AN INJURED HUNTRESS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 512, 20 May 1909, Page 3

AN INJURED HUNTRESS.

'; ■ Recent English' society" papers ' hiive dealt fully with an accident that occurred early in 'April 'to 'Lady Crichton. '.Says { tho London "of a;> Sydney '■■■; -paper"The ; thoughts of many ■ English ■ women havo V ;towards . the kitchen "of a certain farmhouse in\ Shropshire.". In- tho strange" surroundings "of an . old-fashioned country kitchen a well-known figure in London society has been lying between life and death. >In attempting to take a fenco during a hunt near .Woorc, , Lady Crichton, • -tho wife «f the Equerry to the. Prince of Wales, was thrown. Hor horse rolled- over' its - rider twice.- Lady Crichton's injuries were very .; terrible../; For a time it was ; even, feared' ; . that vthe ■'}; orusbed/. ribs had : . displaced .the /heart;, and that, an additional operation would « be necessary to put this organ in place - be- > fore the operation to remove the dislocation of the spine could be proceeded with. However, this proved unnecessary. 'Of course, ' the .very "greatest skill • was available. Sir William Bennott; . one of the King's surgeons,was summoned by special'tram. Three ;; or four hospital nurses turned the, great kitchen into an operating chamber, and, a week after : the ; acciueht, Sir/William,Bennett w - as . able to carry through his task. It was known. that - Lady Crichton's chances of recovery were very small, but it seem s< that tno operation has;. been extraordinarily successful; The total, paralysis has been -removed, and,: Lady Crichton is now able to ■take nourishment.;v'lt;, will-;be ..remembered, .•-that , Viscount ■ Crichton 1 accompanied- the ; V ?nn nce of Wales-during - the colonial tour in 1 •'i, ,■ "° married a, .daughter of 'the ■ first :;Duke'of, Westminster.' in-1903. ""■As -a Grosi venor Lady Crichton is related to many of ■ thobest-known members of the peerage. She is half-sister, to tho.Duchess of Tcel-i, and . of the present Duke: of Westminster. .Many, members, of. the,.family hastened inte •; : Shropshire directly the news of the accident was mado v "known./. A ..pathetic: incident ■ iij the sad affair : was the : interview the - stricken 1 mother had-with, her two tiny children; at the tim© when the, surgeons "wore discussingthe possibility of an operation. . The one blessed fact was that during the days succeeding the .accident; Lady Crichton was in do twin. Pain only returned after the opera-' tion. ~ ;