The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-12
CASES IN COURT
DOcketS for Both Divisions
Shawnee Court Compiled.
Damage Suits Total About
100000.
SUIT AGAINST THE COUNTY
The SchermerhOrn Case Comes
Up Next Term.
Are % Divorce Suits in First
Division Court.
SUIT AGAINST THE COUNTY

II the cases appearing on the docke
in the first division Of the distric
court come to trial during the coming
term they promise to be unus udlly in
teresting. The cases for the second di
vision, reported first in the State Jour
nal several days ago, give promise o.
considerable interest also.
In the second division. as was re-
ported, suits involving money in the
aggregate of nearly a quarter of
million dollars are pending. A like
amount is involved in cases entered on
the September term docket of the first
division. Damage suits alone involve
over SI5O,O0O asked. Other suits for
money bring the total up to $780, Oo'
not counting partition suits, the Sixth
ward sewer case pending, etc.
Among the damage suits g one that
promises to echo the recent trial OF
Wilcox Ericsson and Black charged
with libeling Judge Gillett of Kingman.
The suit is that of Edith Griffin against
Lakins w. Smith of Wichita, the lat
ter a brother-in-law of Ericsson. The
petition, which is very short, charges
Smith with having visited the grimm
home in Topeka, and with assaultlng
and beating the complainant. DamaEes
in the sum of $1,000 are asked, Ar
ter the suit was filed 1t is CLAIMED tnaI
an attempt was made to place GrlHln'
husband of the petitioner, m a com
Tromisine situation and compel the
withdrawal of the suit. For that pur-
nose Ericsson and Mrs. Charlotte
Thomann, who is implicated III the at
tempted libel of Judge Gillett, are salu
to have secured a young girl to come 70
topeka to meet Griffin. The plot was
similar to that perpetrated on Judge
Giuett. and Mrs. Griffin's attorneys say
failed as dismaIly as the Gillett case;
An old case that has been on the
6oclxets for years is that of p. II.
Sonev against w. ]. Whitekind and
Others. for alleged libel in which dam
ages in the sum of $4,000 are asked
The case is for trial at the coming
term of court
The old watermelon" case in ne"
phase promises to occupy the atten-
tfon of the court during the term j.
A. Murpfrree, who says he was the
.'soat' at the time of the former case
is asking damages in the sum OF W
056. II from w. o. Anderson and 7. f.
Armstrong. The damages include the
value of melons alleged to have been
taken, and humility and suffering from
being thrown in Jail on what the plain
tiff saws was a false charge. Muir
rhree was arrested for selling melons
without a license. and his melons were
spoiled he said, when he recovered
them
"A
TIE $4,000 damage suit of Anna
Schermerhorn against the county. for
the death of her husband when a small
bridge in Silver Lake township went
down with Sch ermerhorn and a thresh-
ing machine, is for trial. Mrs. Scher-
claims that the bridge had
been condemned, and should have been
rebuilt or barred from public use.
Schermerhorfi attempted to cross it a
year ago and the bridge went down
when he was half way across, killing
him almost instantly.
Because death resulted from the al
legged bite of a dog belonging to the
Charles L. Berner, as adj
of the estate of Martha L.
Schmidt. is asking damages in the sum
of $4,000. The case was threshed out
in the district court before, and was
dismissed. That was before Mrs.
died. Later she died from the
effects, it is claimed, of the bite, and