Evening journal., 1907-05-17
SAY lie FLEECED
RAILWAY COMPANY
0x-bIOOd SmeaTed on Street
Car Led to Payment Of
a "CIaim"

In General Sessions Court this
morning Edward Briscoe, colored was
placed on trial on charge of obtain
ing money under false pretenses. The
case grows out Of the payment Of $Sj
by the Wilmington City Railway COM
pany to Briscoe In settlement Of dam
ages for alleged injuries received by
Briscoe under one of the company's
cars at Pennsylvania avenue and du-
Pont street on the night of April 20.
Deputy Attorney General Hastings
conducted the prosecution. Leonard
E. Wales appeared for Briscoe.
In outlining his case to the jury Mr.
Hastings expressed the hope that the
state would get a conviction I'VE do
not desire to punish any innocent
man." ho sajd. 1--WE believe this man
is guilty and think ne should be COM
victed. We thought yesterday that
five other men were guilty of crimes
against the law OF this state, but you
did not think So"
Then Mr. Hastings said that the
state would prove that Briscoe pur-
chased two quarts of OK blood, with
which he smeared car No. 81 of the
line and then made the company be-
| Heve that he had been seriously in
iured by the car. Tho company paid
the man SS5 damages and later learned
| that II had been swlndled.
Blood on The Car
Thomas Fletcher. a young white
man. was the first witness called by
the state Fletcher sa.d he noticed
blood between the car tracks at Penn.
sylvania avenue and DUPONT street on
April 20. and while he was discussing
the matter with another man, Briscoe
besmoared with blood, appeared an.
| told OF having been run down by
car at the corner. Later Briscoe COM
planned of severe pain and asked ina
the ambulance be summoned. lt re-
moved him to the Delaware Hospital
Fletcher said he noticed jar. whicl
had contained blood, outside the ca
track. Mr. Hastings produced th
blood-stained jars but the witness
could not Identify them
George H. Builcn. who was With Fletch
er that night c1rrobora.ed hs testimony
Harry e.. poylnc. who was az tho corne
on the night of the alleged accident
told of meeting Briscoe there. He wa
besmeared with blood and told OF ha'
ing been run down by trolley car. a
Driscoo's suggestion Devlne telephone
the office OF the Wilmington city Raj
way Company that a man had been IT
fured and later Brlscoe was carried ava
In an ambulance.
Henry Hesslor testified TO having see
Brlscoe on the night in question and
learning from him that he had bee
struck by car. Seeing blood betwec
the car araeks witness inquired Of Br.s
coe where it had come from and the la
ter replied "from my mouth and moi
trils."
Il asked Briscoe why the car crew ha
not cared for him after he had been ir
jured so seriously and Br.scoe answere
that they had told him to keep out Of a
way" concluded MIR. Hessler.
Charles n. Thompson gave similar test
, mony.
! Dr. S c.. Rumford. who examined Br''
coe. az the Delaware Hospital that nigh
= testified that he found no indication
, any injury on the man. His clothing W,
4 smeared with blood and he complained
! pain IN the head.
o Fearing that these pains indicated j
) tornal injuries. the doctor kept the ma
4 in the hospital that night and discharg
him the following morning after Sc
s ond examination had failed to disclose
jur.es Of any character 20 the man.
Harry II. Geiger, assistant superinte
dent of the Wilmington City Railw.
Company produced receipts showing IN
/, Brlscoe had received ss5 from the cor
pany In settlement of his "clalm." ~
man at first demanded $780,
Trial Of the case win be resumed Il
, afternoon.