Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-19
DALLAS.
How a CoIored Litigant was Rather
Discounted by the Production Of
His Wife In Court.
Woman Who Wants a Divorce from
Disagreeable Hu'bsnd-To Settle
the Nine Hour Law.
A SENSATION IN COURT.


Special TO the Gazette.
DALLAS, TEX April 1S.-On the 24th
day of last February Louis Jackson,
colored, filed suit against the Missouri
Pacific Riilwsy Company. In his original
petition be stated thst he WAS & resident
Of Dallas county, etc, and that on
the 9Th dsv of August, 1887, his
wife, Mollie Jackson, was passenger on
the Missouri Pacific passenger train near
Henrietta; thst owing to the negligence
and carelessness OF the company's agents,
the train on which his wife was passen-
ger, collided with I'll engine on the
same track; that his wife was
thrown violently agsinst the sharp edge
of q seat in the coach, and received a
severe wound upon the head, from the
effects Of which he did in the following
September. Louis was sorely bereavsd
at the loss Of his wife, and "a
being deprived Of her socief8
snd pervices he considered himself .@m-
company should atone for its reckIessness
and he asked for the further sum Of SI0,-
| 600 Is exemplary damages. And in q
| heart broken, modest way he prayed his
countrymen in the jury-box TO give him
|
Yesterday morning Louis, through his
attorney, 4 ed an amended 0riginsl petit
ton, In which he reiterated everything In
the original. He went further, and told
of the mental anguish he had suffered be-
cause of the untimely death of mis- wife,
who was "true, faithful, kind
and loving" He said that
from the dare of her injury to the day of
bor cha cr1fF m u tOr
that in addition to his mental anguish he
had been under heavy expense for physi-
clans, medicine, nurses and funeral
expenses.
Soon after the last petition was fled
the case wss called in the District
court. Louis was present, and the whole
room full OF lawyers, witnesses, jurors
snd creditors were deeply impressed
with the widowel's untold grief. He sat
on s bench, ant hell in Ills hand a hat
which still bore band of crepe.
Witnesses were introduced and gave
their testimony, one by enc. Tney told
OF the hesrtless corporations careless
ness, how little It cared for human life,
etc. Finally & conductor named Rogers
was put on the stand. Colonel Armin-
stead, the plaintiffs attorney, asked:
"Did you know the defendant?"
81 did," he answered.
twas she on the trsin when the coils
ion occurred"
"Sne WAS"
"Was she injured on that occasion7"
apparently she WAS"
"Do you think the injury she received
WAS calculated to produce death?"
"I do not"
"When was the last time you cav the
deceased alive7"
"About fifteen minutes ago." Sense
ton
"Whst?"
"About fifteen minutes ago"
! Scan you produce her in court?"
"In two minutes, sir"
"Well, do so"
Rogers went to the sute room snd
brought in young mulatto woman, who
Was placed on the stand. She said her
name was Mollie Jackson, that she
WAS on the trsin when the
collision occurred. that Rshe was bumped
slightly on the head, that she had been
home ever since and bsd been perfectly
well, except for a short time when she
gave birth to child.
Louis was parslyZed. he left the room,
and the jury without leaving their seats
rendered verdict in favor of the Mis-
souri, Pacific Railway Company.
THE DAILY DIVORCE SUIT.
| Cynthia L. Patrick to-day filed her pc
tition praying for divorce from her hus-
bsnd, Thomas Patrick. They were mar
ried on the / of June, 1887, and sepa-
rated on the 1st Of July following. Dur
ing the short time they had lived to-
gether, she had been true, loving and
faithful to him, but he treated
her cruelty, and had openly charged
among strangers that "she WAS unchaste
and common prostitute, and that he had
never been legally married to her"
These charges were false, and the de-
PENDANT knew them to be so. She had to
come 20 her home in Dallas county and
get testimonials from good snd honorable
citizens IS to her good name, etc, where
fore she asked divorce and that her
maiden name, Cynthia Reville, be re-
stored.
| THE NINE-HOUR LAW.
The journeymen and contracting
painters meet tomorrow night to settle
the nine-hour question which is now
pending in that branch OF business.