The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1881-10-20
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FREDERICK. FREDERICK Co. Nd,
september 17.-Yesterday about 1000
Of the suits Instituted by DR.. Harrison
Wagner. the professional litigant,
against citizens Of this county, were
settled, the defendants being compell-
ed to pay various sums. ranging from
$50 to SIS In each case. The Opera
lions of Wagner are without q PARALLEL
in the United States. About two years
ago he was generally considered to be
hafmlessly insane. His actions were
calculated to confirm this theory, and
his eccentricities were regarded with
Indifference by everyone who knew
him. In the fall Of 1879 Wagner caus-
ed much amusement by going before
an obscure country magistrate and en-
tering several hundred suits against
leading citizens, chosen ut random
In all parts Of the county, who had
never seen or had any dealing with
him. The amount OF damages sued for
In each case was between $50 and $lOO.
the limit for which suits can be
brought before magistrates I'm this
State. No attention was paid to the
supposed lunatic's suits, and the cases
were soon f0gOtten, but were several
times called to memory by notices of
hundreds of other suits being brought
by Wagner, who frequently entered AS
high a. 100 claims against one person.
Early i'm 1880 Wagner disappeared
from public notice, but in the fall of
that year the entire community was
thrown i'm Juror of excitement when
ii was learned that Wagner had COM
menced proceedings to enforce judg. |
ments in 800 of suits 1t was then |
learned for the first time that the per
sons sued, having failed to appear be- |
fore the magistrate to answer, judg- |
ments had been entered i'm each case |
for the amount named i'm the COM |
plant. Wagner made no effort to col |
lect the judgments until q year had |
expired, which by law the power of |
appeal had been lapsed. In NOvem-
Ger last, therefore, he was possessed Of /
$40 Judgments, averaging $75 each
against about 300 county residents aud
Each judgement was
by default" mo appeal
taken" and Of course they amounted
10 lien on any property owned by
the defendants.
During Wagner's absence several
persons against whom he had obtain
ed judgments died, and his first move
was to file the judgments i'm the Or
phans' Court as claims against the es-
tate. Martin Shank, one of his victims,
had died and left an estate valued at
IS, 500 to his wife and three small chill
bred. Wagner filed judgement
against the estate amounting to q, 30,
and the Orphans Court was compelled
10 postpone the hearing of the claims
several times in order to avoid the ne
,essity of admitting their validity.
At length several citizens employed
counsel for Mrs. Shank, who filed an
application for an arrest of judgment
On the ground of fraud. The same
policy was pursued by all the other
and since that time the cases
have been dragging along i'm the
courts, the Indications pointing to
Wagner being eventually successful
m enforcing all of them. The courts
'uled that the failure of the victims to .
contest the suits was i'm law virtual
of the Justice of the
:laiIns, which the further failure to
AXE an appeal from the magistrate
within the period prescribed by the
aw placed them beyond remedy.
After he had begun to enforce the
judgments Wagner found the county I
% hot TO hold him, aud went to New I
FORK city, where he now is. The pro-
against his victims have been
.arried on by counsel here, and the |
ettlement made i'm nearly all the cases !
it is thought, will net him
nearly $4,000. He does not pretend
hat he ever had any legal claim for
lamages in any Of the cases, yet he has
i'm obtaining considerable
'OrtiOns ofthe estates of several deceas-
d residents of the county, be sides
hundreds o f farmers ofhard-
armed money.