Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-06-30
PRETENDING 70 BE CRIPPLED.
A Class OF M~alingerers Who Seek to Re
cover IA from Railroads.

A Class OF M~alingerers Who Seek to Re
cover Damages FROM Railroads.
OF late years a new class Of ~malingcrers
has arisen. This is composed Of the peo-
pie who, when any accident happens to q
railway train. steamboat or other convey
ance owned by corporation or rich person
at which they are present as passengers,
pretend that they have been seriously
injured and forthwith bring suit against
the proprietors in immense sums for dam
ages. Asmattering 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 a
pretty good figure before n jury. ] do not
think 1t is at all difficult TO detect these
impostors.
1t is rarely the case that they are SO
consistent IN their detail of alleged symp
toms and In their conduct as to deceive a
medical man thoroughly well skilled in
his profession. Besides this, they gener-
ally overact their part IN their efforts to
deceive. and, If subjected TO close scrutiny
for some considerable time, or at periods
when they do not suspect that they are
watched, scarcely ever fail to show them
selves In their true colors
Not long since | was applied to by a
young man. who informed me that. about
q month previously, in getting off a street
railway car. he had been violently thrown
TO tho ground. so hat he had wrcnchcd
his back, had become partially paralyzod
In both legs. and had, besides. sustained
serious internal injuries. In addition TO
wanting my professional advice he de
sired an examination, with special view
OF having rae to testify before a court In "a
suit for $40. 900 damages. which he In
tended TO institute against the railway
company ! caused him to take off his
clothes, and | found at once that there
was 10 emaciation. On the contrary, his
body was remarkably wei nourished. He
complained of pain in the upper region ..
the spine, and screamed IN appa.stlt
agony when | slightly touched thai part
Of his body. 1t seemed TO me t~4en that
there was an unusual degree GO sensitive
ness. and not at all such 81 would have
been developed had tie BEST really injured
In the way he described. The grasp of
his hand was very wsfk. but at the same
time his musclea' were largo and well
formed. -
| was salts fcd even at tho time that he
was makiv5 the most Of his condition, If
not act'rlly deceiving me-. ] next asked
him az walk around the room until told
lrl,4 TO stop. At first he tottered over tho
.foor as if about to fall at every step and
complained of great pains in his legs, AS
he continued walking, however. ] kept
him IN conversation, so as to divert his
mind from himself. AS a consequence he
was thrown off his guard, as | expected
he would be, so that after u half n dozen
turns his gait was m~easurably improved,
and at times was as good as it ever had
been OF course. If there had been any
real paralysis. every step he took would
have added to his lamcncss. Some other
methods of examination with instruments
of precision placed the fact Of his fraudu
lent pretensious beyond a doubt. | then
accused him Of deception, and recapitu-
lated TO him the points which by his in
sufficient knowledge of the subject had
led to his detection. After numerous pro
testations he confessed that he had been
drilled by al attorney TO simulate spinal
injury with a view to ~defrauding tho rail
way conpany.-Dr. William A. Hammond
In Boston Globe.