Arizona republican., 1900-12-11
AN INJURED" ACROBAT.

| One of the most ridiculous and hum orous swindles ever attempted in Chi cago, came to light five or six years
 ago. when a young woman by the name | of Freeman entered suit against the Rock Island railroad for personal iE- | juries. The complainant lived with her family at 66S West Twelfth street. She and her sister were professional acrobats and did turns on the vaude- vile stage. It was claimed by the one supposed to be injured that she one day boarded a Rock Island suburban train. The train was crowded, so ran the story, and the girl was unable to find seat. A sudden stop of the train threw the young woman off her bal ance and she fell striking her back up- on one of the seats, the injury result ing in a complete paralysis of the lower limbs, which was a very serious accident, it would appear, for a pro- fessional acrobat.
 As a partial recompense the girl de- manded S2,000 damages from the rail- road. Physicians visited the house on West Twelfth and found Miss Freeman in bed, her lower limbs apparently par alyZed. Pins and needles were stuck into the flesh of her legs, but the girl had the nerve of a Spartan, for there was never quiver in her face or limbs and she said she experienced TO feeling whatever The doctors were completely fbaff1ed, but the railroad company was still convinced that 1t was an effort to swindle and declined to settle. A number of officials were certain that despite all appearances the paralysis was all a sham, and 1t was decided to get up system or espionage Fortunately the room over that of the paralytic was not rented and detectives straightway rented 1t and set about arranging to see what was going on in the Freeman rooms. The floor was opened and one of the detectives put his foot through the pTastering of the room below. It was explained to the Freemans by the tenants above that they were looking for dead rat and that one of the men accidentally stepped on the plasterlng when the floor was opened. They said they would keep a rug over the hole until they could have it mended. The suspicious of the family below were not aroused and through the opening reporters and detectives witnessed strange sights. When no doctors or other visitors were about the paralytic would hop out of bed and turn hand springs and wagon wheels in the most finished style imaginable, and then she would do a saries of such high kicks that lost in admiration the watchers came near applauding two or three times and giving everything away.
 However. the road thought it would collect still more evidence and the head physician of the company was sent for and instructed to go out to the house and examine the girl. Then came the grand continuation of the investiga- tion and the ruination of the suit After the doctor had made an exam1na- tion that revealed nothing conclusive ly. he grasped one of the girls feet and lifted it high in the air. Here was a poser for the girl. She was too ig- norant to know how a paralyzed leg would act under such circumstances. She had been instructed on paralysis considerably, but here was one point which had not been covered in the ln- struction. Would a paralyzed leg re main in the air where it had been lift ed, after the lifting agent had been removed, or would it fall back on the bed? She had to decide quickly. Her leg was up and the physician's hand had been removed. It was stab in the dark for her, but she had to do something. She held her leg sticking up into the air and her damage suit thereupon exploded as quickly as cartridge struck by a sledge hammer. Chicago Chronicle.