Accident—On Friday evening last, as Mr. J. Crew was driving out of the town he felt the seat of his conveyance loose, and while in the act of fastening it his horse started, and pitched him of the trap head foremost, causing rather severe injuries. We are pleased to say he is progressing favourably.

Wellingborough News, 19th August 1882, transcribed by Kay Collins

ACCIDENTS—On Friday, last week, Mrs. Cox, of the Chequers Inn, fell down a flight of steps and cut her head very badly; on Saturday evening Miss A. Horn fell and broke her wrist; and on Monday morning Mrs. Tester fell downstairs and met with a like accident. All are going on favourably.

ACCIDENT— On Wednesday morning, when Wm. Wyman was descending from a load of straw in his brother's rick yard, he missed the rung of the ladder and fell. He was conveyed home, and Dr. Crew and Mr. Holloway were speedily in attendance, and on examination it was found that his thigh and arm were broken, beside other injuries. It was deemed desirable to remove him to Northampton Infirmary, where he was conveyed.

ACCIDENTS—On Tuesday evening, as Mr. George Tailby, the proprietor of the gravel pits, was engaged in getting gravel a landslip occurred, and buried him up to his head. He was immediately extricated, and Drs. Crew and Holloway were summoned, when it was found he had broken one leg and received injuries to his back. He is now progressing favourably.—On Wednesday, Mr. T. Layton, farmer and butcher, Rushden, was riding through Higham street, when his horse got a piece of granite in its foot, and fell heavily. Mr. Layton's leg being under the horse was badly hurt, but no bones were broken.—On Tuesday, Mr. John Smith was at work at a press on the premises of Jolly and Johnson, whom he had his foot very seriously injured.

ACCIDENT—On Monday evening, a man named William May was taking a trolley through Higham, collecting goods for the London and North-Western Railway, and called at Mr. Anderson's for a parcel. While engaged placing the parcel under the sheet the horse bolted, throwing May to the ground, and the trolley, a heavy laden one, passed over his ankle. He was picked up and taken into the Green Dragon Inn, and attended to, and then conveyed home in a cab, where he is progressing favourably.

ACCIDENT—On the 25th ult., Mr. T. Draper was driving past the Dragon, when his horse ran away, and in pulling to bring the horse to a stand the rein broke, and the strain being then on one rein, the horse was pulled on to the causeway and thrown down. Mr. Draper and a gentleman who was riding with him were thrown out of the trap, but were not seriously injured. The trap was smashed.

ACCIDENTS— On Friday, the 14th, a man named H. Hook was engaged with others in pulling the Old Malting down, when one of the massive oak beams bounded on to his foot. He was conveyed home in a trap and surgical assistance procured when, although his foot was badly bruised, it was found that no bones were broken.—On Saturday evening, as Thomas Pack and other men were returning from work in the harvest field across Irthlingborough acres, the cart wheel dropped into a deep rut and the sudden jerk broke the hind ladder, and Pack, who was sitting on it, fell to the hard ground, seriously hurting his back, so much so that he is confined to bed.—On Saturday evening, the 15th, a child two years old belonging to Mr. C. Baxter, was playing outside the house at the time that a horse and cart was coming down [from] the Corporation Building. The child tried to cross the road in front of the cart but fell, and there was only just time to pull up to avoid running over the child, whose arm was bruised by the wheel, but fortunately no other injury was sustained.

HIGHAM FERRERS - ACCIDENT—On Saturday last a young woman named Annie Wooley, living with her mother, a widow, in the New-street, Higham Ferrers, fell into the fire in a fit, and pulling down a kettle of scalding water, her head, face, and neck were terribly scalded. She was attended by Dr. Holloway, and although she was in a very precarious state, hopes now are entertained of her recovery.

HIGHAM FERRERS - ACCIDENT—On Monday morning, as Mr. H. W. Currie, J.P., and his son, Capt. Currie, were driving through this place, the horse commenced kicking. Mr. Flintham went and took hold of the animal's head, when it bit his thumb, inflicting rather serious injuries to that part of his hand, in addition to biting one of his finger ends off. Mr. Warren, butcher, then went to his assistance, and no further harm resulted.

