The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-27
SUING "THE COMPANY
Striking Cases of Perjured Testimony
and Fictitious Damage.

New 1Ork sun.
I'm the eyes of certain class Of law
yers there are two lucky sets of people,
said a member of the legal department Of
big. street-railway company doing bust
ness in several States in the Union. THE
first is the individual who obtains a cash
bequest The other and even luckier is the
man or woman, particularly the woman.
who has suit for damages against a
street-raiway corporation.
"A woman is the special favorite of for
tune with a suit because, to almost any
jury, corporation is a soulless conglom-
Grafton of greed, and every drop of blood
money possible should be squeezed out OF
1t. Moreover, few juries will Withstand the
sight of crippled woman on the stand or
one who swears her health has been ruined
1or lie. And the more the jury knows OF
the life husbands with sick wives lead the
better the case is for the plaintiff.
"All this is so thoroughly understood now
that a surprising business is done in dam
age suits brought on false grounds. And,
to the disgrace of their sex, the majority
of the tools in these cases are women. The
legal department of such a corporation as
ours Is as big as that of the city of New
YORK before the consolidation. and for the
detection of these false suits a large force
e supported, all of which is made necesssEy
by the lying and cupidity of the plaintiffs.
H was much easier few years ago to rush
inrough such case than 1t is now, and
1t is steadily becoming more difficult to
loodwink the street-railway companies
me instant a company becomes suspicious
that a suit has been brought without suffi-
Gent grounds the plaintiff is at once put
Under such complete espionage that 1t is al
through successfully to the point of collect
ing the sum sued for. Many such cases
never come to trial. and not until some Of
these perjurers are punished by imprison-
ment will there be any cessation in the in
cieasing string of these false suits.
"A notable case occurred to a New York
street road The girl bringing the suit had
had an accident. The road admitted that.
and believed the girl had been injured, but
when a suit for $4,000 was brought, the
company offered $500. Her relatives indig
nantiy refused and changed ia age the suit adj
Lutte helpessness for the girl. When the
case came to trial photograph Of the
plaintiff rowing in Central Park boat was
offered in evidence of her fine physical con-
dition, and the counsel In the case, who
was perfectly honest in his part. promptly
asked permission from the court to with
draw, and the suit vanished. Further evil
dence of such a character was in possession
of the company that several witnesses
would have proved themselves perjurers il
the trial had gone on. Behind this case
was an East-side politician who had already
served time for perjury.
Another case which has not yet come
to trial is brought by a woman who alleges
she is confined to the bed and will be unable
the rest OF her life to perform her duties
as housewife. 1t was an easy matter for
the company detectives to find the invalid
eyery o or 60 and @ and b
singing and enjoying herself while bending
over the washtub.
More than q match for these two is a
case which concerns Philadelphia. 1t is for
a large figure, and is brought by widow
with one small daughter, who is naturally
| expected to add to the sympathy for her
injured mamma. The company against
which she has brought suit was suspicious
| ceived only slight fail and shock. 1t es-
tablished a detective next door TO her house.
in a place outside of Philadelphia. For
long time, several weeks, the troll Hawk
shaw didn't obtain the striking nee he
was hunting for, but did make are that
his patient was anything but an invalid.
! Then If a dark f0oOU
o'clock a party silently left the woman's
house and the detective took the same
ferry boat. He trailed after the party
around various all-night resorts they visited
after a gay supper party. The party n
cluded the plaintiff, her lawyer, and f. i
"On the return trip on the ferry, about
a. M, harp of the ferry musicians was
player and four of the party danced on the
deck at a. IN. One couple was the lawyer
and his hopelessly damaged client. The
only other passenger was the trolley Hawk
| shaw who did not force himself upon
| them. The boat hands were called to wit
ness the jolly sight, and the widow and her
| counsel will find that the costliest dance
| they are ever likely to attempt when the
woman's suit against the railroad company
| comes up for trial
| I'm ali the cases where such suits come
| to trial the result is only modification for
! the woman. So far know of no prosecu-
| tions for perjury or attempt to defraud.
1T is the easiest thing in the world to
| cook up a suit for $4,000 damages. A
woman falls and Is unconscious for a few
| moments. OF course, she doesn't know just
what happened. and doctor is called, and
when she reaches home she has miles Of
| Mysteries. Old troubles are revived, an OPP
Grafton or a couple of weeks in "a hospital
follows. and then the woman finds herself
in a chronic state of hysteria and some
doctor declares her entire system Is "A
wreck. If she isn't a nervous wreck she
finds 1t convenient to appear one, and a
suit Is started Immediately. The victim
maintains seclusion. or thinks she does.
which amounts to the same thing. IN her
opinion, sometimes brags of the way she
is getting the best of the company. and linn
its her excursions to the hours after night
fall. Most of these women readily give
their own cases away through their own
folly and love of pleasure.