The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-09-21
coy WORTH TWO GIRLS
New Jersey Judges Novel
Decision.
BOY 10000; GIRL $1,000
Future Prospects the Basis.-Ciaim
Made That Woman May Become
Bread Winner, 9ut Man Must
NO Motion Made for a New
Trial.

Judge Frederick Adams, in the
Essex County Circuit Court a
Newark n j., handed down
decision that according to well
versed lawyers Is novel in New
Jersey. The decision is that the lif'
of healthy boy is worth twice as
much as that of girl in equal health
and of the same age.
Judge Adams's decision was on mo
tions made by Richard " Lindabury
counsel for the North Jersey Street
Railway Company, to upset one yer
dict for $4,000 given by jury in favor
of Evan II. Eastwood, and anotho,
for s. 900 rendered in favor Of Henry
Werpupp.
The suits grew out Of the Clifton
avenue grade-crossing disaster OF FEB
10. 1903, when in a collision between
a trolley car and a Lackawanna Rail
road train, nine Newark High Schoc.
pupils lost their lives
Eastwood is the father OF Evan +
]. Eastwood the only boy killed IN
the accident. while Werpupp Is The
father of Ella Werpupp. one of the
girl victims The application to up
set or reduce the verdicts was made
some time ago, on the ground that the
damages awarded in each case were
excessive.
Judge Adams announced that the
Eastwood verdict would stand but
that the Werpupp verdict was exces
sive that the plaintiff must accept
$4,000, with the alternative Of under
going another trial. The Court said;
"The verdict Of $4,000 in the Eas..
wood case has never seemed to mo
to be excessive and | still maintail
It. Let us look at the matter
young Eastwood was in gool
health, a creditable scholar, of excel
lent character and in all ways admir-
able as a young man of high promise.
The evidence shows that he had !
peculiar aptitude for mechanical con,
structon and to some extent employ.
ed his ingenuity to help advance his
fathers business.
The father is n healthy man, and
the Jury may have considered the
point that both men would probably
have lived for twenty-five years more
The son might have been expected to
his services would ultimately hav9
been very useful to the firm. | am
basing this conclusion upon hopeful,
rather than pessimistic view OF the
future.
"The jury, infer. probably con.
cluded that substantial benefits Of this
kind should be expressible in thou
sands instead Of hundreds Of dollars.
and | am inclined to agree with the
verdict as rendered.
"As to theNdeath OF Miss Werpupp
she was very promising young wo
man, healthy and inspired with ambi
tion to some day earn her living as a
school teacher with, OF course, the
possibility Of her marrying.
Now, woman may become o
bread-winner; a man must be one. II
Miss Werpupp devoted herself to the
career of a teacher, as she probably
would have done had she lived. she
COulu, after leW years, earn, ~
greatly successful at the most about
S110 a month
Therefore, taking the most Opt.
mistic view OF her financial value, |
think Eastwood's expectations were
at least twice as valuable as those
Of Miss Werpupp. decide that il the
plaintiff in her case shall elect to take
$4,000 in place OF the $4,000 awarded
judgment may stand in that amount. :