Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-10-12
Wagners 1000 Victims.

In Frederick county, Nd, about
2. 900 Of suits Instituted by DR.. Harris
on w 4gner, the professional litlgant
against citizens of the county, were set
tied, the defendants being compelled
to pay various sums, ranging iron soU
to s75 in each case. The operations o.
Wagner are without PARALLEL in the
United States. About two years age
he was generally considered 10 Dc
barmlessly insane. His action were
calculated to confirm this theory, and
his eccentricities were regarded with
Indifference b. every one who kne"
him. In the fall of 1876 Wagner caus'
ed much anusement by going before
an obscurs country magistrate, and an
terlng several hundred suits for DANA
ges against leading citizens, chosen al
random in all parts of the county, who
had never seen or bad any dealings
with him. The amount OF damages
sued for in each case was between S9U
and 800, the limit for which suits can
be brought before magistrates in this
State. No attention was paid to the
supposed lunatic's suits, and the cases
we're soon forgotten, but were several
times recalled to memery by notices OF
hundreds of other suits being brought
by Wagner, who frequently entered as
high as one hundred claims against one
person.
Early in 1869 Wagner disappeared
from public notice, but .in the fall ol
that year the entire community was
thrown into Juror of excitement when
it was learned that Wagner had COM
menced proceedings TO enforce juds'
ment in 1900 OF the suits. 1t was then
learned for the Grst time that the per-
sons sued, having failed to appear be-
lore the magistrate to answer judgment
had been entered in each fsr the
amount named in the complaint. Wag-
ner madg no effort to collect the judy
ments until q year had expired, whe q
by law the power Of appeal had lapaed.
In November last, therefore, be was
possessed Of 300 judgments, averag
lug SIS against about 300 county resi-
dents and corporations. Each judge
ment endorsed, "by default" and no
appeal taken," and Of course they
amounted to a lien on any property
owned by the defendants.
During wagner's absence several per
sons against whom he had obtained
judgments died, and his first move was
to file the judgments IN the orphans
court as claims against the estate.
Martin Shank, one Of bis victims, had
died aud Left an estate valued at so'-
500 TO his wife and three small children
Wagner filed judgments against the
estate amounting to S6,ZUU aOIIars anu
the orphans court was compelled 10
postpone the hearing of the claims
several times III erder to AVOID the
necessity of admitting their validity.
At length several citizens employed
counsel for Mrs Shank, who hled &n
application for an arrest OF judgment
Oh the ground of fraud. The same
policy was pursued BY all the other We
Tins. and since that time The cases have
been dragged along in the courts, the
indications pointing to Wagne. being
eventually successful in enforcing all oi
them. The courts ruled that The failure
of the victims to contest the suits was
in law a virtual acknowledgment OF the
Justice OF the claims, while the further
failure 10 take an appeal from the
magistrate within the period pre-
scribed by law placed them beyond re-
medy.
After he had begun to enforce the
judgments Wagner found the countJ too
hot to hold him, and went 10 New \ ork
city, where he is now. Tho proceed
ings against his victims have been CARR
ed on by counsel there, and the ssttle-
ment made IN nearly all the cases, 1t Is
thought, will net him nearly sle,OVV.
He does not pretend that he ever had
any legal claims for damages in any OF
the cases, yet he has succeeded IN
obtaining considerable portions OF the
estates OF several deceased residents
of the county, besides mulcting hun
dreds of farmers of hard-earned-mo D.
ey.