New-York tribune., 1905-08-02
AFTER ACCIDENT FAKIRS.
METROPOLITAN WILL act
Claim Attorney Says Lascyers and
Doctors hid "Grafters."

That an era OF hard times for those WIN rol-
low the profession OF getting hurt 10 conac,
damages from street and steam railroads ,s .,
hand was shown from two sources vester6sv
The Metropolitan Street Railway comnsDv
through James l. Quackenbush- its CHIEF claim
attorney outlined Its plans against these graf
ers" the attorneys who bring their oases "a %.
physiosns who furnish the evidence IN az
elusive interview. number Of indictments Win
IA asked OF the prosecuting ATTORNEYS ., ,.,,a-a,
counties about New-York ana IN. rae- go
medical associations VIII be asked 10 ,ak. srss-
tic action
L BuHslo three members OF one OF the most
successful gangs OF street railway accident
"grsfters" We're arrested by detectives from Bal
tinore This gang won damage suits within the
last few months from the Brooklyn Rapid Tran
sat Company and Jersey City company
amounting 10 $500. They wer- nearly success
nj with The Metropolitan In this city, and have
suits pending in Baltimore
The Metropolitan's contemnla.A6 sr+,o, s,a
the arrests II F"flalo are simply moves IN an
organized pla ridding the Dig oorpo-at,ons or
this country these leeches An association
las been formed lately which includes in its
membership the big accident insurance COM
pEnes, the larger street railroad corporations OF
the East and Middle West and many OF the
steam railroads It's purpose is TO furnish IN
formation OF the schemes ano Identity OF pro-
tessional accident grafters. and TO follow I'D
their prosecution IN every possible case without
regard 10 expense
TIE association is new that It has not yet
received e name Nevertheless the temporary
officers are already at work and their efforts are
beginning 10 be felt Detectives have about
hnis1eo working Up cases against several other
gangs and arrests are likely to be made in other
cities n the immediate future
The Official year for the Metropolitan CON-
pany ended July 81. and The Tribune yesterday
obtained some interesting figures ot the acci-
dents of the year and the amounts which the
company was mulcted for damages.
TO understand the significance OF these figures
Il may be stated with authority that the cars
OF The company travelled 100000 car miles on
The streets OF New-York last year, and that
total % so. 100000 passengers were carried
The total number OF accidents was 1900. In
these accidents los persons. including employees
were killed and thirty-seven lost limbs In leav-
ilg the cars 5742 persons were slightly injured
and z2a0 were hurt in boarding cars
These accidents. the conpany's records show
resulted IN ISIS suits for personal damage and
in about One-half Of these cases something was
recovered. The exact figures Of the companv's
.osses from this source were not given but
Il vas stated that the new and vigorous meth
DDS n vogue under Mr.. Quackeuoush had re-
suited IN e decrease Of 13 per cent over the
previous yea-.
II his ofioe IN the Syndicate Building, yes
1er5ay. Il conversation with Tribune reporter,
Nr Quackenbush said:
i has been our policy n the last year 10
show the public and ihe judges that the Metro
poliran Street Railway Company was going To
proceed with It's damage cases in q way per
FectIv fair and above board we have raxfn
~1e M oil m inst rha fnl
fessional accident workers and the assisting
Lawyers and doctors.
Il seems 10 Us that the time has now come
when we should proceed against those who have
laid themselves criminally liable. Next Monday
/ expect 10 ask District Attorney Jerome for
several indictments IN case which the COM
psny has been fighting for several months. In
order thar the ends OF justice may not be de-
fested cannot give the names Of those whom
We desire arrested for perjury and fraud. The
is Of eEnplOye who arranged
accident on one Of the cOmPanys cars and who
per-ured hiSlself beyond shadow OF doubt on
the witness stand. The person who claimed 70
be injured. the doctor who testified as TO the
injuries and other witnesses are likely 70 serve
terms
In two other cases brought recently in courts
outside OF NeH-York County have ample evil
dence OF which 70 ask indictments and propose
n 90 50 IN z few weeks
7 have evidence against a number OF lawyers
who 10 say the least, are guilty Of practices
which rrusr make them liable 70 the Bar Asso-
-iatIon. A number Of doctors are guilty OF
uttering false certificates and conpounding the
and medical associations VIII soon be asked
70 take action on evidence which we VIII put
before them.
As sa instance OF the unprofessional practices
n lawyers in accident cases Mr.. Quackenbush
said yesterday that. in recent accident which
featured IN the newspapers five different
Nv arms issued summonses in the case before
on. The lawyers had read OF the accident IN
papers and hurried TO their Offices to get
their suuraonses. Then they went to the vic
d and announced that they had begun suit
HIS behalf and endeavored TO get promise
2 30 per cent Of anything recovered.
Henry .. Macdona. one Of the attorneys for
lie Metropolitan. said yesterday that he be-
deyed the Riley-RObson gang had operated in
this city couple OF years ago At that time
however they did not have the idea OF planting
g pal" n the company's service SO that negli-
gence could be more safely proven against the
company. He declared that vigorous methods
put IN force in the claim department had greatly
reduced the company's loss IN damages for per
sonal injury.