New Rochelle, New York, USA
1934 - Two Horses Bolt Into Race-Track Crowd; 20 Spectators Are Hurt, Drivers Thrown

NEW ROCHELLE, N. Y., Aug.4 — In a wild scramble for safety when two horses broke away late this afternoon at the races of the Westchester Riding and Driving Club, more than twenty persons received bruises and slight lacerations. Other persons were slightly injured when one of the runaways plunged into the crowd of men, women and children standing on a bridge leading to the stables. Only the fact that wreckage of the second horse's matinee cart, resembling a sulky, became caught on the side of the bridge, throwing the animal, saved scores from injury.

Undeterred by the accident, Supreme Court Justice Arthur S. Tompkins, 69-years old, of Nyack, a member of the Appellate Division in Brooklyn, and former Supreme Court Justice Albert H. F. Seeger, 75, of Newburgh, a few minutes later drove the second heat of a matinee-cart race.

The races today were held at the half-mile track of the Hill and Dale Farm at Weaver Street and Quaker Ridge Road, New Rochelle.

The events progressed without mishap until the fifth race.

Spencerian, a stallion driven by Elwood Hopkins of Hartsdale, broke away. Hopkins fell from his seat and the vehicle bounded into the air, broke from the harness and fragments flew against spectators who lined the track near-by.

Alarmed by the accident, Mecox, a gelding driven by James L. Barrington of Pelham, followed Spencerian. Barrington was thrown, to
the ground but the matinee cart continued to swing from right to left behind the racing horse.

Mecox finally dived into a gate leading to the stables. It was there that the crowd was collected and where most of the injuries were inflicted.

The New York Times
New York, New York
August 5, 1934

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