The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-03-22

In another case, which came prac-
tically under my personal observation
a train man lost both legs. He was
the subject of contingent fee con-
tract. Damages in the sum of $4,000
were voluntarily paid by the railway
company, and the attorney, for MS
advice conversation and companion
ship. retained the sum of $4,000.
Organizations are perfected IN
larger cities where men hum oue
claims of this kind, take them to at
torneys offices, upon per cent, and
j there is a general division of the
proceeds that may be the result OF
either compromise or law suits, and
in almost every town of any consla-
cradle size, through which railroads
and electric lines are operated, there
are firms of attorneys who nave
/ procurers, who hasten to the bed
side of the injured or invade the
home of the widow, ostensibly for the
purpose of Offering coincidence and
sympathy, usually retiring with
contract for fifty per cent contin-
gent fee.
Few cases are tried in court upon
the facts as they actually happen.
Lawyers who become experts in the
matter of liabilities, produce witnesses
i that testify in the language of the
4 supreme court. Men serving corpor-
atoms, no matter how faithful their
work, how high their character or
what responsibilities for many years
they have responded to, are held by
the average jury unworthy of bellef,
and the plaintiff, vitality interested,
may tell story, no matter how I'M
probable or how contradictory as to
former statements, and his unsupport
ed word is taken against cloud OF
other unimpeached and unimpeach
able witnesses, and the jury promptly
proceeds to administer what in thelI
judgment they consider we'll de
served punishment and rebuke.
A ready reply to the claim thai
lawyers and collecting agencies ex
aggerate injuries and make uncon
scionable charges is the contention
that claim agents of railways fire.
quently make adjustments under cir
cumstances that are unfair to injured
or ingnorant persons. 1t may be tina
in some instances, these charges arr
true, and, if such is the case, thel
, it presents another and very poten
argument why some permanent ant
{ah ln Of od ShnllIl
, be created.
The number of fraudulent case
that are instituted, and the numbe
of persons, who sham and assum
!, injuries, that are rewarded, If tn
truth were known, would astoun
every honest person who desires tina
;, the courts shall dispense real justice
a based upon actual facts. In a Unite
J experience, recall one or two il
= stances of clearly fraudulent attempt
G to recover.
r Some years ago a packing house i
o Keokuk had employed a number c
: men in filing an ice house. The ic
! was raised on slide, each cake {
:. ice being pulled up an incline, an
!. on the side was run way for ma
! to walk, that he might hold the cak
of ice in place. Concluding that
- was easier to ride than walk, the en-
r. ploye in question was riding on tt
cake of ice ignoring the safety a
10 pliance that the master had provide
~ Just as the cake reached the ape
80 +ho hn1dir
h. the rope which was raising the cak
id slipped, and the man was thrown
d the ground, a distance of fifteen fee
n The best medical men in the neig
W. borhood pronounced his injury fra
n ture of the small bone moving in Il
W. socket upon which The hip rotate
q and that he would be a cripple f
he life The man himself walked {
e, clutches from the day of his inju
he to the date of the trial, a period
he more than two years. The Judge a
ty ministering the law, held that ridil
Id upon the cake of ice was contrib
he tory negligence, and that, in abando
in ing the safety appliance provided (
on the employee there was no liabilii
IA Everybody, including defendan
of counsel, felt the greatest sympar
for the plaintiff In fact, the defer
de ant seriously considered voluntar
an paying him considerable sum.
,ck month after the trial, in driyi
of through lumber yard in Keokl
md | saw the plaintiff carrying a coul
ex of grub planlzs on his shoulder I'll
an ordinary man could not have L
led ed He was subsequently a mem.
,ile of the police force in Keokuk. a
vas for number of years stout, 81
His wart, able-bodied. uninjured man
ced A few years ago two trans-contin
his tai trains operated on the Santa
ent railroad came into ccnision. I
aim fireman on one Of tbs tn ms, and y
ley, was largely resportple for ii,
set ton of orders wn' h r.sl'pt in
at disaster, jumped from the moving
$50 CINE to avoid injury. He sued
and company for a large sum claim
the concussion Of the spine. He testit
the TO all of the symptoms as found
Ne. the hooks RELATING ono Incident