The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-02-21
DETECTIVES.
How they are Regarded in
Davenport.
A Painter, Mail Contractor
and Expert Witness.

ciscd over the defective business which has
figured the damage case of John Hawthorn
versus the town of LIE Claire The plaintiff
seeks to recover damages by reason of a
1 fall in the latter village some years age.
occasioned by an alleged defective side
walk and steps.
The case was first tried in the March
term of the Scott County Circuit Court and
resulted in the disagreement of the jury.
The next trial was held in Jackson county
and q verdict of 30, 600 was rendered for
the plaintiff.
/ THE MAIN POINT
to be proved at the trial was the condition
of the sidewalk and steps at the time of
the accident. In narrating the details of
the rather interesting case the Davenport
Democrat says:
Both on the trial here and in Jackson
county, in order to show the condition of
the platform and steps at the time of
plaintiffs injury, both parties introduced
evidence to show their condition before
the accident; and on this point remarka-
BILE coincidence came to the front. A wit
ness namedH. L. Bottum testified, substan-
TALLY, that he had resided in Davenport
| since April, 1879 that his
business was portrait and panoramic
painter, that he had been engaged in such
business for about 90 years, and stated
| that he was acquainted with the sidewalk
in controversy and knew the steps and
platform thereon located, and stated that
on the 22nd day of September, 1879, he
had made a scale sketch in crayon of said
sidewalk, steps and platform which he
called a measurement sketch and crayen
work, that he made 1t on space of one
fourth of an inch to the foot, and there
upon produced said sketch which was in
troduced in evidence, He swore that on
the twentieth day of September, 1879, be,
in company with Mr.. G. <. Stanley, his
partner, were in LIE Claire taking
birds eye view of the town for a company
''up the river and that about three o'clock
in the afternoon of that day, while pass
| ing down the sidewalk to the river, pre-
coded by his partner, MIR. Stanley, his left
| foot slipped on the same stone on which
| had slipped the left foot of plaintiff, and
| that his heel caught between spaces in the
| platform stones, and that he fell forward
| and sprained his ankle that he and his
partner took the skiff and rewed down the
| river to Rock Island that this was on Sat
urday.
ON SUNDAY
he and his part ner Stanley, talked the
matter over and concluded to sue the town.
On Monday morning his partner consulted
an attorney, whom he thinks was Mr.. Cor
bett, of Rock Island and that morning he
took the train to Port Byron, crossed the
river al LIE Claire, and made the so-called
scale sketch to be used in his contemplated
suit; that after that he abandoned the idea
of suing because the injury was SO slight
that it wouldn't pay.
c. f. Stanley, since the trial, has furnish
ed the following affidavit, upon which a
new trial is asked for:
The afflant became acquainted with H.
L. Bottum in July, 1878, at DEBORAH,
Iowa. Knew Bottum there as a house and
sign painter.
About the month of November there
after, Bottum commenced talking with |
him about engaging in the business of
carrying the mails from certain point to /
a certain point on the Indian river in4
Florida, claiming that he had a govern
ment contract; and finally persuaded Dir.
Stanely to accompany him to Rock Island, |
where he (Bottum) said a suitable boat |
could be bought They left DEBORAH to- |
gether on the 9th of January, 1879. land |
ing in Rock Island next day.
MIR. BoTTum
as the affidavit shows, entered upon divers
and sundry plans to obtain boat, and |
would get money from time to time from
Mr.. Stanley to defray expenses of trips,
and would on frequent occasions
show to him letters which he
claimed were received from parties in Flor
ida and St. Louis, relating to mail carrying
business; and finally, on representing to
Mr.. s. that a boat had been purchased, a
written contract was, on the 4th of June,
1879, entered into between them, which
contract was produced by aff1ant, and was
drawn and witnessed by Mr.. Corbett of
Rock Island. Soon after this contract was
made the affiant states that he discovered
that the whole business was sham, and
having invested in Bottum about all
his money, dropped him. Mr.. Stanley
states that he remained in Rock Island
from January 70, until November Of that
year, engaged in portrait painting with
rooms and studio at the Commercial house
He swears that he was in Rock Island dur
ing all the month of September, 1879, that
he never was in the town of LeClaire, and
that, in short, everything that Bottum
swore to in any matter connecting him,
Stanley with his fall in .LeClaire was alb
sslutely and unqualifedly false.
NJ. NJ. CoRBETT ESQ,
attorney of Rock Island, was brought in
the presence of Mr.. Stanley, and at once
him and identified the written
contract produced by Mr.. Stanley; he re-
drafting 1t and seeing it signed
by Bottum and Mr.. Stanley. He testified
that Mr.. Stanley had never consulted with
him at any time about an injury which
Bottum claimed to have rece lived in LIE
Claire.