Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-08-18
new LONDON MAN
SUED FOR $4,000

W. S. Johnson Of New London
Runs Into Minneapolis Man
Sued For Damages.
The party composed of Mr.. and
Mrs. w. S. johnson and children
and Mrs. J. H. Neer who made q
trip to La Crosse, Wis.,, via auto
mobile met with an accident at
Minneapolis while on their way to
La Crosse, which took all the pleas
ure out of the trip. They had the
misfortune to run into a man at
Minneapolis with the auto, knocked
him down, and in striking the
pavement fractured his right hip.
M. A. Schae, a sugar broker of
Minneapolis, is the party injured.
The party left here on Wednesday
afternoon, July %, and the acci-
dent happened in the evening of the
next day. They arrived in Mime
apolis on Thursday, and in the af-
ternoon went out to the home of
Johnnie Henderson for short WIS.,
it. Mrs. Henderson was not at
home at the time, and someone pro-
posed taking the children out for a
ride. So Mr.. Henderson and his
two children also got into the auto
mobile, and the party proceeded
out to Lake Harriet, where they
spent the evening listening to the
band concert. Returning about 10
o'clock, they naturally went down
Hennepin avenue. as the Hender-
sons live on the East Side, and it
was near the corner of Hennepin
and Fifth St. that the accident oc-
Cured. MIR. johnson had all the
lights on the machine burning and
was travelling at four mile per
hour gait. When nearing the cor
ner, a man stepped off the curbing
and started toward a street car on
the opposite side of the street.
Mr.. johnson at once footed the horn
three times, and the man would
have had plenty of time to have
gotten out of the road, had he kept
on going. but he stopped directly
in front of the auto. deciding not
to take the car. II seemed. Mr..
Johnson at once applied the brake,
and stopped the engine. but as the
streets were slippery from sprink-
ling, the brake did not work as
we'll as it would under different
conditions, and he was unable to
avoid the man, who it was learned
later was MIR. Schae. He was
pushed over, the machine passing
over him, but was untouched by the
wheels. He was hit on the left side
by the auto, and being quite a
heavy man, fractured his right hip
when he struck the pavement. He
was at once taken to the City Hos
pital in the automobile by Mr..
johnson. who remained in Minnea-
polls all of the next day until it
was reported that his injuries were
not Of any serious nature. And it
was after Mr.. johnson had departed
on his way to La Crosse that the
story came out that Mr.. Schae had
a fractured hip.
Mrs. johnson and Mr.. Henderson
and the children got out of the auto
when they took Mr.. Schae to the
hospital, and remained at the scene
of the accident, during which time
several who witnessed the unfortu-
nate affair came up to them and
voluntarily offered them their
names and addresses, and stated
that Mr.. Schae was entirely to
blame, and that if any trouble ever
came from it, they would be ready
to testify to that effect.
They proceeded on their trip to La
Cross, leaving Minneapolis Satur.
day morning, and returning to New
London last Saturday, just one
week later. On arriving here MIR.
johnson found a letter from the law
firm of Welch, Hayne & Hubacheck
of Minneapolis awaiting him, in.
forming him that he had been sued
for $50, 600 damages and 81 900 ex.
penses, a total of $51, 900, and the
papers were served on him at abou,
the same time. While MIR. John
son, tho not in any way to blame
for the accident, would have beer
willing to have paid the doctor and
hospital expenses, he did not care
to be taken for an easy mark, anc
went to St. Cloud. where he Sc
cured an attorney to take charge OF
the case.
A report in the Minneapoli!
Journal stating that Mr.. johnson
. was running the machine withou
lights at the time of the accident
, was absolutely false, and was quit.
likely given to the Journal by som,
friend of MIR. Schae. Senator Rip
ley V. Brewer of the law firm O
+ Stewart & Brewer of St. Cloud
will handle the case for MIR. John
!, son, and will fight it to finish
1t looks like big game of bluff OF
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