The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-10-31
REAL COMEDY OF ERRORS LEADS TO
 A SUIT FOR $500
Laughable Sequence of Mishaps, Arrests, and Misunderstanding Behind Damage Case

Harry Chapman of Kent Hollow. | New Milford, automobile enthusiast known all over the State, and who sustained severe injuries including broken leg in an auto-smash on the Danbury Fair race track early this | month, is the defendant in a suit | brought in the common pleas court ! today by Jacob Von Gal of Danbury. who claims that Chapman attacked him and beat him severely, hurting 1 him so that for six weeks he could 1 not pursue his work as a natter and 1 chauffeur. He asks $500 damages. MT. Chapman's auto, or what re- mains of it after the smash at the l fair. has been attached in the suit. 1 The story of the fight between | Chapman and Won Gal is as replete with comic situations and misunder- standings as the merriest farce com- | edy ever written.
 Chapman and a friend and Mrs. to in the wbens thaR | stopped to see a friend. While Mrs. Chapman was talking to the 'lady l of the house. MT. Chapman and his l companion left for Danbury where l they stopped at the Hotel Green for a little refreshments.
 l Mrs. Chapman discovered that her started to walk from Ridgefeld to | Danbury, distance of II miles. Af- | ter she left, her hostess discovered a note. from Chapman, saying that Mrs. Chapman should wait and that | he would be right back.
 By this time Mrs. Chapman was well on her walk to Danbury, so her late hostess called up Danbury, To- | cated Chapman at the Hotel Green | and told him that his wife was walk ing to town. He and his friend at | once jumped into the automobile and set out to meet her.
 | In the meantime Jacob Won Gal. l who is chauffeur for Edwin Won Gal 1 of the Hawes Von Gal factory, chanc- l hi yRr'S bile passing Mrs. Chapman on the road from Ridgefeld to Danbury. Mrs. l would mind giving her a lift for the | remainder of the distance.
 The chauffeur replied certainly not.'' and politely assisted her into journey toward Danbury.
 They had reached the outskirts of the hating town when they encoun- tered, MT. Chapman and his friend in 1 their machine. hust1ing on the search for Mrs. Chapman. The husband saw his wife in the other car and shouted did so.
 Now you get into this car,'' said Chapman to his wife.
 Indeed I'll not" said Mrs. Chap she said excitedIy. 'tdrive on,-that's not my husband.-I never saw him ! before.''
 At this Won Gal speeded up his car and Chapman immediately turned about and pursued him. Chapman succeeded in getting ahead of the Won Gal car by taking a short cut and | brought his machine across the road 1 blocking the passage of the other au- 1 tornobile.
 Then, it is alleged. Chapman and | his companion set upon Won Gal and gave him a fearful thrashing, leaving him in the road and taking Mrs. | Upon that the injured Von Gal has | tened to police headquarters, and Captain David Bradley of the Dan bury police force located Chapman and his friend at the Hotel Green and 1 arrested them. The party drove to l police headquarters in the Chapman machine and left the car in front while l Chapman and his friend went inside | to get bail
 In the meantime Mrs. Chapman came out of the Hotel Green found the | car missing and espied it up the | street in front of the police station She met a young man whom she knew and asked him if he would drive the
 i've got to get home right away she told him.
 The young fellow assented and jumped into the car and they started
 By this time Chapman and his friend had obtained bail and came out of police headquarters only to find their car missing. Supposing it stolen they rushed back into police headquar- ters and gave the alarm.
 
 her temporary chauffeur had been stopped by a State pol ceman and put under arrest for violation of the State automobile law, the chauffeur being were forced to come back to the Dan bury police headquarters and the whole Chapman family including the automobile and the friend found itselt
 under arrest.
 In the city court next morning 2
 fine for assault was imposed upor ! ood frjn tI1e
 young man who acted as chauffeur for Mrs. Chapman was allowed to go
 as he stated that he understood that
 Mrs. Chapman had a chauffeur's +
 cense and that it would be all righ
 for him to drive the car.
 Attorney J. Moss Ives was retained by Chauffeur Won Gal to sue Chap man for damages. Attorney. Ives pre-
 pared the suit and then looked abou
 for some property of Chapman's tt attach. All he could find was ~th'
 month when Chapman was sehedulec
 to race at the Danbury Fair, Attor , ney f4=es took Sheriff Crofut with hin to the fair and prepared to attach tn
 automobile.
 , But the sheriff and the lawyer wer separated in the crowd and while the! were looking for each other, Chap . man took out his automobile for trial spin around, the race track.
 Attorney Ives located the sheriff and the service of the papers wa 7 mendous crash Chapman and his au tonobile turned six double somer
 saults, went through the fence al tn,
 group of Spectators, broke the machin,
 into junk and injured half a doze1
 people.
 chapman was taken to the Danbur.
 hospital where his injuries were treat
 ed. He is now at home. conva1escen
 from a broken leg. The automobil
 was patched up and when in shap, l