Waterbury Democrat., 1902-03-29
LAW COMMITTEE MET.
Heard Cases of Damages Brought
 Against the City.

Heard Cases of Damages Brought
 Against the City.
 The law committee met in the alder, manic chamber Thursday night and | heard parties who have threatened 10 sue the city for damages occasioned by alleged negligence on the part of people who failed to keep their walks in proper condition for public travel Those present were Chairman + w. Chesson, Louis Gates, City Attorney Kellogg and City Clerk NJ. J. Ryan. Charles A. Jackson represented his Wife, Mary Holohan Jackson. who fell and broke one of her legs on February l 7, opposite 23 Hillside avenue. MT Jackson said he was not anxious to 90 into the courts and on this account he would De willing to withdraw the suit on payment to the complainant by the city of the amount expended by reason or the injury, which foots up $75.
 Mrs John F. Corcoran of 523 East Main street appeared for her husband. who broke his leg on February 19 on l Walnut street, between Ward and Dlkeman streets. Mrs Corcoran would settle on condition that the city nav !er husbands wages, $15 q week. dur ing the time he was unable to work. and doctors bill of S25. She wnu1d not look for anything for attendance and expenses Of one kind and another that comes in where an accident of that kind happens.
 E. ". Mooring, who has apneaIea for an assessment of $352 arising from the establishment of a building line ou Phoenix avenue, would call the i'm pending contest a draw provided his assessment should be whittled down to apout SoO. This, he thought. would leave him paying on the same basis as others in that street
 J. D. Cashman of @ Round Hin street wanted $40 damage on account or mischief done in his cellar by bacl, Water. He said that the street was not properly graded and that surface water worked out of the gutter and across tne walk into his cellar, This occurre5 on December %. Soon after. it seems on complaint of Mir Cashman. the hoard or public works ordered the s1perin- tendent of streets to make q pntter i,7 the street for the purpose of affordino temporary relief to Nr Cashman and Ill so doing the preliminary step to an additional suit was started. William Thompson, who lived partly across the way from the Cashman places renre- sents that the gutter opened In the I street to protect Cashman damaged him. He was at the meeting and con- sidered it a rather peculiar piece of work for the city to have ordered done Mir Thompson was backed by Attorney Guilfoile, who was satisfied that his client has a good case. He never was troubled with surface water until the city dug a ditch in the street, thereby opening up q passageway throueh which all the water from the opposite side of the street rushed across the way and jumped the walk and then cut up all kinds of capers around the yard and cellar
 Attorney Richmond appeared for Carmelo Di Napoli who came near being made mince meat of in front of D. T. Hart's cafe on February 6. All the newspapers had scare head ac- counts of the accident at the time so that it is not necessary to go into the matter here. Di Napoli was renov- ing ice from the walk and while iab- ping at the sticky stuff his spade col lIded with stick of dynamite which exploded With crash that re-echoed all over town. Di NapoIi was hit in the head and face and suffered loss of time and great pain in mind and body. Rather than get into a tangle in the courts he would sign treaty of peace with the city provided he be paid the sum of $50. Attorney Richmond also represented John Stokes. who fell in front of 3S Bank street on Jan uary Il, and broke almost every bone in his body. No reason was given for the withdrawal of the suit and the committee didn't ask for any nor show any disposition to have the pro- posed row settled in this way.
 Thomas r. Hutchinson of Park place would call everything else square if the city would pay him S50 On Oc- tober Mir Hutchinson hitched his horse on West Main street, nearly op posite Hospital avenue, and went into nearby house where, he had business. At that time the city was flushing hy- drants all over town and the men had reached there on time to open one on the top of the hill shortly after Mr Hutchinson had hitched his horse The water came down with a rush and roar and scared the animal so badly that he broke loose. althonob securely tied, and by the time he wac captured the horse and wagon were so badly damaged that they were scarce. ly worth repairing. Mir Hutchinson is a man of peace and would settle for $50, considerably less than he ought to get, he knew, rather than % to law Attorney Thoms was heard relativa to the claim of SLIGO of Frank Kor- ner, which is on the docket for trial next Monday. It is claimed that Mr korner fell during the winter of 1eOo on that part of Vine street which rms northerly, breaking his wrist and re- ceiving other injuries. Mir Tboms said that some of his most important witnesses are in Troy, N. Y. and ara not willing to come here and he cannot compel them to do so. The attornev would agree to have 1t taken off inc docket and the whole matter settled on payment of $1OO.
 1t is understood that the committee will endeavor to have a report m thes cases ready for presentation fo the board of aldermen at their regular } meeting on April z. It was a very in teresting session and furnished an ex- ] cellent opportunity for the contending parties to get together without a re, sort to arms.