Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-02
BANANA ANNA's ENTERPRISE.
Woman Who Falls Down and Sues
Railroads.

The name Of the woman with this
idea is Anna A. Sturla, Banana Anna,
as she came to be known among the
years she piled her trade briskly,
sometimes running a nickels worth Of
bananas up to $1,000 and occasionally
selling an apple core to claim agent
for $500. But the Alliances for the
Prevention of Accident Fraud got
her finally and had her locked up in
the Tombs She has been in prison
since June 5 last, and was about to
be sentenced on plea of guilty yes
terday by Supreme Court Justice Ros-
alsky when she suddenly decided to
withdraw the plea, alleging that a
railroad company had forced the
money on her.
According to the record she began
railroad ferryboat on June 16, 1906.
AS the boat bumped into its slip Anna
Banana gave cry Of pain and sank
to her knees. But in her pain she
witnesses, and when the claim agent
saw her next day he decided that she
had a case against the company
Would she settle? Yes she would, for
$1,000, and she got it.
On August of the same year she
travelled on an Erie train which
jolted her severely, so she screamed
and of course there were witnesses
The Erie gave up $500. On October
10, same year, her foot found its way
to a banana peel in the aisle of an
elevated train car in this borough.
but this claim agent was hard to con-
vince and there was nothing doing
in the way of compensation. The
very next day, October 20, she boarded
"a New York Central train. found a
banana peel convenient to her foot
and went down with loud cries. This
was the case on which fraud indict-
ment was found. Justice Rosalsky
read over long list of accident set
Elements by which she had benefited
to total Of $4,000.
Were these all fake accidents?"
asked the justice.
Most Of them were, yes" replied
Anna Banana.
IF you are guilty of these" con-
tinued the justice, why not the spe
ciiic accident mentioned in the in
dictment?"
"Oh. the company forced the
money on me in that case" she said.
II didn't even have to begin suit.
never demanded the money or made
any false representations. SO of
course l am not guilty. 1 pleaded
guilty before under a wrong impress
sion"
We'll. you seem to know some
law" said Justice Rosalsky. He sent
her back to the TOmbs to await trial
on November 20.
According to the record prepared
by the Alliance for the Prevention of
Accident Fraud. Mrs Sturla carried
banana skin or an apple core in a
handbag wherever she went. She
managed to drop either the skin or
the core without attracting attention.
1t was her custom to fall loudly but
she always retained enough presence
of mind to indicate TO witnesses that
her fall had been caused by stepping
on skin or a core. The rest was not
difficult. She avoided being carried
to any one hospital more than once.
In time the frequency Of her claims
aroused suspicion, which resulted In
her arrest and prosecution.
The alliances records show that she
got $1,000 from the PENNSYLVANIA,
$500 from the Erie. $3.50 from the
Reading. $50 from the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit. $500 from the Union
Ferry company. $50 from the Lack
awanna. 500 from the Ft. Lee Ferry,
$50 from the Jersey Central and
other sums from other roads.-New
York sun.