The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-02

Nihety-seven Civil Cases Disposed
of and Forty-Eight Pending
Larger Number of Damage Suits
Than Usual, and the Aggregate
Shows Larger Amount of DAM
ages Claimed.
CITY Attorney Markham yesterday
nied with the city clerk the annual re-
port OF the legal department for the
year ending Dec. 81, 1897. The follow
Ing is an abstract of the report:
During the year 145 civil cases have re-
ceived the attention of the department and
OF TINS 81. number ninety-seven have been tried
and nnally disposed of and forty eight are still
pending and undetermined
IN addltion to the civil cases a large num-
per o. criminal prosecutions have been in
stituted and conducted in the municipal court
The conduct of the prosecution of these cases
has demanded the exclusive attention of one
OF the assistants of this department
"A very large percentage of the suits brought
against the city are ions for the recovery
or damages for personal injuries alleged to
nave been sustained by the defective condi-
ton OF wooden sidewalks. The number of
suits OF this class brought during the mast
year exceeds those of previous years and
tne aggregate amount of damages claimed
SHOWS a corresponding increase over the
amount OF claims in similar actions brought
and filed during the year 1896 Some of these
cases are meritorious, but in most of them
the nature and extent of the defects which IN
is claimed resulted in the injury as we'll "a
the nature and extent of the injuries received
are grossly exaggerated by compliments and
claims.
One great obstacle In the way of properly
meeting and resisting these claims is the alb
sence of any systematic course of sid wa II
inspection Several repair crews consist
ing of two or more men, with a horse and
wagon, carrying materials, employed to
make repairs on wooden sidewalks in variaous
parts OF the city, and a large amount Of
money. approximately SIS 900 a year. is ex-
pended in making repairs Of this character
THESE crews seem to go about very much ON
thelr own notion. putting down a plank here
ana there, wherever necessity seems TO re-
qulre 1t, but no record is kept OF the side
Walks, WALKS mat are inspected, and but a very
meager record as to the time when and places
Where repairs are made. The result is that
tne city Is without evidence In these partic-
uiars: frequently the, city has no notice
Whatever until thirty days after the injury
mas been sustained. and is left at the mercy
Oh the claimant and interested parties and IS
o opu 10 accept their statements as to the
character OF the defect and the length of
ufne 1t existed before the injury 1t is true
that the police officers of the city are charged
W the DUTY OF reporting defective sidewalks
70 the chlei OF police, and the chief in turn
with reporting to the city engineer but COM
paratlveiy lew reports of this nature are as
a an mater OF TACT. ever sent in, and experience
mas shown that the inspection of this charac-
ter is Of very slight utility
The amount claimed in all cases brought
Ior recovery of personal injuries on account
OF alleged negligence of the city, by reason
OF It's alleged failure to keep its streets and
siueWaiks In proper condition, in cases which
past year, was 5000 $40.
,o entered on the duties of my office on the
loth OF March. 1897 so that this report covers
1 1rUe only the work done in my Office during
my ihcumDency, up to Jan. l. 1888 but so
March 10. 1897
The amount recovered against the civ in
SUITS tor damages en- account of personal
INJURIES In cases brought TO trial between
March 10 and Dec. 81, was less than
cent OF the amount sought to be recovered in
A number of suits have been tried In which
Claims were made against the city on
ing IN the aggregate to s4,71S.50, and the
amount recovered in these classes of cases
during the year was $27S.5O.
early in 1897 a syndicate, or claim bureau
was organized by certain individuals for The
purpose of looking up claimants for sums re-
naming in the city treasury to tie creci. of
eo IN cone III a ion Proceedings. Many If I csc
credits had remained the citys books for
more than ten years. Purchasing these ella: ms
TOT small percentage of their face value
or entering into contracts with the claim
! ants for the collection thereof On shares thesa
| claims were presented to the CIV council for
payment The records kept in the city treas
urers office for twenty years hack were
Iaked over by representatives of this COL
lectlon bureau ana claims aggregating $50 900
were MADE against the city. l advised the
council that all these demands, which had
existed lorg1ore than six years before pres n
tat.on for payment we're barred by the statute
of limitations and unde. Y advise The coun-
ell refused to pay any of the claims, 70
which the statute of limitation had so 1un
Civil suits were brought against the ty
to recover on such claims and a tsst case hav-
Ing been tried resulted in favor OF the city
Other suits on claims of like character have
therefore, been abandoned.
The report calls attention to the amGunt
deposited in insolvent banks in December
1896, and January. 1897, in which the city
had on deposit $3.50 COO. Arrangements were
made with the city treasurer and his bonds
men which resulted in the payment into the
city treasury of about S100,060 of the funds
deposited at the time the banks suspended
The suspension of the banks and ccn:equent
proceedings eEtailed large amount CT work
on the department. The report continues hat
it is not unreasonable to expect that the city
will recover the entire amount OF these
deposits.