Runaway Horse on Boston Post Road in 1906 Hurt a Niece of a Barnum & Bailey Circus Official

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The quiet beauty of our Town of Pelham is, paradoxically, nearly enveloped within some of the heaviest-traveled Interstate highways, roadways, and parkways in the United States.  These days driving can be frustrating as a fender-bender or, heaven forbid, a full-blown crash brings the daily throb of traffic in or around Pelham to a complete standstill.  Worse yet is when commercial trucker ventures, illegally, onto the Hutchinson River Parkway (where such trucks are banned) and shears off the top half of the (soon to be former) employer's truck while trying to make it beneath low bridges built in the 1920s and 1930s.   

There was a time, however, when roadway accidents did not really slow the flow of traffic in Pelham.  Such accidents might attract rubber-necking from the two or three who passed by on carriages or horseback, but did little to hamper our major transportation arteries. . . .  

One such accident occurred on Boston Post Road in Pelham Manor on the evening of Wednesday, June 20, 1906.  The accident occurred on the roadway roughly where today's Our Lady of Perpetual Help - St. Catharine Parish Church stands.  Mrs. George O. Starr of 322 South Columbus Avenue in Mount Vernon, a niece (by marriage) of the manager of Barnum & Bailey Circus, was driving a carriage.  Her passenger was Mrs. M. N. Litson of New York City.

Clearly the accident was a serious one.  Various news reports clearly agree on that.  Beyond the seriousness of the accident, however, the news accounts agree on little else.  Some indicate Mrs. Starr was driving.  Others indicate Mrs. Litson was driving.  Some claim the horse was frightened by a passing automobile.  Another says the driver turned the carriage too sharply causing one of the fore wheels to catch in the guard on the body of the vehicle, tipping it.  

It seems, according to some reports, that Mrs. Starr's horse was "high spirited."  (Another report, however, suggested the horse was not "spirited.")  As the animal trotted along drawing the carriage with the two women behind it, a new-fangled horseless carriage passed them.  The loud chitty-chitty bang bang of the passing automobile frightened the horse which began dashing along the Post Road.  Mrs. Starr held onto the reins for dear life, doing her "utmost to keep the animal going straight."  Soon, however, the horse-drawn carriage drifted to the curb until a front wheel struck the curb, upsetting the carriage.  

Another account described an entirely different cause of the accident, stating:

"Mrs. Litson was driving and turned too sharply, one of the fore wheels catching in the guard on the body of the vehicle.  The buggy began to tip and the women became frightened, both falling to the ground.  The horse did not run, as a more spirited one would have done."  

In any event, both women were hurled out of the carriage onto the ground.  Reports differ wildly over the injuries the two women suffered.  According to some, Mrs. Litson suffered a compound fracture of the skull.  Others say it was a compound fracture of her right leg.  Some reports stated that Mrs. Starr was knocked unconscious, that both of her legs were broken, and that she suffered internal injuries.  In contrast, one report said she was "severely bruised, but no bones were broken."

According to at least one account, Mrs. Litson was taken to the Mount Vernon Hospital.  Mrs. Starr was removed by ambulance to her home in Mount Vernon.  The automobile that frightened the horse, thus causing the accident, never stopped.  

Of course, during the last years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century Pelham saw many such accidents caused by runaway horses that were frightened by automobiles, cyclists, and other such contraptions that increasingly were sharing the roadways with horses and horse-drawn conveyances.  I have written on a number of occasions regarding such incidents.  See, e.g.:

Tue., Apr. 18, 2017:  Runaway! Runaway Horse Accidents on Shore Road During the 1890s.  

Tue., Aug. 09, 2016:  Multi-Vehicle Pileup of Horse-Drawn Carriages on City Island Road in 1896.  

Image Shows an Earlier, but Similar, Accident on Shore Road in 1896.

