The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-21
CORPORATION ATTORNEY OAR
RAGH GIVES AN. ACCOUNT OF HIS
STEWARDSHIP.
WORK DONE DURING THE YEAR.
THE DEFECTIVE SIDEWALK HAS
CAUSED AN AVALANCHE OF
DAMAGE SUITS.
Council Only Pays $4,O77 of Amount
Claimed, as Against $30,O59
Under Former Attorney.

Corporation Attorney Darragh COM
pleted his annual report of the business
of the legal department of the city
yesterday and submitted copy of 1t
to the mayor. The report goes into the
| detail of the work of the department
and makes an excellent showing when
compared with reports Of former years.
| The amount of money asked through
damage suits was $59 391.0 Oh in excess
of that asked during the term Of Mr.
Darragh's predecessor, but the cause
for that is clearly explained in the re-
| port. During the two years proceed
ing Mr.. Darragh's term of office the
legal department sent to the council
claims to the amount Of $685. 1927. 76
while Mr.. Darragh only sent in $685.
096.94. Of these figures $50, 05950 were
| paid under the former corporation at
torney, while only $4.077.50 were paid
| of those sent in by Mr.. Darragh. Fol-
| lowing is the report:
| Complying with the provisions Of the
charter Of the city Of st. Paul requiring the
| heads Of the different departments to make
annual reports of the work done and the con-
dition of the departments, I herewith submit
the report of the corporation attorney for the
| year 1896, and l feel justified in stating, that
it is the most complete record of the legal
department that has been submitted in years.
There are hereto attached five schedules
marked, Schedule A, B, G, d and E." the
object of which is to show at a glance the
work done not only with regard to litigation
| instituted during the year 1896, but also with
prior thereto.
Following a statement Of what the schedule
contains, the report says:
In Exhibit A, also hereto attached is shown
the number Of actions for personal injuries
| finally disposed of in the year 1885, and it will
| be seen from 1t that out Of total of $175.-
| SOB claimed against the city only $11 439 Is
| was secured. The records of the clerk Of the
municipal court during my administration of
the legal department show that 8,467 cases
by this
| collected in fines from these cases. And here
1t is proper fer me to state that verdicts
were gotten. against any of the members Of
the police force Of the city of St. Paul on
account OF false Imprisonment during my
term Of office. l deem it proper also to say
that during the time 1 have held the posi-
ton OF corporation attorney there have been
pending actions against the city which were
defended by the law department. and in
which plaintiffs sought to recover money
Judgments and amounting to the sum of $518,-
560.2S, which l believe is the largest total
amount in the history Of the legal depart
ment.
The reports Of the city engineer for the
past few years show that the main source of
these actions is due to the rotten and de-
cayed condition Of the sidewalks throughout
uses these words: Personal injury cases on
account Of the defects in walks have largely
increased, in fact think that one-half the
damage suits against the city are on this
account, for which the city is held liable in
nine cases out of ten"
In his report for the year 1893 with refer
ence to the bad condition of the sidewalks
| he says: "Our wooden sidewalks are in a
| very bad condition. Consequently this state Of
affairs has been growing rapidly worse from
| year to year, and unless some vigorous &C
ton is taken by the city council, with so many
miles OF defective walks, the city must expect
to pay annually large amount for accidents
resulting from the condition of these walks"
In 1894 he again says concerning the condi-
ton of the sidewalks: Notwithstanding all
the care taken, very large majority of all
the damage suits brought against the city are
| on account of accidents resulting from de-
fective walks. Every year the state of at
fairs grows worse, and some very vigorous
action must be taken soon to renew these
walks. or the old ones should be taken up
and abandoned"
The former corporation attorney in his last
report said that There are about 500 miles
| of wooden sidewalks within the city. and thai
3O6 miles have remained in service beyond
the usual life Of wooden sidewalks"
An examination Of the records of the en-
gineering department of this date shows that
these walks have remained during my term
OF ONCE, and that only thirty-eght miles
of new sidewalks (wooden). were laid and
seven miles OF cement sidewalks were put
| down since the last report Of my predecessor
Whlch was two years ago, that these
walks are naturally In much worse condi-
t1on. and an increase in damage suits has
| been the consequence
These actions all defended by this de-
! partment, and it will be seen from the fore
going extracts from the city engineers re-
| ports, the city has been practically defense
less IN these suits, and yet the total amount
OF final verdicts. settlements and decisions
| against the city In these cases have been onIy
| $Zo,z'4.29 during my incumbency Of the Office
| Paul. wy u ~
1t gives me much pleasure to say of nv
assistants, that they have been obIiging.
forts to make my administration of the af
| 1alrs OF the department creditabIe These
| gentlemen are Hermon w. Phillips, first as
! slstant; Arthur Bowe, second assistant: Her
man Oppenheim, third assistant: Thomas F.
Darragh, clerk. and John w. Clancy. steno-
grapher; and Sergeant Jerry J. Sullivan no.
| Office. -0o AZ ILLS