New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-25

TIE GIRLS SPINAL TROUBLE MAY BE DOh
TO RAILROAD ACCIDENT OR IMAGINATION.
Considerable Interesting and some quite remarkable
ties tinony taken in the Supreme Court before
Justice Keogh and jury yesterday on the trial OF
the suit of Ann Eliza Thompson OF No b>o herkl-
mer-st.. against the Manhattan Elevated Railway
Company to recover $4,000 damages Tor alegen
personal Injuries. The plaintiff, who is young girl
says that she was passenger on the ThrtY-iouttn-
ST. branch OF the defendants road on March H. $780,
and that the train smashed into the bumper AZ ir'
She badly shaken up and her spine Was
severely injured SO badly that il promises to become
permanent.
The defence of the company is a novel one IL IL
that the girls condition is not at al. due TO the
accident c1 the elevated road but that she IS Oh an
extremely nervous temperament that she is hysieri-
cal at times and that she has imagined heIset 10 De
in n much worse condition than she really l.
The contention Of extreme nervousness was SHOWN
10 have some foundation by the actions Of the pam
tff IN court. She is a wel-appearng gHl VIII"
regular. IL somewhat heavy features Although the
cir OF the courtroom cool she piled IAN eleI-
getically and continually. her lips twitched as
though with spasms of pain, she moved uneaSly J"
her chair and he expression in her eyes varied from
The dulness of almost absolute unconscioushesS 10
eager attention. When she went to the witness
stand she walked with painful limp Ihere she
told the story of the accident. said that she hdu
been a sick girl ever since. that her spine was
curved and that her left leg sh0rter than the
right
She was cross-examlned 10y Frederick y. Ward.
for the defendant. TO him she admitted mat S"e
had been an inmate Of the House Of the Good Shep-
herd and also Of the Episcopal Home on May ~
last she was on a merry-go-round. but ala not IAN
William G. De Witt, who appeared as her counsel
asked her whether she went 20 the INSTITUTIONS S"c
had mentioned Of her own free VIII. She replica
that she did. and that her mother paid her board
She never 70 any institution as a penalty Tor
ha adj cd ma
and 1893 but said they caused by Indigestion.
When Mr.. De Witt finished. Mr.. Ward asked the
plaintiff whether she did not go TO cone! isidi1
in 1886 and whether she was not adverU is aS
missing Miss Thompson said that she au not
kn o.was NOT nscauss Won wen, to coney Island and
your people unable TO ind you that you VIZ 5
committed to ne ar House OF the Coca S"ep"e'u
Il think not said the witness. MY mother
PWas it it on account of YOUR conduct home
and the trouble you made that you were sent TO
the Episcopal Homer
The witness said she had been to her sisters
grave in Greenwood Cemetery since the accident
Didn't you go a-fishing in the pond: asked MI
Yes in the Greenwood pond on juno - 1885,
limpsd painfully from the stand. - ,a,.,, and
Several doctors We're cs er,n 3Tpm cnrvanre
Of the spine, and that it might have occurred as Inc
result 1 of the sns r wS Sp csed D
G. skene, for the defence Dr. Skene Iestieo tla MAJ
the only REGULARITY that he noticed about heT was
that she was OF a hyserca disposition Her gen
era health was excellent bu; she was extremely
nervous br. Skene said that she had curVllhg
of the spine, and her left leg was shortened, put
there was no curvature Of the spine ana no con-
dnions existing which might produce It,
what is the difference between a curving spine
and curvature of the spine?" asked Mr. Ward.
lone the curvature is due to organic defects
replied the doctor, "and the other may be prouucei
by the iexbility which we all have in our spinal
columns unless too old and sim
"You don't refer TO this plaintiff as having a
curving spin> in that sense. do you? asked MT.
De Witt gently, with a reproachful look at the Wit
ness.
why. certainly" replied Dr. Skene -.
DR.. Skene testified that the limp OF the plaintlh
was caused by the drawing up of the left imp so
as to shorten 1t. 1t not really any shorter than
the other. Her spine itself was normal IN FORM
and curved by her at Will IT was tempor-
ary now but II continued II was likely 10 become
permanent: There was no disease In any part OF
the spinal column. DR. Skene said that after inns
testimony an explanation was due on behalf OF the
plaintif In hysterical cases slight injury often
suggested greater injury and the patient would
actually believe that she was suffering from the
greater one lie said he believed that this was the
Condition of the plaintiff, and that she was per
fectly honest in her belief His sympathies were
with her instead of the railroad company, for ne
did not think that she could alter her state OF mind
The trial will be finished to-day