The daily sentinel., 1907-07-08
QUEER DAMAGE SUITS.
Victims Place Various Estimates on
Life, Limbs and Hearts.

q Damage suits of the crop of q
O 1907 throw an interesting light q
O on the personal estimates of a
q the victims of mischance. a
q In some cases. guided proGn- a
q bly, by precedent, those who A
q sue for balm for specific inju- 4
q ry have hit upon the same sum. 4
1t is rather a difficult thing TO ar
rive at a fair average in the esti-
mating of the value of life and limb.
for by some life Is held cheaper than
by others and by the diversified call
ings of mankind particular portions
of one persons body may have n
greater productive value than the
same portions of his neigh hbor's
body. The mother of the tenements.
for example, might not hesitate long
at a decision if she were offered d
good number of thousands of dol
lars for the consent to another's Gus
tody of her child.
On the other hand. here is Mrs
Merrill Beecher Mills refusing her
husbands offer of 81 100000 If she
would surrender to his care their
young daughter Cynthia.
Perhaps all that this proves is
that dollars mean more to the woman
of the tenements than they do to
the matron of the castle, for the sim
pie reason that the latter has a sur
felt of them.
Oddly enough, the highest indlvd-
ual sum asked for by one aggrieved
was not for the death of n relative,
but for the burial of that relative
after death.
DR.. Chalmers Prentice of Chicago,
on hearing of the death of his wife
at sea and her burial over the side of
the ship, announced his intention of
suing the company for $3.50, 900. Her
daughter demanded that the body be
brought to New York City for em-
halming, but the ships physician
ruled otherwise.
Just as the highest claim for the
first half of 1907 has not been for
death, so the highest allowance by
court has not been for a fatality.
Edward Kleist of New Rochelle
had asked 100000 for injuries sus-
tanned in a collision between railroad
trains in this city. His hip was brok-
en-, he became paralyzed on the right
side, lost the power of speech and
had six bones broken in different
parts of the body. The settlement,
one of the largest ever made by a
railroad company in suit for person
al injuries was for $4,000.
Fifty thousand dollars is the high
est sum asked for this year, for sud
den death.
Petitioners place loss of affection.
the running of stage career, compul-
sory army service, breach of promise
to marry, railroad wreck injury and
steamship annoyances ahead of act
ual death
Heading the list of these causes is
the suit OF William II. Bramson, pro-
prietor of hotel at Catskill, N. Y.
He has asked for 100000 from two
Others he charges with alternating the
affections of his wife.
Just half that sum. or 500. 900, is
the money value fixed by Charles
Leeyrer, New York resident, on
the affections of his wife, and II is
his former chum who is asked to pay
the tidy fortune.
Three women have asked the
courts to award them 100000
apiece as some sort of solace for the
departed love of their spouses. One
of these, Mrs, Howard Trimpi of
Bradley Beach, n. j., wants her faith
er-in-law TO settle, for he it was, ac-
cording to the plaintiff, who drew
the young husband from her side.
OF the other two, Mrs. Mary Nor
ris Of New York City, has named a
fair Albanian as the person from
whom the 100000 would be most
dcceptable.-New York Herald.