The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-14

Who Live on Their Wits.
Boston Advertiser.
The claim agent OF a New England fail-
road lifted his eyes nterrogativsly frt3n n
bundle OF papers he was examining e a
middle aged man of exceedingly respectable
aspect approached his desk with Aggressive
tread and deposited a bundle.
You are the claim agent?' he begssa in
a war-like tone.
Yes" the agent assented mildly.
81 want TO tell you" his caller contfs1ed,
scarcely noticing the reply. what oiA OF
your brakeman did for me. Last niglt az
A 1 started 10 board the train JUG as
it was pulling out and the pimp slarHned
the gate in my face, left me to harf on
till / jumped and cleaned the street with
a new suit. Look at it," with a ttagic
gesture toward the bundle. II wasn'tfaurt
enough to mention, but I'm going to Save
the price of that suit or
How much?' the agent asked
Sixty solid dollars" the irate coma ain
ant declared with grim discriminating
AS he spoke the agent filed a bIanI and
attached his signature. "Your ordert' he
remarked briefly. as he extended ths re-
quisite slip.
don't need TO. I've sized you uE and
that's enough"
You didn't treat an Acquaintance of
mine like this when he called with a claim
the other day. He says he's going q sue
the road" said the satisfied citizen With q
slight grin.
Your friend q bit shifty in businesss ieal-
ings?"
Good fellow, but just-well. a bit 5harp
Repressed triumph cleaned faintf, in
the agents eyes, and he thawed perceIfibly.
Well, he said, Il sized him up. 20. IL
seems 1 have to run by that rule. ri the
ways or claim bummers are wonderfully
s~hrewd-shrewd enough to fool mrs3 any
one on superficial examination; the rT&kest
fakes usually have the most apparent evil
dence to support them. So / proptunce
snap judgment on character. and i Hon't
mind saying that my record on GAINS
turned down proves some discrimit ative
ability. III L reject. the claimant mutt es-
tablish his case in court, that's all
Neither you nor any other man got I'm
daily contact with this side OF railrcitding
can measure the volume OF demanps for
damages steadily pouring in. or feelS as I
do, the tendency, seemingly universal. to
gouge. Two men out OF three will {heer-
fully cheat the government. and fott out
OF five think 1t fair to cheat a corpoIsition.
if it can be accomplished without restrt TO
forgery, incendiarism or some other knajor
crime. Sometimes / think that nine But OF
ten efforts TO bleed railroads for damages
TO person or property are fraudulents
THE class to which yonr claim beings
charges for damage to wearing ap4arel-
is small. but unless we watched SHARPLY
and resisted seemingly illegal demafds to
the last ditch. dividends would be Eighty
small. The dodge of TRIPPING or quadrtpling
the value of goods actually lost irS bag
gage is familiar to everybody. but you may
not know about tricks OF people WIFI only
Newspaper nsSn of a reports gs 9 S geT a lnsta nssSy trough though
to come here and threaten to sue VI big
money for baggage lost isn't pasi in
stanter. Steam roads cope with sucfS beats
more easily that electric lines, for When a
stander can readily learn its numbfr, the
number of the conductor and other.facts.
which make him. IL he is a shrwecs chap.
rather hard to catch.
Nowadays claims for watches ans Jew
suppose. a broadening idea of coSoorate
duty. If we are to furnish clothes fer pat
rons. why not add the finishing tougles OF
attire Not long aSo l caught ~ a mig in q 3
set of false teeth on a claim all bunkombe.
Claims for personal injuries weary us
most, of course, for they involves most
financially and are closely related 20 the
roads integrity as a public carrieE Our
attorneys and medical advisers befr the
brunt of responsibility there. Mush has
been written of the acumen, patierte and
fortitude OF claimants counterfeitingf physi-
cal injuries to extort money from public
mot long aso WE Hss ch bekkedd ~ = oe mSSn ool wbe
said his legs were paralyzed in a wfeck or
our line and brought suit for $4,000.
think We might have COMPROMISED the
claim, for he played his part like a major
with the assistance OF a doctor, w.o viii
never trouble us again. He even fooled hi:
lawyer; and endured tests 50 painful tina
mar TO undergo them. But at lasS cleo
tricity caught him off guard. We get hin
go. a mistake in view of later information
against Western roads, all probably impo
sitions.
Last year a too enterprising !; youns
draughtsman in the city tried TO. coilecr
5000 from US for alleged loss of Employ.
ment anu permanent injury in a Ctacturs
of his right wrist by falling from "a sud
denly started train. With a little S.roubl,
we proved that employment lost wa4 due e
a prolonged vacation in the county anC
the X-ray could find no trace OF a Aactur,
in his wrist. He is wanting yet"
Gases like his and many in whict Sigh
j fact Is with much fiction ar
worked up by legal shysters on tie con
tingent fee basis. IT would be unrt,asona
BILE. i suppose, to expect from all kawyerl
respect for their profession: ever the minis
tray has more than a few black shetp. Blu
ance of contingent fees would save. an in
creasing number of attorneys frcsn tn,
pains OF disbarment. A lawyer Sorkinl
ner as well as his attorney. Under Abe cir
cumstances temptation TO violate sprofes
sional honor II often too strong for men OF
ship leads to abuse of professional privi
leges.
The number Of suits against corpora.
lions for damages for personal injuSies Ia,
increased enormously OF late. and q larg'
cities a class Of lawyers Specialize witt
such business. often STOPPING TO systemati,
canvass for clients. Some ave agdlts GU
with promise Of commission IL a fes. result
from their report OF an accident, tbs victim
being promptly nailed by the lawyer
When big contract jobs. such as subwa,
excavations, are undertaken, peoele EN-
ployed along the line Of work are Sired q
watch for cases. Policemen are not Away
above earning a few dollars that way. Suci
practice leads TO abuses which cry FOR reg
~ulation. to methods OF the blackpsliier II
pressing claims.
''Then we encounter the accident. broker
an unprofessional sharper on the aunt 10
people wieh negotiable injuries. Hk claim
TO nave special influence transferable 70
cash. If he gets money from n cor. ~soration
he keeps most of it Unsuccessful. &c turn
the case over to a hungry lawster VIII
promises a percentage IL he wins.
Claims just and unjust keep Us prett,
busy, and" the Office door banned as
woman of chilly mien advanced. Tie agen
settled back in his chair. the impasfive ON
cial. With signs OF slight ~elation 1.-THE en-
lightened citizen departed.