HIGHAM FERRERS - ACCIDENTS—On Thursday, about noon, a man named John Brown, in the employ of Mr W. Spong, fell backwards from a horse, and it is feared his thigh is fractured.—0n Wednesday afternoon, Mr. G. Lamb fell from a ladder, and very severely injured his back.

Narrow Escape—On Tuesday evening Mr. W. Garner and his man went to the mill, and on arriving there Mr. Garner told the young man to hold the horse, as that was a fatal spot He had no sooner said this than the horse plunged and reared, going over the young man. He took the reins in the other hand and held on, but the enraged animal dragged him over a manure heap some 6ft. high, and in descending the other side the cart went over, breaking off both shafts, and smashing up one side into splinters. Had it not been for the courage of the young man the horse without doubt would have plunged into the mill stream. Fortunately no one was hurt.

ACCIDENT— On Thursday morning a horse and cart, belonging to Mr. O. Patenall, was standing near his warehouse, and whilst a man was loading the cart with leather the horse started, and the portion of the street leading to the Wellingboro'-road being a steep descent, the horse went down at a furious rate, and not being able to turn quick enough at the bottom, it fell into a deep ditch at the side of the road, breaking the cart, and causing some alarm. The ditch is some 10ft. deep, and wide enough for the horse and cart to lie at the bottom. Assistance being soon forthcoming, the horse was extricated, apparently not much the worse for its fall.

NARROW ESCAPE—On Saturday morning last a little boy and girl were playing in a garden attached to the house of Mr. Wm. Norman, the boy—the son of Mr. Arthur Pack—is about three years old, and the girl—daughter of Mr. A. Kemshead—is about the same age. They were playing with a hoop, which fell into a draw-well which is unprotected. The boy either jumped or fell in after it, and would most certainly have been drowned, but for the presence of mind of the girl, who ran and gave the alarm. A young man at once ran out of a shop close by, and seizing the chain slid down it, and laid hold of thechild, and he and the child were drawn up together. There was 12 feet of water in the well. The little fellow is not much the worse for his ducking.

TRAP ACCIDENT—On the 16th inst., as Mrs. Tunn and a friend were driving a pony and trap between Higham Ferrers and Rushden, and were about to pass a railway dray, they were met by another trap, driven by Mr. Tusting, of Rushden. As there was not sufficient room for the traps to pass each other they collided, and the wheels became interl ocked. Mr.Tusting's pony being the stronger of the two, eventually upset the other trap, and precipitated the passengers on to the road, but fortunately without seriously injuring either, and no damage was done to either ponies or traps, beyond a few scratches.

Accident — On Thursday as Mr. Partridge, of Odell, was driving through Higham Ferrers, he came into collision near Messrs. Parker and Co's, with a trap driven by Mr. Hale, when the shafts of the latter's conveyance were broken off and the trap otherwise damaged, but fortunately neither men nor horses were injured.

A PRACTICAL JOKE AND ITS RESULT—On Wednesday the 28th, Mr. A. Marriott went into the blacksmith's shop of Mr. T. Parker, and as a joke threw a small quantity of some liquid on to his coal, it is presumed to scent the place as the scent emitted is locally called "the essence of Polecat," but Parker was engaged soldering some article and unfortunately some of the liquid went on to the iron he was using and ignited, setting fire to Parker's coat, burning his hair and moustache, and his face and hands, there was ample assistance in the shop to take off his coat, which was all in flames, and to put out the fire, or the consequences might have been more serious. Mr. Parkin, surgeon, was promptly in attendance and dressed the wounds, and Mr. Parker is going on as well as can be expected.

