Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-07
DAMAGE CASES
ARE WITHDRAWN
EIGHT SUITS TEMPORARILY Y
TAKEN OUT
Jury Hears Repetition Of Evidence In
Railway Accident Litigation Un-
I'll Familiar with Mlnut-
est Details

| NlNiOul WdInlAlk VI CNRie'iA"'NA'AA NA1--N
suits for damages against local rail-
way companies were Withdrawn yester-
day from trial in department four of
the superior court by Attorney Harris
& Harris, representing the plaintiffs in
the cases.
That the cases will be filed for trial
at some future date is intimated and
the attorneys in the case make no state
ment other than 1t is a matter of con-
Venience to them and their business to
withdraw the cases at this time and
file them again for trial at later date.
The suits withdrawn aggregate dam
ages of $4,000 for injuries alleged to
have been received i'm recent wrecks on
the Los Angeles-Redondo, Pacific Elec-
trio, Los Angeles and Interurban rail-
ways.
1t has been a matter Of comment
for the past few weeks at the court
house, particularly by clients of various
attorneys, that they did not think the
jury in department four had a proper
appreciation of the existing conditions
or were as thoroughly competent to
Judge of a mans physical ailments as
they might be.
Are Familiar with Gases
Nearly a score of damage cases have
been tried before this same panel drawn
by Judge James some time ago as his
trial jury. Practically the same men
have served on each of the juries and
the damages are said to have assumed
minimum proportions. Naturally the
Jurors become tired of hearing the
lengthy arguments that they have
heard over and over. BY this time they
know the evidence in every case. They
know to the minutest details the man
ner of the accidents and according to
the statements of those who have in
terest in the cases, the plaintiffs are
unwilling to have their attorneys to
take their cases for a trial before a jury
that is as already as familiar with the
facts as they themselves, before even
the case is presented to them.
Most of the cases on trial, or rather
set for trial have been the outgrowth
of the Redondo accident, which, ac-
cording to the verdict of the coroner's
jury. was the result of negligence of
employees of the railway company, and
the wretk at the goose neck curve
on Brooklyn avenue on October IL,
last, which was another case where the
company was held to blame.
Several cases have been tried before
the department four jury by Attorney
Morton and in each case only very
small fraction of the amount asked
was granted by the jury.
In the Harris cases two have been
tried and in both cases only small re-
turns have been made. In one, where
a victim was carried into court on a
stretcher, $S 900 was granted when $780,
900 was asked. A verdict of $1,000 was
given in another case when $4,000 had
| been asked.
The present jury will have their hands
full with other railroad cases for the
month, so that the change of calendar
will make no material difference.
Following are the cases dismissed
yesterday With the amounts which they
represent:
Jos. B. Krenwinkel VS.. Los Angeles
Railway company. Suit for 10000 for
damages for injuries sustained in a
collision July at Maple avenue and
East Twelfth street
Clara Kavanaugh VS.. Los Angeles
Railway company for $10,170, for dam
ages sustained in collision July 28, Pico
and Grand.
c. A. Rhoades VS.. Los Angeles Inter
urban company, suit for $12,50O for in
juries sustained in collision, Vermont
and Vernon avenues, July 15.
j. F. Knepper VS.. Los Angeles and
Redondo Railway company, $2O,175 for
injuries in collision at Forty-second
street and Wesley avenue.
e. H. Richter VS.. Los Angeles and
Redondo Railway company, $20,500 for
injuries sustained in same collision.
c. B. McClelland VS.. Pacific Electric
company, $15, 300 for injuries sustained
ir Death Dip accident. October 13.
Henry c. Stademan VS.. Pacific Elec-
trio company, $500 for injuries in same