A Ghastly Scene on Third Street
A terrified runaway delivery horse caused panic and gore on a busy downtown street, ending in a public mercy killing.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A delivery horse belonging to the Electric Laundry ran away from the stable house on Third Street, at the corner of Union, yesterday afternoon, dashing down Third Street. The buggy struck against an electric wire pole and the animal broke away from it with one shaft still hanging to him. The shaft kept swinging in all directions, striking him on the back and legs so that the horse became perfectly frantic. At the corner of James Street the horse struck the guard rail of a James Street car. The iron hand-hold ran clear into the flesh under the collar bone, almost tearing off one of the front legs. It was evident that the animal could not live, and those standing around urged Patrolman Peer to end its suffering with his revolver. The officer shot it. There was such a pool of blood in the street that a hose wagon had to be called out to wash it off.
“There was such a pool of blood in the street that a hose wagon had to be called out to wash it off.”
Third and James remains a central intersection in Seattle. The transition from horses to electric streetcars defined the infrastructure of the late 19th century, often creating unpredictable hazards for both animals and pedestrians.
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