The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-06-14
PRETENDING TO BE CRIPPLED.

a Glass OF siaiipgcrers Who Seek 10 To-
cover Damages from RailrOads.
OF late years a new class Of malingerers
has arisen This Is composed Of the peo
pie who. when any accident happens to q
railway train. steamboat or other convey
anco owned by corporation or rich person
Mt which they are present as passengers
pretend that they have been seriously
injured and forthwith bring suit against
tho propriotors In Immense sums for dam
ages. smattering OF medical knowledge
Is very soon acquired by these people dur
ing their examinations by their physicians.
and they are thus often enabled to cut
pretty good figure before jury do not
think II Is at all difficult to detect these
impostors.
II Is rarely the case that they arc so
consistent In their detail Of alleged symp
toms and In their conduct as to deceive o
medical man thoroughly we'll skilled In
his profession Besides this they gener
ally overact their part In their efforts to
deceive. and II subjected to close scrutiny
for some considerable time, or at periods
when they do not suspect that they arc
watched, scarcely ever fail TO show them
selves In their true colors
Not long since | was applied 10 by
young man. who Informed no that. about
n month previously, In getting Of street
railway car, be had been violently thrown
TO the ground. 10 that he had wienched
his back. had become partially paralyzed
In both legs. aud had, besides. sustained
serious internal injuries In addition TO
wanting my professional advice he do
sired an, Examination. with special view
Of saS ..s - ~, testify before . ceaSt IN
suit FOR 100000 damages. which he In
tended to Jl,stitute against tho railway
company caused him to take of his
clothes. and | found at once that thero
was no emacia:ion. On the contrary, his
body was remarkably well nourished lie
complained Of pain in .he upper region Of
the spine. and screamed IN apparent
agony when slightly touched that part
OF his body. 1t seemed 10 mo then that
there was an unusual degree Of sensitive
ness. and not at oil such ns would havo
been developed had he been really injured
In the way he described The grasp OF
/ lls manu- WIS very Wt'th. Dut W Iut SsiJle
time his muscles woro large and well
formed
was satisfied even at the time that he
was making tho most of his condition. II
not actually deceiving me ! next asked
| him to walk around the room until told
him TO stop At first he tottercd over the
! aoor as n about to fall at every step and
complained Of great pains in his legs As
he continued walking however. kept
him In conversation, st uH to divert his
mind from himself As consequence hu
was thrown oil his guard. ~ | expected
ho would be. SO that after hall dozen
turns his gait was meaSurably improved
and ut times WAS as good ~ IL ever had
been OF course. II there had Ocen any
real paralysis, every step he took would
have added to his lameness Some other
methods Of examination with instruments
Of precision placed the fact Of ms fraudu
lent pretensions beyond doubt | then
accused him Of deception. and rccapitu
lated to HIM the points which by his In
sufficient knowledge OF the subject had
lod TO his detection After numerous pro
testatlons he confessed that he had been
drilled by al attorney to Simulate spinal
injury with view to defrauilng the rail
way ,ompany.---Dr. William A Hammond
in Boston Globe