The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-04-23
PECUNtAaY DAMAGES.
Interesting TO Note Valuations as Dis
closed by Suits at Law.

closed by Suits at Law.
In primitive society every man was
his own sheriff. Judge and execution
or. II member of his tribe did him
an injury he got even with him, and
his family took up his quarrel. II 1t
was O member OF another tribe who
committed the trespass 1t was made
tribal matter, and SO a rude approach
to justice began to be done. Its basis
was as nearly as possible retaliation.
and an EYE for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth" is quoted in the New
Testament as a Jewish law down to a
time shortly before our era.
Little by little society began to
deny to the individual the right to
avenge his own injuries, until now,
in theory, all punishment for crime
and the settlement of all controver.
sizes are In the hands of the State,
though, as a matter of fact. In this
and some semi-barbarous countries
the vendetta still exists. AS soon as
men began to be possessed OF prop
erty the State began the practice, In
cases where hanging and imprison.
ment seemed Inappropriate to the Of
fense, of imposing fines and of COM
pensating persons who had suffered
harm from others by pecuniary dam
ages. While there seems to be no
other way of dlsposing Of controver-
sizes, such a system of law can never
become a science, as the amount of
damages, being generally left to the
discretion of jury, has no uniform
ity; in fact, varies in the widest de-
gree when the circumstances are sub.
stantially identical
1t is interesting to note the pecuni-
AIRY valuation, as disclosed by suits at
law brought or tried during the past
year which different people put upon
all sorts of alleged injuries and tres
passes on their rights. A Chicago
man demands $3.50, 900 from steam
ship company for burying his wife's
body at sea- A New York man sued
the Central Railroad for 100000 for
severe injuries received in an acci-
dent, and recovered $4,000. 1t is
fair TO assume that in such cases the
Jury takes into consideration, besides
the suffering of the person hurt, the
extent to which he is incapacitated
from work and the amount he has
been earning. For death resulting
from accidents there has been stat
utory limit of $4,000 in most States,
but many of them are repeating it.
leaving juries free hand. 1t is no
ticeable that as rule much larger
amounts are demanded for other
causes than for death. For instance,
we find one New Yorker demanding
100000 for the alienation of his
wife's affections, and another content
ing himself with asking the paltry
sum of 100000. How can the value
of a wife's affection be measured in
cold cash, and how can 1t be supposed
to be worth so much more to one man
than to another? The women agree
much better in their estimate of the
amount adequate to compensate them
for the loss of husbands affection.
We find three seeking to recover the
sum of 100000 each.
One hundred thousand dollars
seems to be a popular sum to ask for.
II is we'll sounding and alluripg
amount. A naturalized Austrian,
who was compelled to do military
duty when he went back to Austria
for a visit. wants the Government to
collect that amount for him as dam
ages; two women fix on the same
amount for injuries in street car ac-
cidents, and an actress thinks herself
entitled to at least that for breach
OF promise. 1t is hard to conjecture
what governs juries in such cases.
One widow is given $4,000 for the
death of her husband, and another
$101, 900. The same jury that fixed
the latter amount gave young wom-
an $4,000 for the loss of her leg
Some of these verdicts must be very
much out of the way, and are reached
by splitting differences and tossing up
pennies.-Cinclnnati Enquirer.