DISASTROUS SMASH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 215, 16 October 1909, Page 3

DISASTROUS SMASH.

MAD RACE WITH A RUNAWAY. London, August 20. Godalming is excited over an escapade that recalls an adventure of Dick Turpin or Jack Sheppard the theft of a brougham and a pair of horses, a niHil j gallop of ten miles with mounted police . in hot pursuit, and, in the end, a disas- > Irons smash. ' I A coachman set mil on Tuesday after-! noon to take a brougham and a line pair of black horses, belonging to Lieutenant- '■ Colonel Gore, from Kuntsmore, Hardens, W.. to I'eper llarow Park, the residence of Ijoril Middlcton, near Godalming, i which has been rented by Lieutenant- j Colonel lloiv for some months. On the j way he was stopped by two men, who' sta'ted thev were out of work, and asked for a lift.' I

lie allowed them to sit beside him 1 on the box scat, and when he reached Godalming he entered a shop with one of the men lo make some purchase', leaving the other, John l'earce, of Kiclimond. in charge of the brougham. When lie came out of the shop the brougham, horses, and l'earce had disappeared. The astonished coachman gave the alarm, and soon policemen and local residents on horses and bicycles had taken up the chase. Telegrams were also sent to llrainlcy, Duiisfohl, Alfold, Horsini'ii, Aldershot, and other places. The pursuers first scoured the roads leading from Oekford road, ill which di icction the brougham had been seen travelling at a mad gallop. l'earce .v.is sitting on the wrong side of the box, and this attracted the attention of all who saw him.

The chase was continued in hot haste j through Milford, Great Exton, and along ■'. country lanes .to Munstead. As Pearce i had obtained a start of half an hour j the pursuers never caught a glimpse of, him, but they learned from the amazed villagers whom they questioned that! they were gaining on the runaway. | | At last, as they drew near Bramley, ■ len miles from the starting-point, tliey I heard the r umble of wheels ahead, and] as they turned a corner they saw Pearce ■ lashing the foam-covered horses to a break-neck speed. They called to him to stop, 'but instead he turned from the main road up Iron lane. ! ' It was here that a catastrophic ended the race. The carriage passed over a heap of stones and was overturned. The frightened horses redoubled their speed, and travelled for a quarter of a mile; dragging the wreck of the carriage and Pearce entangled in it after them, before thev were stopped. When the pursuers arrived the brougham had been smashed to small pieces, the horses were white with foam and trembling with exhaustion, and Pearce was pinned beneath the debris of the carriage. They released him with difficulty, and found that he was suffering from terrible injuries. He had been scalped, had lojt an oar, several fingers, and a part of nis face, and was unrecognisable. When he was taken to the Royal Surrey County Hospital at Guildford it was thought'he was dying, but he rcI covered quickly from the shock, and as he has received no internal injuries it is lielievcd he will recover.

Strange to say, the horses were almost uninjured.