The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-20
NOVEL DAMAGE SUIT.

We have some curiosity to see how the damage suit of Georgs1 Lovejoy against pr. c. P. Thomas at Spokane. will come out The Richmond News
 Leader tells this of 1t:
 Mir. Lovejoy is an Elk and along with certain of his brethren volunteered to furnish cuticle to replace personal loss-
 E Of MT. Mrs s.ss Esd ~as ts the victim ws od ds
 burning accident. MT. Loyejoy submit ted himself to pr. c. P. Thomas with the understanding that he was to sur
 When hs was under chloroform and unconscious the doctor began to carve:
 From q scientific and medical point Of
 Iightfui that ne lost control of him
 self and proceeded to cut promiscu- ously. Apparently he was as much de-
 sofs SeteS ene ss ana s0y ssarp wts sew
 skin is said to be clear. firm ana or
 Beautifully fine grain; and the the docscr so scr cod S1re i ncs fesIs. s,es ns of it for annexaton
 to Ans Searies. The result was that
 MT Lovejoy woke UP to ,evs ma Mere n,mssl eonl
 cerned from hip to knee. He asserts
 that more than, fifty inches were de- lived from him fraudulently and m vio-
 lation of contract. and he IS sung TOT
 Slo.000 damages. the doctor peihs the I 0SAN"t&
 We hold that the doctor played it low
 down on MT. LoveJoy, and that the latter
 has good and valid cause to complain.
 What is generally called a skin game
 is not altogether unknown, but 1t re-
 mained for this disciple of Esculapius to play it literally and practically. To chloroform a man and rob him of his
 purse is not unusual. but-.to knock a fellow out with dope and peel the hide from him is a new one. And then see what mean advantage the doctor took of his helpless victim. When the lat ter offered twelve inches of skin gratis. to hold him sup--or down--and take fifty inches was larceny or something just as bad.
 If the cass is tough. through the courts there'lI likely be some interest ing developments. If the matter has been correctly stated the doctor was clearly guilty of breach of contract, and of obtaining human skin under false pretenses. and of larceny after trust, and of cruelty to the helpless, and per- haps other crimes and misdemeanors will come out against the luckless M. D. before all is dones It is hard to tell what sharp attorney can make out Of such case. ss
 Then there is another point to be considered So far as we now remem- Der the market value of human epider- mis has not been adjudicated in any of the co Icts of the country. If there s~ square inch for that portion of the body jury would have nc difficulty about the money loss and giving verdict for the plaintiff. but that would be only a minor portion of the difficulties to be settled. The unfair advantage taken of him, the humiiia- tion he sufrered at being made the vic- tim of such a skin game, and the nat ural desire of hocdoed victim to get even will all play a part in the settle ment of the case.
 The victim, .cording to accounts, does not claim that he has been dis figured. while he keeps his brooches on. cs result of the peeling process. His wounds have h saled and he Is as strong and active as eveE but that doesn't quite satisfy him. He is bound to get 1 even with that doctor in some man. ner and probably thinks a damage suit will be more profitable than skinning | he offender alive. We hope there will | ,e no compromise and that the case will | oe tried on its inerits-or demerits. | There's information ahead if that Is lone.