Wichita eagle., 1889-08-30
VALUE OF LIFE AND LIMB.
Some Large Verdicts Awarded in tn
United States and Elsewhere.

Some Large Verdicts Awarded in tho
United States and Elsewhere.
The largest sum ever paid for railroad
damages was Ia the case of J. Rosenzweig, OF
Erie, against the Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern railway. This case was heard be-
fore the court of common pleas Of Erie coun-
ty, and resulted in the award and payment
Of S4S, $50 to the plaintiff, Mr.. Rosenzweig
was a man Of middle age, whose annual earn
ings amounted to $4,000 or $4,000. He was
put off a train by the conductor about half
mile east Of Cleveland late at night on the
ground that the ticket he presented was not
good. He saw two other trains advancing
toward him, end in his confusion tripped and
was dragged beneath enc of them and Grip
pied for life. The judge ruled that he was
not a trespasser on the train since it was
shown that he did not know that his ticket
was not good.
The greatest award ever paid in the world
was s25O,00O to an English physician, who
claimed that his annual earning capacity was
over S200, 600 The verdicts abroad are much
more frequent and of greater amounts than
in this country.
Railroad spine" is a frequent complaint in
England, and very often damages OF from
$4,000 to s1O0, 900 ars awarded for it. The
disease is occaSioned by the jolting received
when a railway carriage is deraiied.
Upon the death of a Canadian blacksmith,
aged IS years, on the Great Western railroad
a few years ago, sos, coo was paid to his fam
lily, and the same road paid 1000 to farm
er's family about the same time.
A Mr. Holland recovered $4,000 for inju-
ries received in the peighborhood of Chicago
several years ago. He had been in excellent
health previous to the accident, but was so
! injured as to be thereafter almost physical
and mental wreck A little later an Indiana
man received $50, 600 for somewhat similar
| reasons.
| Marked differences may be noted in the
| hberality of judge and jury in various states
! Of the Union Pennsylvaniais ewards are in
| general small as compared with New Y ork
or several Of the eastern states. DR.. Funston,
whose yearly earnings amounted to $1,000,
was awarded $4,000 by an Iowa court for in
| iuries received that incapacitated him for
work. The Georgia courts have in two cases
| awarded 81, TOO for the loss Of hand and
| 81. 800 for the loss of a leg. Fifteen thousand
| dollars was the verdict of a Mississippi jury
as damages for broken thigh and pelvic
bone. There have been numerous cases
throughout the country in which $4,000 has
been paid by railroad company for severe
ly shattered leg, accompanied by additional
injuries
Mrs. Hinton, aged 20 years, who was mar
vel of health and heartiness, was paid s., 000
by the Cream City Railroad company, OF
Wisconsin, for personal injuries received
and the courts o. the same state awarded
5000 to John Cummings, who had been for
merly healthy and vigorous, but was render
ed helpless for life through the negligence OF
q railroad official
TIE Texas Passenger Railway company had
to pay $500 to a lady of 81 years, who lost
the use of her arm and received injuries K
her shoulders and spine-Philadelphia Rec
! ord