"TWO WOMEN SERIOUSLY HURT IN A RUNAWAY. MRS. R. EMMET,

JR., OF NEW ROCHELLE, TOKE HER COUSIN, MISS EMMET, OF SAN

FRANCISCO DRIVING, AND THE HORSE SUPPOSEDLY GENTLE,

PITCHED THEM OUT HEAD FOREMOST."  Source:  TWO HURT IN

A RUNAWAY -- Lawyer R. S. Emmet's Wife and Her Cousin Thrown

Out Headlong Near Pelham Bridge -- HORSE SUPPOSED TO BE GENTLE,

The World [NY, NY], Jun. 23, 1896, p. 5, col. 6. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

"HURT IN RUNAWAY.
-----
Auto Frightens Horse -- Carriage Upset -- Occupants Hurled Out.

Frightened by a passing automobile, a high spirited horse, drawing Mrs. George O. Starr, of South Columbus avenue, Mount Vernon, and Mrs. M. N. Litson, of New York, dashed along the Post Road at Pelham Manor last night.  The carriage struck the curb and the women were hurled to the ground.  Both of Mrs. Starr's legs were broken and she was internally injured.  Mrs. Litson's skull was fractured.  

The accident happened midway between Bonnie Brae, the home of J. L. Reynolds, and the Little Red Church.  Mrs. Starr was driving, and when the horse took fright she clung to the reins and did her utmost to keep the animal going straight, but the front wheels of the vehicle struck the curb and it upset.  Mrs. Starr was removed to her home in an ambulance and Mrs. Litson was taken to the Mount Vernon Hospital.  Both are in critical condition.

Mrs. Starr is the niece of George O. Starr, manager of the Barnum & Bailey circus."

Source:  HURT IN RUNAWAY -- Auto Frightens Horse -- Carriage Upset -- Occupants Hurled Out, New-York Tribune, Jun. 21, 1906, p. 1, col. 4.  

"THROWN FROM THE CARRIAGE WHILE DRIVING
-----
ACCIDENT WAS ON THE BOSTON POST ROAD

While driving along the Post road, in Pelham Manor, last evening, Mrs. George O. Starr, of No. 322 South Columbus avenue, and guest, Mrs. M. N. Litson, of New York, were thrown from their carriage, Mrs. Litson sustaining a compound fracture of the right leg.  Mrs. Starr was severely bruised, but no bones were broken.

Mrs. Litson was driving and turned too sharply, one of the fore wheels catching in the guard on the body of the vehicle.  The buggy began to tip and the women became frightened, both falling to the ground.  The horse did not run, as a more spirited one would have done.

The New Rochelle ambulance was sent for and the women were brought to Mrs. Starr's home on Columbus avenue, Mrs. Litson being later taken to the hospital.  She is resting comfortably today.  Mr. Starr is the nephew and namesake of George O. Starr, managing director of the Barnum and Bailey circus."

Source:  THROWN FROM THE CARRIAGE WHILE DRIVING -- ACCIDENT WAS ON THE BOSTON POST ROAD, Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Jun. 21, 1906, No. 4342, p. 1, col. 2.  

"GEO. O. STARR'S NIECE HURT.
-----
Thrown in a Runaway and May Die -- Auto Caused It.

Frightened by a passing automobile which was running at a high rate of speed, a high-spirited horse drawing Mrs. George O. Starr of South Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon, and Mrs. M. N. Litson of Manhattan, ran along the Post Road at Pelham Manor last night, struck the curb, and threw the women to the ground.  Mrs. Starr, who was driving, had both legs broken, suffered internal injuries, and is still unconscious.  Mrs. Litson suffered a compound fracture of the skull.

The accident happened midway between the home of J. L. Reynolds and the Little Red Church.  Mrs. Starr was removed to her home in an ambulance and Mrs. Liston to the Mount Vernon Hospital.  The automobile did not stop after the accident.  Mrs. Starr is the niece of George O. Starr, manager of the Barnum & Bailey circus."

