Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-21
wAaNER's 1000 VICTIMS.
THE PERSONS nE SUED IN MARYLANl
FOR DAMAGES WITHOUT CAUSE.


Without Remedy.
In Frederick county, Nd, about 1900
Of the suits instituted by DR.. Harrison
Wagner. the professional litigant, against
citizens of the county, were settled, the
defendants being compelled to pay various
sums, ranging from $50 to s75 in each
case. The operations of Wagner are
without a parallel in the United States.
About two years ago he was generally
considered to be harmlessly insane. His
actions were calculated to confirm this
theory, and his eccentricitics were regarded
with Indifference by every one wEo knew
him. In tho fall of 1879 Wagner caused
such amusement by going before an OBJ
scure country magistrate, and entering
several hundred suits for damages against
leading citizens, chosen at random in all
parts of the county, who had never seen
or had any dealings with him. The amount
of damages sued for in each case was be-.
tween $50 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
were soon forgotten, but were several
times recalled to memory by notices of
hundreds of. other suits being brought by
Wagner, who frequently entered as high
Early in 1879 Wagner disappeared from
public notice, but in the fall OF that year
the entire community was thrown into a
fur0r of exs itement when it was learned
that Wagner had commenced proceedings
to enforce judgments in ], 800 of the suits.
It was then learned for the first time that
the persons sued, having failed to appear
before the magistrate to answer, juds
ments had been entered in each case for
the amount named in tho complaint.
Wagner made no effort to collect the
judgments until year had expired, when
by law the power of appeal had lapsed.
In November last, therefore, he was pos
sessed OF 800 Judgments, averaging $75
against about 300 county residents and
corporations. Each judgment was en-
dorscd. "by default !" and "no appeal
taken," and of course they amounted to a
lien on any property owned by the de-
PENDANTS.
During Wagncr's absence several per-
sons against whom he had obtained judS-
ments died, and his first move was to file
the judgments in the orphans court as
claims against the estate. Martin Shank,
one of his victims. had died and left an
estate valued at So, 500 to his wife and
three small children. Wagner filed judg-
ments against the estate amounting to
$G, 200 dollars and the orphans court was
compelled to postpone the hearing of the
claims several times in order to avoid the
necessity 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 victims, and
since that time the cases have been
dragged along i'm the courts, the indica-
tions pointing to Wagner being eventu-
ally successful in enforcing all of 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 to
take an appeal from the magistrate within
the period prescribed by law placed them
beyond remedy.
After he had begun to enforce the judg-
ments Wagner found the county too hot
to hold him, and went to New York city,
where he now is. The proceedings against
his victims have been carried on by coun-
sci there, and the settlement made in nearly
all the cases, it is thought, will net him
nearly $4,000. He does not pretend that
he ever had any legal claim 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 hundreds of
farmers of hard-earned money.