EXCITING INCIDENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10140, 10 November 1910, Page 5

EXCITING INCIDENT.

A PLUCKY JOCKEY

PULLS UP RUNAWAY HORSES.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRI3TCHURLH, Last Night An exciting incident, which nearly ended in a tragedy, occurred at the Fendalton railway crossing shortly before six o'clock to-night. The Fendalton ccach, driven by its owner, Charles Brown, with a fair number of passengers aboard, was jogging along peacefully to connect with the car for town. At the crossing there is. a slight rise, and on either side of the road are several poplar trees, shutting out the railway line from sight Suspecting nothing, the driver of the coach had just gained the rails when a rapidly moving train, stated to have been only twenty-five yard 3 away, suddenly blew ifc-j whistle. In the fraction of a second the startl ed horses had bolted, and Brown, in attempting to pull them up, was jolted out of his seat, two of the wheels of the coach passing over his legs. To the spectators' horror he fell on to the railway lines, only a few feet away from the advancing train, and a tragedy seemed imminent. By a miracle, however, he managed to escape being crushed to death by rolling clear, just as the train thundered past him. In the meantime the coach had cleared the rails safely. Luckily a jockey hoy was sitting next to the driver, and had seized hold of the rein 3 when the horses bolted, but when the driver fell to the ground he was forced to leave go of the reins and fell to the ground amongst the horses' feet, Nothing dismayed, the jockey ran along the shaft, and from his risky perch, with the terrified animals in full career, succeeded in rescuing the reins and pulling up the horses within four or five chains, much to the relief of the terrified passengers. Brown escaped luckily v-dth ho worse injuries than severe cuts and bruises to his. legs. "