Source:  GEO. O. STARR'S NIECE HURT -- Thrown in a Runaway and May Die -- Auto Caused It, N. Y. Times, Jun. 21, 1906, p. 4, col. 5.  

"AUTO SCARES HORSE; TWO WOMEN HURT
-----
By Associated Press.

Pelham Manor, June 21.  Frightened by a passing automobile, which was running at a high rate of speed, a spirited horse, drawing a carriage in which were Mrs. George O. Starr of Mt. Vernon and Mrs. M. N. Litson of New York, dashed along the post road at Pelham Manor last night, struck the curb and hurled the women to the ground.

Mrs. Starr had both legs broken, received internal injuries and was rendered unconscious.  Mrs. Litson received a compound fracture of the skull.  Both women are in a precarious condition.  The automobile did not stop after the accident.  Mrs. Starr is the niece of George O. Starr, manager of the Barnum & Bailey circus."

Source:  AUTO SCARES HORSE; TWO WOMEN HURT, Binghamton Press and Leader [Binghamton, NY], Jun. 21, 1906, Vol. 29, No. 61, p. 5, col. 1.  

"TWO WOMEN WILL LOSE LIVES BECAUSE AUTO SCARED HORSE
-----

Pelham Manor, June 21. -- Frightened by a passing auto which was running at a high rate of speed, a spirited horse drawing a carriage in which were Mrs. G. O. Starr of Mt. Vernon, and Mrs. M. N. Liston of New York dashed along the post road at Pelham Manor last night, struck the curb and hurled the women to the ground.  Mrs. Starr had both legs broken, received internal injuries and was rendered unconscious.  Mrs. Litson received a compound fracture of the skull.  Both women are in a critical condition.

The auto did not stop after the accident.  Mrs. Starr is the niece of George O. Starr, manager of the Barnum & Bailey Circus."

Source:  TWO WOMEN WILL LOSE LIVES BECAUSE AUTO SCARED HORSE, Elmira Gazette [Elmira, NY], Jun. 21, 1906, Vol. 62, No. 146, p. 1, cols. 5-6.  

"TWO WOMEN BADLY INJURED.
-----
Auto That Frightened Their Spirited Horse Did Not Stop.

Pelham Manor, N. Y., June 21. -- Frightened by a passing automobile which was running at a high rate of speed, a spirited horse drawing a carriage in which were Mrs. George O. Starr of Mount Vernon -- and Mrs. M. N. Litson of New York, dashed along the post road at Pelham Manor last night, struck the curb and hurled the women to the ground.  

Mrs. Starr had both legs broken, received internal injuries and was rendered unconscious.  Mrs. Litson received a compound fracture of the skull.  Both women are in precarious condition.  Mrs. Starr was driving.

The automobile did not stop after the accident.  Mrs. Starr is the niece of George O. Starr, manager of the Barnum & Bailey circus."

Source:  TWO WOMEN BADLY INJURED -- Auto That Frightened Their Spirited Horse Did Not Stop, Auburn Democrat-Argus [Auburn, NY], Jun. 22, 1906, Vol. XXXVI, No. 46, p. 1, col. 6.  

"'ROUND ABOUT THE STATE. . . .

Frightened by a passing automobile which was running at a high rate of speed, a spirited horse drawing a carriage in which were Mrs. George O. Starr of Mount Vernon, and Mrs. M. N. Litson of New York, dashed along the post road at Pelham Manor, last week, struck the curb and hurled the women to the ground.  Mrs. Starr had both legs broken, received internal injuries and was rendered unconscious.  Mrs. Litson received a compound fracture of the skull.  Both women are in a precarious condition.  Mrs. Starr was driving.  The automobile did not stop after the accident."

Source:  'ROUND ABOUT THE STATE, The Post, [Ellicottville, NY], Jun. 27, 1906, Vol. 22, No. 35, p. 1, col. 4.  

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