Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-17

Rh0tographE in Conrs--A Wells Street
and is beaten BY a san Picture.

eSsif Gcs Nero S1es Tor DamaSes
ana is beaten BY d sun Picture.
TFrom the Philadelphia North American, IIth.J
Probably the first time, that q photo
graphic picture was ever received in the
courts Of Philadelphia as a witness at the
stand, was in q case that was tried this
week in the DistTia Cart. A man living
in Chicago sued the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company for damages in the sum of
Sc, 500. He claimed that be losttwo trunks
in areceBt smashsup upon the road, in
which he lost the property in question.
The company did not believe that he sus-
tained any such loss as that of which he
complained, and stood a suit incOnseausnce.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
employed as attorney Theodore Cuyley,
Esq and they have as detective Mr.. Car
lin, late Of the detective force under Mayor
Henry. This officer was set at work, and
both parties came TO trial fortified in the
assurance Of verdict in their favor. The
plaintiff procured eight witnesses to prove
the justice Of his claim, which was that he
hadstakeh seats on the card Of the Penn
sylvania railroad and that his baggage was
worth Sc, 500. The inventory that he swore
to included two solitaire diamonds, worth
respectively five and six hundred dollars;
a cluster pin worth q thousand; a bracelet
worth three hundred, and anumber of silk
dresses that costifrom $3.50 to $276. There
were lace paints, berthas, silk hose, fouHc-
ings, and other expensive articles of ap-
parel included in the list that swefled the
sum total TO the amount above named. .
At the trial the plaintiff triamphahtiy
produced his witnesses. He proved the
contents of the trunks blythe seryantrmaid
who had packed them, He verified the
ydlHesof the dresses by the dressmaker.
who had made them. The lady swore
positively 70 the value of the silk per
yard, and the cost of the trimmings
while q gentleman with chronic catarrh,
who also does business in Chicago, deposed
to the value ef the diamonds. The plain.
tiff attorney made an extremely strong
exhibition, and closing his case, took his
seat in placid expectancy of a favorable
verdict.
+ gTbedefence then had the floor. Sew
eral witnesses we're called to prove the
standing in Ohcagoof the plaintiff. Next
a pair of full sized cabinet photographs
we're introduced. They represented the
place of business Of the plaintiff. 1t was
a one-story howell in Wells street, Chicago,
in the window of which was an
ment that liberal prices would be paid fer
new or secondhand clothing that gem
tlemen would be waited upon at his resi-
dence by the proprietor, and ladies by his
wife.%Wells street, Chicago, corresponds
10 South street, Philadelphia The store
of the plaintiff is the meanest in the pho
tographic view, which represents half a
square. That no mistake might occur, the
railroad company also secured a back view
of the premises, which shows that the store
in question is but little better than q pen,
and that to expect such people to travel
with $500 worth of diamonds, silks; and
laces, is something of an absurdity.
Next was produced uponth stand, to the
evident CONSERVATION of the plaintiff, the
revenue collector Of the district, who de-
posed that on the day previous to the trip
of the plaintiff from the Lake city, he had
made oath hat all his worldly goods con-
sisted of his stock of secondhand clothing
in the Wells street store, and that 5000
covered their par value. He had paid in
ternaI revenue upon that amount, and held
nothing further of q taxable nature.
. The jury made short work of the case.
They az once rendered q verdict for the
defendants. The shady side of the matter
is, that eight witnesses positively sWore
70 the contents Of the trunks. The de-
proved that for years past they had
been in the habit of attiring themselves
in the second hand clothing pur-
chased at their counter for needy or desti-
5ute people. as