St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-08
is HE SHAMMINC?
Sensational Devel opments in
the Weber Personal In
jury Suit.
DEFENSE TRYING TO SHOW
That the Plaintiffs Paralysis
and Illness Are Only Pre-
tended.
STARTLING, ACCUSATIONS
To the Effect That5W cher r Was
Told How to Act to De-
no lne nHEH
ce:ve Doctors. aVo-

a 49, -
eeivs Doctors. ,a1ot
The DEVELOPMENTS in the big per
sonal injury damage suit OF johh H.
Weber against the street rall"ay
comnany were quite sensational
Yesterday. The testimony for the
plaintiff excited no material lil'ei-
est except in so far as II went "
establish the genuineness and extent
of the plaintiffs affliction. 1t was
known the defense was gong 10 at
+ey,nf to prove that he was shdlh-
ming and that his condition now
is the result of this sham. The
testimony of Drs. Sweeney, McCofo
and SchwyZer was introduced TOT
the nlaintiff, and went to prove con-
clusiyely the serious condluon III
which Weber is at the present time.
Their testimony was also of interest
as showing to what such shamillhs
NAV finally lead, if the theory thaII
Weber is shamning be sustained
# can truly be said that if this the
ory should be borne out by the teS-
tinonv for the defense, it will prove
ono of the most peculiar cases OF
the kind on record.
The sensational developments De-
gan with the opening statement 10
the Jury of Attorney Mum fof the
defense. Mr.. Mum said it would
be shown that Weber had written
to DR. Sutton, of La Crosse, VINO mad
previously treated him more or less.
He stated in that letter that lie was
to undergo an examination mere TO
ascertain whether he was really
Daralvzed or not, and he wanted to
know in which muscles he should
show sensation and which not when
it came to having this examination
made. He said he had already led
the doctors to believe that
He was Paralyxcd,
and if DR.. Suttor would help him out
he could carry his play through
without any difficulty. There was
No doctor here whom he could trust
to help him.
Mr.. Mum said it would also be
shown that he pretended to be para
lived when he was taken to the hos
pital, but the testimony OF Tie
nurses and a doctor who waited
on him would be introduced to prove
that he was caught holding Their
moneter in his mouth, which he
suddenly removed on the approach
of one of the nurses; that he was
frequently caught holding a neWSpa-
per in a position us though he was
reading it, but always dropped it
suddenly when he discovered any
body approaching; that he was
caught throwing in the slop pail the
medicine intended to be given to
him.
A second letter he had written to
DR.. Suttor would also be introduced.
In this letter he told the doctor he
need not be afraid of ever being
called upon to go into court in con-
nection with the case, for the COM
pany would undoubtedly be glad to
settle.
Evid ence would also be offered to
prove that Weber had told friend
shortly after the accident occurred
that he was a fool not to have lain
down in the car after the collision
and made believe that he was SO
badly injured that he could not leave
the car DR.. Jones, who examined
him, would testify that he found
every muscle responsive, which
should not have been the case if he
were affected by organic paralysis.
Whatever his condition may be
today" concluded Mr.. Mum. sis
due to his attempt to deceive. When
ever the mind is subjected and
The Flesh Emaciafed
for such a purpose, there is no tell
ing where it will end"
The first witness called for the de-
Tense was J. II. PurfntOn, formerly
claim agent for the street railway
company. He testified that Weber
came to him shortly after the acct
dent occurred, and requested to be
given employment in the company.
He told witness he had been in the
accident, but had not been injured
He urged, as an incentive to the
companys giving him employment,
that friend of his was hurt at the
time.
H. Fl. Burns, chief Of police in La
Crosse, and a man named Keyes,
who works for the Milwaukee rail
road in La Crosse, gave testimony to
the effect that Weber was a gambler,
and had no particular occupation.
The first letter the defense claims
Weber wrote to DR.. Suttor was Of
fered in evidence, but was objected
to on the claim that Weber never
wrote it. This makes it necessary to
go into an expert examination on
handwriting, or it may be that an
effort will be made to prove that,
while Weber did not write this par
ticular letter, it is a copy he had
some one make of one he did write.
Mr.. Mum said in his opening state
ment that it would be shown that
some letters were written in this
way, and it may be that this one
was.
THE REVOLUTION.