Horse falls in editor's lap

It's a newspaperman's dream come true when something newsworthy happens right across the street -- a real pass-the-gin moment. It wasn't front-page news, but it was thrilling enough: readers of the day knew very well that a runaway horse is potentially deadly, and actually terrifying if one's bearing (horsing?) down on you and yours.

To sum it up, in December, 1884, a working horse (not many of those left these days) broke free of its owner in Chaboillez Square (now demolished -- it's an eastbound highway entrance now) and bolted north on St. David's Lane (long since erased; it's now a parking lot and highway off-ramp), turned right on St. James (defaced in name and calling) and then cornered itself in a vacant lot (more of those than ever) across the street from the Daily Witness (gone but not forgotten).

That's where a hack stepped outside, got a few names, returned and went tap, tap, tap - bing! And the news was on the street before the day was out.