The Republican., 1892-07-01
He WON THE CASE.
Yet the Plaintiff Was stin Un.atisfie

Yet the Plaintiff Was Stiu Unsatisfied.
II makes the man who would rather
60 to law than go on a good old-time
hay ride mad enough to lose suit, but
when he brings suit. wins his case gets
damages and then finds that he is out
of pocket fine round sum, he can give
the ordinary man points and discount
him besides at the Diogenes game of
hating the world. One New-Y orlSer
got taste of legal dose the other day
which is likely 20 make him hesitate
about using the same prescription again.
He wanted damages from man who,
he declared, had injured his property.
He wanted all she damages which he
could get, too. He was earnest enough
to insist that the damages ought to be
run up in the thousands. Now if he
had been contented to take his case
into district court this story would
probably never have been written. But
as he estimated his wrongs not by
single, plain, everyday 'cart-wheel'
dollars, but in blocks of thousand
each, he was forced to take his suit
into the court of common pleas. Every
thing went swimmingly for his side.
His lawyer proved beyond doubt that
the defendant had caused damages to
the plaintiffs property. The Judge be-
lieved it, the jury believed it, in fact
the defendant himself and the defend
ants c6nasel believed it. If ever there
was clear dase of damages it was right
there in the common pleas court. And
so the plaintiff got verdict for forty
nine dollars. But it is one thing to get
a verdict and \another thing to take
what goes withit. 1t happened in this
case that If the defendant received a
verdict for less than fifty dollars he was
liable for costs. pie did not know much
| about law, and, though he was disap-
pointed at the amount of the damages,
he looked triumnhantly at the other
side. He was dis1lsted to see the calm
smile on the face, of the defendants s
lawyer. But monent later there was
gnaShing of teeth, when his scounsel told
him about the costs,
Il have to pay the COSTS do I?'' he
snapped.
"Yes."
After | have won my case, have to
pay costs for the other side?"
That is the law"
"Well, it's mighty nice law that
makes the winner lose, amt it? What
, do you think went to law for? Do
you think | wanted to spend money for
| fun? Do you think after that fellow
has spoiled my property | want to pay
him for doing it? What do you think [
am, anyhow-a muddy cross
eyed, half-hearted lunatic? How much
are the costs?"
Three hundred and sixty dollars"
"Three hundred and sixty dollars,
win case and get damages and lose
three hundred and eleven dollars, do |?
! can subtract the amount of the dam
age from the costs and make out a
check for the balance, can l? Well,
suppose | can as long as have to- But
l want you to understand that the next
time | go to law it will be because | am
a candidate for lunatic asylum The
next time have you for a lawyer il
will be when I'm the defendant in a
case liks this and want to lose Do you
hear?" he screamed. "When | want tc
lose I'll have you, say, so that can
come out ahead of the game. And the
next time man damages my property
I'll invite him to come in and knock
the roof off the house. I'll have him
use my piano for toboggan on the hall
stairs. I'll invite him to play game
of ten pins in my dining room and will
use my great-grandmother' tea service
for pins and If he wants to jump
through our six hundred dollar Jap
anese screen like circus rider he can
do it. Then maybe he'll want me to
sue him 50 that | can get stuck for
the costs again, and I'll sue him; o, yes,
| I'll sue him" and he snorted so loudly
that the court usher's afternoon nap
was disturbed. IN. Y. Tribune.