Williams, Richard Dies in Accident 1893

WILLIAMS

Posted By: Ernie Braida
Date: 9/22/2011 at 23:22:13

Richard Williams, a well known horse buyer of Knoxville, was fatally injured in a runaway at Sixth and Locust streets yesterday afternoon shortly before 5 o'clock. He had his right shoulder, right arm and five ribs on the right side broken and died soon after his removal to Cottage Hospital. His companion, William Young, escaped with only a few bruises and is today probably the most thankful man in town.

Williams, who was 32 years of age, was a widower and has lived in Knoxville for several years. He had two children and his aged father and mother are still living. They arrived in the city last night accompanied by their daughter and will take the body to Knoxville, this morning for interment.

Two Big Black Horses

The streets were crowded with teams and pedestrians when the accident occurred. Two strings of teams met and joined at Sixth avenue and Walnut. Everything was quiet and orderly when suddenly a team of magnificent black horses were seen dashing south down Sixth avenue at a fearful rate. They were attached to a light carriage and were, utterly beyond the control of the driver. Two men were in the carriage, Mr. Williams and Mr. Young, the latter driving.

The animals had become frightened at a scissors grinder at the corner of Sixth avenue and Chestnut streets and at once started to run.

Both men clung to the seat desperately. They were old horsemen and knew the danger of jumping. The carriage swerved from side to side and drivers of carriages and wagons did their best to get out of the way. A street car stood in the center of the street in front of the new Equitable block. The horses swerved around it and as they did so the wheels of the carriage left the street car track and the tire and felloes were torn off. As they crossed Locust street Mr. Young was thrown out and turned several somersaults in the mud but was picked up uninjured. Still the team continued on its mad flight, Mr. Williams clinging to the seat. They collided with a horse and carriage tied near the curb but it did not stop their flight.

Thrown High In Air.

As the team passed the alley between Walnut and Locust streets the broken wheel of the buggy fell into a hole in the paving. As it emerged the carriage was thrown high into the air. Mr. Williams and the seat went ten feet higher.

He fell, striking on his right side against a telephone pole and was rendered nearly senseless. He was carried into Dr. Rood's office nearby, where he regained consciousness. The doctor did for him what he could and ordered him removed to Cottage Hospital, where the doctor conferred with Dr. Schooler, both deciding that he would not recover. He was injured internally besides the many fractured bones. He died about 6 o'clock.

After Mr. Williams was thrown out of the team of frightened horses, released from the shattered buggy continued their wild run down the street, narrowly escaping collisions with other teams and pedestrians.

Mr. Williams is well known in Des Moines having bought horses here for the past six years for the eastern and northern markets. He came to Des Moines yesterday morning. His companion who so luckily escaped is a well known horseman and runs a livery barn on Grand avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets.

Marion County Newspapers 1893