The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-05-18
A GAME WHERE THE WINNER los,
ne won Ills Case, but Hr Made up TITS
MtSd That There Was No Pun In 10.


ne won His Case, but Hc Made Up TITS
Mind That There Was No Pun In 10.
II makes the man who would rnther
g.p fo law than 20 on good old time
hay ride mad enough to lose n snit. but
when he brings suit. wins his case. gets
damages and then finds that he IL ont of
pockcta n fine round sum, he can give the
ordinary man points and discount him
besides nj the DiogeDcs gilme of hitting
the world. One New Yorker got taste
of legal dose the other day which IL
likely 10 make him hesitate about using
the same prescription again.
He wanted damages from n man who
he declared had injured his property.
He wanted all the damages he could get
too. He wns earnest enough to insist
that the damages ought to be run up In
the thousands. Now IL he had been con.
| tented 10 take his case into district
court this story would probably never
have been written. But ns he estimated
his wrongs not by single, plain, every
day "cart wheel" dollars, but in blocks
Of ! 900 each, he was forced TO take his
| suit into the court Of common pleas.
! Everything went swimmingly TOR his
side. His lawyer proved beyond n doubt
that the defendant had caused damages
TO the plaintiffs property. The judge be-
lieved 1t, the jury believed It, in fact the
defendant himself and the defendants
counsel believed It.
III ever there was clear case of
damages it was right there in the com.
mon pleas court. And SO the plaintiff
got verdict for forty-ninc dollars.
But IL is one thing to get verdict anu
another thing to take what goes with
it. II happened in this case that II the
| defendant received II verdict for less
than fifty dollars he was liable for costs
| He did not know much about law, and
though he was disappointed Mt the
amount of the damages. he looked tri.
umphantly Mt the other side He was
disgustcd to see the calm smile on the
face Of the defendants lawyer. But II
moment later there was gnashing of
teeth when his counsel told him about
| the costs.
81 have to pay the costs. do II he
snapped.
| "Ycs"
After have won my case have I,
pay costs for the other sideY'
THAT is the law"
"Wcll, it's mighty nice law that
makes the winner lose. amt il? What
do yuu think | went to law for? Do yor
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,
anyway-a muddy Drained, cross eyed,
half hearted lunaticf How much are
| the costsI
"Thrce hundred and sixty dollars"
"Threc hundred and sixty dollars!
win case and get damages and lose
S3ll, do II | can substract the amount
of the damage from the cost and make
out check for the balance, can II
Well, suppose can SO long rs have
to. But ] want you to understand that
the next time go to law 1t will be be-
cause | am candidate for lunatic
asylum The next time have you for
"a lawyer it will be when I'm the de-
fendant in case like this and want to
lose.
''Do you heasT' he screamed. "When
want to lose I'll have you, l say, SC
that can come out ahead of the game
And the next time a 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 q
game of tenpins in my dining room and
will use my great-grandmother's tea
service for pins, and If he wants TO jumI
through our 5000 japanese screen like d
circus rider he can do 1t.
"Then maybe he'll want me to sue
him, SO that can get stuck for costs
again. And I'll sue him; oh, yes, II
sue him!' and he snorted SO loudly tha
the court usher's afternoon nap was dis
turbed.-New York Tribune.