SINGULAR ACCIDENT AND NARROW ESCAPE — On Monday evening a young man named Edwin Smith, in the employ of Mr. W. Stafford, engineer, was engaged in fixing a pipe at the warehouse of Mr. T. Sanders, currier. He got on to the table to get at his work, and just over the table the shafting that drives the machinery runs about two feet from the wall. The men at work in the room were startled by a scream, as of someone in danger, and they saw the unfortunate young man fall from the shafting on to the table in a state of nudity, all his clothes having been torn off. It would seem that while he was at work near the coupling of the shafting a set screw in the coupling caught in his Jersey and took him to the floor above, where, fortunately, his head went between two joists, and thus catching his shoulders, supported him, and his clothes giving way when they were torn off, he fell, as stated. He had in the pocket of his overalls a rule and a chisel—these were broken in small pieces. Dr. Parkin was speedily in attendance, and did what was necessary for his removal to his home; a pair of trousers were borrowed, and a blanket, and in these he walked home with assistance. The doctor here examined him, and found two very nasty cuts on the left arm, one just above, and the other below the elbow. These, it is supposed, were caused by the set screw in the coupling. No bones were broken, and with the exception of the cuts mentioned, it is hoped nothing worse than a severe shock and bruising will result. Had his clothes not given way he must have been killed.

The engine, pushing the tender in front, went the extent of the rails and then ploughed into the ground, both engine and tender becoming embedded in the earth, but neither of them overturning.

The accident caused considerable delay to the traffic as it prevented the engine of the passenger train from shunting round to the other end of the train in the usual way, and the station-master had to send to Wellingborough for a light engine to take the 9 o’clock passenger train back to Rushden and Wellingborough.

The steam crane was not available for the removal of the embedded engine and tender so chains had to be attached thereto and pulled by two other engines. During these operations the chains twice broke, several of the workers having a narrow escape. Eventually the embedded engine was removed, but it was not until after mid-day that the tender was got on to the lines.

A Nasty Accident occident occurred at Mr Roberts's factory yesterday week to Mrs John Stanley, of 57 High-street. It appears that Mrs Stanley was helping at the printing machine when by some means or other she got her left hand caught in the machinery. The machine was at once stopped but not before Mrs Stanley's hand was very badly crushed, practically all the flesh being torn back and shockingly lacerated. No bones were broken. Mrs Stanley was at once conveyed in a cab to the Auxiliary Hospital where her injuries were dressed by Dr Greenfield. It was found necessary to put 24 stitches in the wounds. He treatment is being continued at the Auxiliary Hospital, and the patient is progressing as satisfactorily as can be expected.

A Nasty Accident occurred on Friday last to Mr Alfred Sawford, of Corporation-terrace, Higham Ferrers. Mr Sawford was in a barn on a farm off Chelveston-road, belonging to Mr Eady Robinson, when a horse in the barn, attached to a trolley, tried to back out of a rather narrow door in the barn. Mr Sawford, in trying to prevent it, got jammed between the trolley and the wall, and was badly bruised round the loins and the lower part of the body. Mr Robinson was near by and he and Mr Chamberlain took the injured man home in Mr Chamberlain’s milk float. Dr Crew was called and attended the sufferer almost immediately. Mr Sawford is now progressing as well as can be expected.

Serious Accident—On Saturday afternoon Mr William George Tyler, who resides at 2, Spencer-road, Rushden, was in charge of a cart of manure belonging to Mr W Brown, dairyman and farmer, of Higham Ferrers, when the horse took fright in Commercial-street, Higham, and commenced to bolt. Mr Tyler made a plucky attempt to stop the animal by hanging on to its head, but in doing so he stumbled, and in a second the cart was over him. The wheel of the cart ran up the side of his back, smashing several bones, including some of his ribs. Mr Tyler was able to see a representative of the “Rushden Echo” on Wednesday and recount the incident, and said that in his opinion it was a lucky thing that the wheel did not go straight over his back or stomach. His injuries of course, are painful, but otherwise his condition leaves no great cause for anxiety.

A Serious Accident occurred on Wednesday at Mr W W Chamberlain’s factory to Mr W Chamberlain, jun., the proprietor’s eldest son. Whilst working a new breasting machine, he had the misfortune to get his little finger of the left hand caught in the machinery, with the result that the digit was torn off to the first joint. Since then an operation has been performed by Drs. Greenfield and Burland, and the remainder of the finger has been removed to the socket. Mr Chamberlain is now progressing favourably.