moments to convince the court that there was nothing criminal in the allegations of the indictment, and he promptly discharged the prisoners. The Bennett brothers, who are evidently frugal wage-earn ers, expressed their appreciation for the quick disposition of their case, heartily thanking Judge Morgan and the many citizens who had interested themselves to see justice done the travelers. That the boys were ignorant of the accident is evidenced by the fact that they soon returned over the same road, finding they had missed their way, and stopped for dinner at Goff’s restaurant, which circumstance is inconsistent with the theory that they were running away. Mr. Clark is censurable for not dropping the prosecution when he learned the facts in the case. He should not have let his antipathy for bicycle riders so prejudice his sense of justice that he would seek to punish these persons without either law or facts to warrant such an action. It is stated by the deputy prosecutor that there is no statute which in any way relates to such an occurrence as the above. The bicycle has been pronounced by the supreme court a vehicle, and as such has exactly the same rights upon the highway and in court as a carriage. They are each entitled in law and in common justice to a division of the roadway in passing. There was a time when “top buggies” were considered a nuisance and people with timid horses objected to their being allowed upon the public highway; accidents occurred at first, but such a thing is never thought of now, as it is a part of the “breaking” of a horse to make him familiar with carriage tops. The same will be the case regarding bicycles, and trainers will take pains to teach their horses that they are harmless. The bicycle will soon be the principal vehicle upon the highway; it is a recognized utility that cannot now be discarded; it must be given a just place, but that does not mean a disregard of

jcommon courtesies. A rider should, and a gentleman always does, avoid frightening teams in passing, though the law does not restrict him from riding along in the ordinary way, it being presumed that all horses that are being driven on the public highway are sufficiently well trained to be under the control of drivers in meeting so common a sight as a man, woman or child riding a bicycle.