The September 11, 1913 Colorado Transcript included an article describing a ranchman’s “Narrow Escape from Horrible Death.”
J. N. Hess, who lives up Mt. Vernon canon had a miraculous escape from death last Saturday afternoon when he attempted to stop his team which ran away. Hess was standing at Broad’s store in conversation and his team was tied in front of Sorensen’s grocery store. The horses became frightened and started to run and Hess thought that he could stop them by running in front of them.
He did succeed in checking them for an instant but in some manner he fell and it was only in catching a hold on the wagon tongue that he saved himself from being trampled to death, for the team dashed on, making a turn at Twelfth street and proceeding on until they reached the alley near Reed Morrill’s residence where they ran against the fence. All this time Hess was hanging to the bridle of the horses with his hands, his feet wound around the tongue, and when the team hit the fence a number of witnesses of the runaway were on hand to catch the horses. Hess was picked up in a dazed condition, with a bad cut on the forehead where the horses kicked him when he first went down.
Colorado Transcript – September 11, 1913
Dr. Kelly bandaged Hess’s wounds, and he drove home later that day. “Little damage was done to the wagon.”
Many thanks to the Golden Rotary Club for sponsoring for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of September.
