Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1899-07-13
MRS. B0NNETT WINS:
Georgia Bonnett Awarded the
Full Amount of her Claim
Against Woodmen.
Jury Decides the Suit After
But One Hour Of Con-
SideratiOn.
End of An Insurance Suit
Which Has Attracted
Wido Attention.

Wido Attention.
The trial of the case OF Georgia Bon.
nett vs.. The Modern Woodmen of
America was begun Thursday in dis
trict court. The plaintiff resides near
Sanborn and her husband was a men,
ber OF the San born Camp, NJ. W. A. He
died Dec. IA, 1898, and the proofs of bis
death wers sent to the chief office OF the
society. The lodge refused payment,
alleging that Mr.. Bonnett's health was
in precarious condition for many years
previous to his death, and that be in
duIged 10 Intoxicating liquors to an
extent which made h,m unfit for an in
surance rick. A jury WAS secured for
the trial without difficulty. The first
witness called was Mrs. Georgia Bon
nett, the plaintiff. She testified as to
the time of her husbands death and as
to bis belonging to the Woodmen. She
also identified the receipts for dues and
the insurance policy.
j. H. Cramer of Sanborn testified
that during the years 1896, 1897 and
1898 be was clerk OF the NJ. W. A. camp
at Sauborn. he was shown the clerk Q
book which be identified, and testified
as to the payment of the dues by Mr.
Bonnet and the amount paid iu all dur.
ne the years which Mr.. Bonnet was q
member. He also testified that Mr.,
Bennett had paid his dues on the sane
day on which he died-December Il,
1898. This concluded the plaintiffs
case.
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Cramer's tes.
timony, J. w. White, chief counsel OF
the NJ. w. A. lodge. asked that he
mig ht cirque motion before the court.
The court granted the request and set
l:3O D. N as the time OF hearing the
shotlon. The jury was excused till 2 p.
M.
The motion OF Attorney White to in.
etruct the jury to return "a verdict for
, the defendant was denied by Judge
GlaspeIl as the same was on technical
grounds.
The proofs of death 10 the case were
admitted after some objection by plain-
tlff's attorney John Kusuf. DR.. Barton
testified that be resided in SanbOrn and
told OF the circumstances under which
he became acqu slnted with Mr.. Bennett
His testimony az a physician was ob
jected to az contrary to the laws OF
North Dakota. The law specifies that
physician shall not testify re-
gsrding treatment given a patient un
less the party treated gives his or her
consent. Attorney White read pass.
age in the application made by the de-
ceased 10 which be waved all rights in
respect to the law governing this point.
Judge Glaepell ruled that Mr.. Bsrton's
testimony was admissible.
DR.. Barton stated that he had treated
Mr.. Bonnett for fts. The deceased was
subject to euch trouble ut times.
FRIDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
The trial OF the Bennett vs.. Wood
men case took an interesting turn in
district court Friday. An attempt ls
Z. made by the plaintiffs attorneys to
prove that Charles Bonnet died from
an overdose OF morphine administered
by Dr.. Barton the physician. Dr Bar
ton attended Mr.. Bennett during his
last illness and testified that he gave
the patient three doses OF morphine.
These doses we're gwen to allay the con-
vulslons from which the patient was
suffering. Laudanum was also given
to counteract the bad after effect Of the
morphine.
DR., Barton was cross examined by
Attorneys Knaut and Mcaarg. He
said that IL was very difficult thing to
tell what constituted dose Of laudanum
orlot morphine. 1t depended entirely
upon the case. In some cases the dose
would be large while 10 others it would
be dangerous to give more than very
small quantity.
DR.. Barton told OF having heard short.
" after Mr.. Bonnett's death that some
claimed he had given the deceased an
overdose of laudanum and that he would
be sued for malpractice. He had held a
conversation With Mrs. Bonnet and
also her mother regarding the matter.
This concluded the DOCTORS testimony
and he was excused. He was called as
witness by the defense.
II seems that in making out the certl-
f3cste OF death that Dr.. Barton gave the
cause az convuls,ons. This 10 one OF the
ressons that The Modern Woodmen Of