The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-07-15
INJURED
KNEECAP
Used As a Means of De.
frauding Cities
BROUGHT SUIT AGAINST ASTORIA
Was Granted $4,000 Damage But Of
ficiaIs Were Give a Tip Before
Money Was Paid.
BROUGHT SUIT AGAINST ASTORIA

| Astoria, Ore.-Durlng the present
week two men are to be tried in the
circuit court here on the charge OF
perjury. They are Charlie R. Lane
alias John l.. Book, alias John Lane
and Josier S. Smith, alias George r.
! Rodgers, and they are accused of hav-
ing testified falsely in a damage suit
| brought by Lane under the name of
| John L. Book, against the City of AS
| tOria.
In his complaint Book alleged that
on the evening of August 81, 1900,
while walking along Duane street he
fell through a hole in the planking and
| fractured his right knee cap. About
year later he filed suit for $4,000
| damages. The case was tried twice
| the first jury disagreeing and the sec
| Ond giving the plaintiff a judg-
ment in the sum Of $2500.50. Smith
testified at the first trial that he was
with Book at the time he was alleged
! to have been injured. About two
! months ago proposition was before
the City Council to compromise the
claim by the payment of $4,000. when
District Attorney Allen received infOr-
nation to the effect that the men were
frauds. City Attorney Smith and
Sheriff Linville left Immediately for
Contra Costa, Cal, where Book and
Smith live, and soon secured sutfi-
Client evidence to warrant their arrest
on the charge of perjury.
At the preliminary hearing testi-
mOny was introduced showing that
Books injury was of long standing and
that he had made use of it several
~i,,,n hot 70 n frnr
cities. corporations and individuals.
An affidavit was presented from Thos.
Wilkinson warden of the California
state prison at Folsom, and on it
was photograph easily recognized as
Book or Lane. 1t said that c. R. Lane
was sent to the prison from Contra
Costa county on August 10, 1895, for
grand larceny, and was discharged on
December IS, 1897. In its descrip-
ton of the prisoner the affidavit said
Lanes right kneecap was badly broken
and he walked lame. E. w. Leus and
G.. l.. Perkins testified that they had
lived near the two defendants for II
or 13 years, that Books true name
was Charles r. Lane, that during all
this time he had been lame and that
Smith knew it. They also testified
that about three years ago Book or
Lane secured 5000 from Mrs. Hinton,
of CAT Folsom street, San Francisco,
by claiming he was injured on her
property. In December, 1899, ne got
$1,000 from the owner of a building
being erected in San Francisco and
about two years ago he was paid be-
tween $50 and 500 by the San Pablo
Street Railway company of Oakland
for the same injury.
From other sources it is learned
that in 1902 Book, under the name OF
John E. B. Myers, secured $4,000 from
the City of Seattle in settlement of a
suit brought to obtain damages for
breaking his leg in that city on Au-
gust II, 1900, just four days after he
was alleged to have been injured here
1t is also alleged that shortly before
coming here he sued Jacobs Bros, of
Portland, on a similar charge and af
ter that was dropped, he called in a
prominent physician Of that city,
whose name the officers will not make
public, to examine his leg preparatory
to bringing suit against the City of
Portland. The physician, it is said,
pronounced the break an old one and
the scheme was dropped.
At the preliminary examination
Book said his true name was John L.
Book but on being arraigned in the
circuit court he said it was John Lane
and an order was made directing that
he be proceeded against under the
latter name. Smiths trial will be
commenced on Wednesday and Lanes
will follow Immediately afterwards.