African American Series - Ice Man's Daughter Crushed in Wagon Mishap (1908)

The 4 June 1908 edition of The Matawan Journal included this article about a wagon accident involving an African-American girl.

ACCIDENT TO COLORED GIRL 

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Caught In Wagon Wheel and Has Hip Crushed and Otherwise Injured. 

What may prove a fatal accident happened to Luella Hancock, the seven year-old daughter of Charles Hancock, colored, about 4:15 o'clock Tuesday afternoon.

Mr. Hancock is employed on George Linzmayer's ice wagon and he was driving down the lane to the barn, with Montgomery Hoose on the seat with him, Mr. Linzmayer having left the wagon before it went down the lane.

On the back of the wagon is a step about thirty-two inches wide and six children ran to catch a ride to the stable. Three of them were Mr. Hancock's, two Frank Pasteur's, and the other Michael O'Hara's. Luella Hancock was on the extreme outside of the group and slipped from the step, which is always wet, and caught her left foot in the wheel. In this position she was drawn up between the side of the wagon and the wheel, those on the front seat knowing nothing of her perilous position.

Thomas Waters lives on lower Broad Street and as he turned to go down the lane, he took in the situation at a glance and called out. Mr. Hoose looked around the side of the wagon and saw the girl in the wheel and had Mr. Hancock stop the horses at once and jumping off pulled the injured girl away.

Drs. Jackson and Ervin of Matawan and Cooley of Keyport responded to calls and assisted in the care of the child. Her hip was crushed and she was otherwise injured, the nature of which being somewhat similar but not to so great an extent we are told, to that which befell Merrill Brown in December, 1906.

Upon the advice of the physicians, the girl was taken to the hospital at Long Branch on the train leaving Matawan at 6:23, where she is likely to remain many weeks, if she recovers.

A lesson should be learned by the children from this accident. There are too many of them "cutting on behind" as wagons pass up and down the street, and it is surprisingly strange that a similar accident has not occurred before. It is to be hoped there will be less of it in the future.