24

BODIE EVENING MINER.

Monday, June 9, 1890.

Accident To Frank Doten.

On Wednesday, June 4th, as Frank Doten was driving his big team down a little pitch of road below Moorman Ranch the break would not rbspond to the pull, and the heavy wagon was rapidly shoving on to the wheelers. Frank was in seat on the near one, and reached for the bit of the off wheeler, in order to throw the two animals on their haunches and stop the motion of the wheels before the team should double up and cause trouble. This sudden action of Frank's caused his saddle to turn, precipitating him on to the tongue between the two horses, where he held on until finally knocked off. Two men repairing fence for Mrs. Harvey Boone, at the lower end of the ranch, saw the team in wild confusion, but did not see Doten. They at once headed the animals off, straightened them out, and brought them to subjection; when they discovered Frank, as he came limping down the road toward them from the rear. Her seemed considerably shook up, but was perfectly rational, and gave the above account of how the accident occurred. Frank claimed that when he was finally shaken from the tongue three wheels ran over his leg. An examiniation of the leg was perfectly natural, the other side showed the impress of a horse's shoes and corks. Aside from the bruises on the legs, on the neck and back of the head were some terrible contusions and lacerated flesh evidently having been caused by some hard, blunt instrument The theory is, that when Doten fell from the tongue he remained in the middle of the road, the wheel passing either side of him, but, in passing, one of the king bolts, lower than the others, had caught him on the back of the head and lacerated it. He was taken on to Clearwater, where he took dinner and talked rationally about the accident until two or three hours afterward, when he became delirious. He was then taken to Bridgeport, where he has lain in an unconscious condition up to this time (Friday), although vigorously driving his team in his delirium.

M Joseph Kelly, who returned from Bridgeport Saturday evening, brought the news that Frank Doten had recovered consciousness and was partaking of nourishment. Dr. Sinclair, who is very attentive to his patient, has great hopes of pulling Frank through.