The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-09
DEFRAUDINGSTREET CAREINES
ODD ACCIDENT FRAUD CASE
AGAIN IN COURT.

Az Trial OF Lawyer A. :. Frank for b
nation OF Perjury u IL Revealed How
a Conductor and His AcrObattc WIFE
Conspired TO Get Damages for Injuries.
The manner in which the New York City
Railway Company, operating the surface
lines on Manhattan Island, Is victimized by
conductors working in collision with law
ysrs and claim agents was revealed yester-
day at the trial Of Alpheus s Frank OF ifs
Broadway, who is charged with subornation
OF perjury before Judge Platt in the county
court at White Plains.
LAWYER Frank. who is said TO be a son OF
Brig. Gen. Royal +. Frank, at n tims
c~ommandant Of the artillery school at
Fort Monroe. was counsel for Mac +.
Wood, who brought suit against the New
York City Railway Company Tor injuries
alleged to nave been received by her while
alehting from a trolley car at Ninth avenue
and Fifty-ninth street in June, 1904.
At ths trial 10 developed that her husband
was the conductor Of the car upon which
she was injured. He had given the name
of Walter T. Gardiner when he got his
Job. but the Investigators discovered hat
his real name was Abbott Wood and that he
formerly had held a city position in Boston.
10 3 learned further that at H. ~ me OF the
accident the conductor jumped on the car
and asked his wife IL she was hurt. She
replied that che was, and he asked her Tor
her card. She gave him a cara upon wnicn
was written her address IN Forty..sixtn
street. Both she and Wood were touno
living at that address.
The discovery Of the perjury resulted In
a verdict for the defendant, and the railway
corporation proceeded against Wood ana
his wife for perjury, with the result that
they were convicted and sent TO prison ior
tsLms Of from three to hye yesrs g. ,rd,c,.
; mont Of Lawyers Frank and +. M. Harden
brook. The latter, who is a well known
yaohtman Of Larchmont. raised a demurrer
upon which his indictment was dlsmisseo.
The company in its p~rosecution OF Lawyer
Frank 10 trying to prove that he was an
sambulance chaser" and was in collusion
i with Wood, from whom he received reports
Of accidents and the names and addresses
of those injured. The main witnesses are
the conductor and his wife. III latter,
|; through the Efforts of her father. who Is
Undsf Sheriff at Providence, r, l.. has
Just been released from Auburn prison. out
Wood is still in Sing Sing.
Mrs. Wood, who is IS years old. was sub
iocted TO a sever cross-examlnalon by
LAWYER David II. Hunt. representing FRANK,
who brought out the fact that she had had
a varied career, having been at times an
investigator for a street railway corporation
ia Provfdence, a banioist. vaudeville singer.
contortionist and acrobat in a circus. Hunt
forced her TO admit that the suit which she
brought against the New York City Rail
way through Frank was legitimate so TAR
a. her injuries were concerned, and tne
LAWYER will try to prove that Frank was
deceived by the couple.
II was brought BUT at the trial that Wood
IN wanted in Boston for attempting TO
under another mans name.
District Attorney Young OF Westminster
county is prosecuting the case, which vas
DOT finished yesterday.