EXTRAORDINARY AND STARTLING APPEARANCE OF A RUNAWAY HORSE AT A TEA-PARTY, AT WRAGBY, LINCOLNSHIRE
(Subject of Illustration)
A scene occurred on Saturday last at Wragby, which we shall find it difficult to describe by mere words; we must, therefore, refer our readers to the front page of this week’s POLICE NEWS. The large engraving gives a faithful representation of the consternation caused by an unlooked-for visitor to a family tea-party. The particulars of this remarkable and singular feak of an animal of the genus equine as follows. It appears that the driver of the mail cart between Horncastle and Langworth, Lincolnshire, was performing his usual journey on Saturday last; the horse he was driving had always been accounted a steady going, docile animal, being, as horsedealers say, “warranted free from vice.” After proceeding along for some considerable distance without any mishap, one of the traxxes broke and the mail cart-horse all of a sudden dashed off at a furious rate. He, luckily for the driver, disengaged himseld fromt he cart after which, like Mazeppa’s wild steed, he “urged on his mad career.” He did not meet with any vehicle ont he road, and consequently no fatal or serious accident occurred. At length upon reaching Wragby the animal bolted through the window of a house occupied by Mr. Weightman, and landed on a tea-table were [sic] ten persons were just taking tea. The panic-struck family and guests started back, but strange to say no one was hurt, but the crockey and furniture sustained serious damage from the hoofs of the eccentric quadruped, who was not secured until he had broken no end of crockery, and smashed up the furniture. At length the uninvited guest suffered himself to be conducted out of the house.
Illustrated Police News, Saturday 23 March 1867, via The British Newspaper Archive.