A Granville Hero: The Thomas Jensen Story
.jpg "Apothecary Hall")
Jensen was standing next to his automobile, which he had parked in front of Apothecary Hall on Elm Street in Westfield, as he awaited customers around lunchtime on July 10, 1913.
Meanwhile, an unidentified Southwick woman with a young girl, likely her daughter, was driving by the United States Whip Company on Main Street in an old Concord buggy when the horse attached to it got spooked, possibly by a passing trolley car or broken harness strap. The startled horse bolted down the street, and the woman reacted by pulling on the leather reins in a desperate yet failed attempt at regaining control. As they neared the post office, the horse swung around and made a beeline toward Court Street via Park Square with the carriage still attached.
When the runaway horse and carriage sped past Apothecary Hall, Jensen, who was still standing there, sprang into action by running after it as fast as he could. Jensen managed to catch up to the carriage as it crossed in front of the Park Square Hotel, but as he attempted to climb into it, he lost his footing.
Jensen tried again, and his second attempt appeared more successful to the many bystanders, who watched in anticipation as he stood on the rear axle, leaned over the driver's seat, and grabbed hold of the reins. But just as he tried to slow the horse down, the carriage struck the curb at the soldiers' monument, causing him to fall. When Jensen fell, his right leg got caught in the spokes of one of the carriage's large wooden wheels, which was still moving at a good pace, sending him around the axle four times before he got wedged underneath the carriage between the frame and the wheel. The position of his body effectively created a brake that forced the horse to slow down enough for two men to stop it a short distance later, about one city block.
Jensen appeared to be in great pain. Some of those who had watched helplessly as the terrifying scene unfolded rushed to dislodge his badly bruised body from the carriage; his mangled leg still attached, all the blood vessels in it having had ruptured.
Jensen, having lost a lot of blood, went into severe shock. Some men carried him to a nearby doctor's office; from there, an ambulance brought him to Noble Hospital. Doctors exhausted every effort to save his leg, but following the development of gangrene a few days later, they had no choice except to amputate it, which they did on the afternoon of July 12.
Sadly, Jensen succumbed to his injuries. He died in the hospital at about one o'clock the next morning, the day before what would have been his 37th birthday.
Thomas Jesper Jensen: July 14, 1876 - July 13, 1913.
Author's Note: Apothecary Hall was located on the corner of Elm and School streets at what would be 22 Elm Street today.
Meanwhile, an unidentified Southwick woman with a young girl, likely her daughter, was driving by the United States Whip Company on Main Street in an old Concord buggy when the horse attached to it got spooked, possibly by a passing trolley car or broken harness strap. The startled horse bolted down the street, and the woman reacted by pulling on the leather reins in a desperate yet failed attempt at regaining control. As they neared the post office, the horse swung around and made a beeline toward Court Street via Park Square with the carriage still attached.
When the runaway horse and carriage sped past Apothecary Hall, Jensen, who was still standing there, sprang into action by running after it as fast as he could. Jensen managed to catch up to the carriage as it crossed in front of the Park Square Hotel, but as he attempted to climb into it, he lost his footing.
Jensen tried again, and his second attempt appeared more successful to the many bystanders, who watched in anticipation as he stood on the rear axle, leaned over the driver's seat, and grabbed hold of the reins. But just as he tried to slow the horse down, the carriage struck the curb at the soldiers' monument, causing him to fall. When Jensen fell, his right leg got caught in the spokes of one of the carriage's large wooden wheels, which was still moving at a good pace, sending him around the axle four times before he got wedged underneath the carriage between the frame and the wheel. The position of his body effectively created a brake that forced the horse to slow down enough for two men to stop it a short distance later, about one city block.
Jensen appeared to be in great pain. Some of those who had watched helplessly as the terrifying scene unfolded rushed to dislodge his badly bruised body from the carriage; his mangled leg still attached, all the blood vessels in it having had ruptured.
Jensen, having lost a lot of blood, went into severe shock. Some men carried him to a nearby doctor's office; from there, an ambulance brought him to Noble Hospital. Doctors exhausted every effort to save his leg, but following the development of gangrene a few days later, they had no choice except to amputate it, which they did on the afternoon of July 12.
Sadly, Jensen succumbed to his injuries. He died in the hospital at about one o'clock the next morning, the day before what would have been his 37th birthday.
Thomas Jesper Jensen: July 14, 1876 - July 13, 1913.
Author's Note: Apothecary Hall was located on the corner of Elm and School streets at what would be 22 Elm Street today.