The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-16
gEEWS THE CLAIM.
rpderson Still Claims Doctors
Hocus-pocussed Him.
s AGAIN SUES srREErRAllwAx.
uas 81 Mythical MSliisns osss e
Dssflseeon-A xfas rsiss - No.
sAasiss' Lisa o. lEssAansry.

Il 80 damage suit Of more than usuas
1u1nsss IL ON trial before judge Osborn.
4 8 the esse Of Peter Pedcrxon. ! Nor
pox5sn workingmsn. against the Seattle
Csnsolidatec Street Railway Company fyr
MOO Peterson having been injured on
5nas i6. 1851. BY jumping from "A electric
- when collation. threatened. broken
~ right hip and thus bscams . cripple
~ life. At trial last spring Peterson
= . verdict for s2,00o, bat the supreme
euuss Get u aside and sent u back for .
~ trial, which ID now in progress.
The testimony. which differs bat little
s fpn that offered before. shows that Psdsr-
son was on the car and, happening TO look
oct. saw q linenan's WAGON standing on
he track ahead. near the corner Of Front
sna Blanchard streets There IL . per
esnt grade at this point, and while Pedsr-
oon was watching he noticsd that the car
VS. not under control and was slipping
xpidly down the rails, vet with rain,
fssaFd the wagon. He became very much
alarmed and when the coilision seemed in
sv:table jumped. II he had stayed on the
ear he would have bsen ell right, Tor the
nen In charge Of the wagon got Il on the
track before the car struck il. As it Was.
- vas badly injured.
He was taken 20 . hospital aad his In
juries attended to. On the same evening,
while he was lying on his cot, in presence
Of Drs. Weed and Coc, and q nurse, Mrs
Tsemaine, he signed . seleass by which.
in consideration OF the payment by the
street car company of bis doctor bills and
hospital expenses. he waived ..sny other
CLAIMS" he might have against the COM
rany. II IL this release that has made all
Of the trouble. At the first trial the astor-
peys for Peterson brought witnesses and
expert testimony to show that she phrsi-
clans, who were In tbs employ Of the cor
poration, took sdyantags Of the injured
mans condition and, while he uas under
the influence OF opiates given to deaden
terrible pain, worked with him and by
false promises and haif-concsaled threats
Induced him TO release the corporation
from any claim for damages. They pic
fured Psderson's anguish Wills signing
the release in such glowing terms and
with such display Of indignation that the
Jury brought In . verdict for him on the
ground that release 20 executed was NOS
binding.
For the other side Il was - ably argued
and presented 10 the jury, with good syi-
dence behind 1t. that the release was
signed In . steady hand by the injured
man. who was entirely ous Of pain and
perfectly conscious. 1t Was proven con-
cnsiveiy that there had besn no fraud, for
one Of the doctors said he had read the re-
lease TO Peterson several times and fully
explained IL to him before he signed 1t,
and on cross-examination Peterson said
this was true as far IS reading vas con-
eerned.
The supreme court held that the verdict
could not stand. but Judge Dunbar filsd
dissenting opinion In which he roasted
the corporation and everybody concerned
In getting the release. He denounced the
whole affair a. . hsartiess robbery. and
vas for giving q. 600 to Peterson - only
small compensation for the wrong done
him.
The second trial Of the case will occupy
nearly the whole Of today, each witness
being examined st great length and efforts
being made to impeach him by his former
testimony.