The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-11
MANS QUEER LIVELIHOOD
HE LOOKS FOR TROUBLE
Falls Over Anything He Can and Then Sues for
 Damages.

| A man who was said to make a liv- ing by looking for ropes and such like obstacles, in order to fall over them and claim compensation, had on Sun day to answer a charge of attempting to defraud the Ocean Accident and Guarantee corporations limited, of 94O. Remarkable evidence of this original profession was given in the course of
 the case, before the stratford magis-
 trates.
 l Samuel Burton is the man accused He was also said to use another name,
 "Bittan," and to have two addresses
 Mir. Leycester appeared to prosecute
 him on behalf of the corporation
 which insures business firms and
 tradespeople against liability for ac- cidents.
 An instance of Burton's alleged sys-
 tenn was described by Harry Smith,
 who is employed by the Borough Bill
 Posting company. He said he was posting bills in Idford lane, and drop ped some paste. He went to his van
 to fetch brush, and turning saw
 magnihed. These accidents went on
 Burton lying on the ground near the paste Smith picked him up, with the ] assistance of a stranger, and Burton said he had fallen over the paste, He took Smiths name and address, and said if he had not hurt himself much he would not make any trouble over | it, they need not call for policeman; they could settle their business them selves He then llmped away refusing any aid.
 The firm employing Smith was in- sured in the Ocean corporation, and
 MT. Preston, the Ocean claims, inspec- tor, carried the story on where Smiths knowledge of it ended. H esaid that soon after the accident Smiths em- ployers sent the insurance corpora ton letter which they had received from James Bittann A doctors certificate was inclosed, In conse- quence the inspector called at Albert road and saw Burton, who had bad ly bruised knee. He said he felt pain in his right wrist, and as to his knee he could not say when he would be able to walk again. He added that his earnings averaged G6 a week, and this accident meant serious loss to him. He produced d letter which said he had lost quite &10 through the accident
 Eventually the inspector told him the company could not admit liability, as through his own negligence he had contributed to the accident. Burton then said he had five witnesses to prove his case, but rather than take it to court he would be prepared to accept a40 if the matter was settled at once. This case was d sequel to the claim. For the prosecution, Mir. Ley cester said that accident making was Burton's living. Ills practice appeared to be to go about the streets looking for a rope stretched across the pave- ment where beer was being delivered, or looking for tarpaulin or a defective mat ana tumDllnB over them to hurt himself and make claim for compen- sation. He nearly always injured his knee, and 1t was a fact that he had an injury to the knee which could be easily month after month, and year after year
 The total amount which he appeared to have obtained in the cases under notice (said Mir. Leycester) was up- ward of f200. The prosecution now found at the time the application was made for the summons Burton was en- gagged In making claim against Mir. ] Govier, 8 tradesman of Forestgate, by pretending to have had an accident
 London Correspondence, Pittsburg Ga
 zette-Times.