The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-08
DAMAGED FOR REVENUE.
A New Scheme for Obtaining
 Money Without Working.
People Who Claim Payment for Injuries That 4Are Never Received-Women Are Adopts in the Di5rep-
 utable Business.


 who make a good living by claiming damages for injuries which they have never received" said Sergeant John Me Sweeney, of the New York police, to a Journal reporter.
 ''These fal1irs are constantly trying new schemes" he continued, ''by which | to make it appear that they have been disabled through being assaulted or by falling down somebody's stairs or being knocked down by somebody's horse, taking care that in every instance the person claiming to be at fault is amply able to pay.
 'Wonen are very clever at this new trick, and it was through pretty little widow, who staggered into the station 1 house one day, that got the first inti- nation that the game was being gener- ally worked.
 ''The woman YVES in the greatest dis tress apparently, and was scarcely able to stand. When I had given her chair she said in a faint voice that she had ! just been run down by wagon, and that she was certain she had received internal injuries of a severe nature.
 ''She had taken pains, she said, to take the name of the firm, which was painted on the wagon, and as it was one of the biggest dry goods houses in the city, she proposed to make them pay roundly for their drivers careless ness.
 ''I at once offered to send for hospi- tai ambulance" the sergeant went on, but at this she bridled up and declared that she would allow no one but her family physician to make an ezanina tion. Then for the first time 1 began to suspect that the woman was not as badly hurt as she pretended to be, and I think she must have divined my thoughts, for she suddenly jumped up, and, thanking me shortly for my trouble, started hastily for the door. I was too quick for her, however, and barred her passage into the street. I told her that she could not leave until she had signed paper that I would prepare releasing the firm from all re- sponsibility for her alleged injuries
 ''Of course, I did this only as a further test of the woman's veracity, and it worked beautifully, for she not only signed the release. but reluctantly confessed that her whole story was a myth"
 A remarkable case which occurred but few days ago was that of man who feigned death in the face Of sur geon's threat to cut him open in order to find out what he had died of.
 ''I had just come on duty the other evening"" said the sergeant, ''when a man ran in all out of breath and gasped out that a man had just been knocked down and killed in the saloon at the corner below Suspecting nothing, I posted the dozen or so officers who hap pened to be within call on dead run for the spot, telling them to bring back the dead man and everybody they might find in the place.
 ''In few minutes they returned with thirty men and women prisoners, and in the rear Of the procession was the dead man, laid out on window shut ter.
 ''After locking up the crowd in the cellroom, the murdered man was placed on a table and hurry call sent to Gouv- erneur hospital for an ambulance.
 "The story got from the prisoners in chorus was that the saloonkeeper, who, by the way, is a wealthy man. had struck the man on the head with bung starter, and that the latter had promptly fallen down dead. On look ing at the man I could see no evidence of life whatever, but when felt his hot as regularly as a clock.
 ''Certain now that the fellow was shamming, determined to give him good scare, so when the ambulance sur geon came we called all the man's friends into the room and told them we were going to cut him open.
 ''The surgeon made great fuss get ting out his saws and lancets, out the fakir was game and didn't betray him. self by the flicker of an eyelid. The crowd was all agape, of course, and as the surgeon and I tore off the mans waistcoat and shirt the women cov- cred their eyes and groaned.
 "'Here goes said the surgeon, at last, and, grasping the fellow on the table firmly by the throat, he ran the back of his knife quickly down the mans bare breast At the first touch of the cold steel the eyes of the corpse flew wide open, and with a yell that could be heard block he tore himself from the surgeons grasp and in two jumps was out of the door and on dead run for the East river.
 Seeing that the game was up, one of the fellows friends in the crowd con- fessed at last that the saloonkeeper had merely pushed him out of the door and that he had fallen down and pre- tended to be dead in the hope that he might be admitted to hospital, where he would come to life and as soon as possible sue for heavy damages"
 4 Jealous Office Seeker. A story is related by London Truth of