Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-22
WIDOWS SUE IN
3 STRANGE CASES
Seek Compensation for Deaths
of Husbands Under LA
biIity Law.

Three petitions in which the death
of husbands are involved and in
which the widow seeks compensation
under the employers lbality act
were filed in the county clerks office
today. Unusual conditions are in
volved i'm two of the petitions.
one petition is that Of Mrs. Florence
Van Ness, of 80 Hecker street, VINO
sues the Underwriters Protective AS
ISOLATION (the Salvage Corps) for
compensation for the death OF her
husband. William j. Van Ness, on
January 26 last
|. Van Ness was out ON fire run in
the Salvage Corps automobile on the
morning of January II, and was
thrown from the wagon as 1t turned
the corner of Magazine and Frankfort
streets. Van Ness did not seem to be
seriously injured at the time, but later
went to the City Hospital, where ne
complained of pains in his back. lie
died on January rs, pneumonia being
given as the cause of death. An
autopsy performed by County Physi-
clan Mckenzie revealed the fact that
one of the bones in Van Nesss spine
had been broken by the fall from the
auto and this, instead of pneumonia.
had caused his death. 1t was pointed
out at the time that no blame could
attach to the hospital for the moor
rect diagnosis. as Van Ness had not
informed them of the accident on
going there for treatment.
Mrs. Van Ness, through John e.
Helm and Matthew j. Ready, seeks
communication of the compensation she
is entitled to from the Protective As
sociation, her husband having been
in receipt of 500 month as patrol
man at the time of his death. The
case will be heard before Judge Will
lam p Martin on April IL.
In the case of Mrs. Annie III Alfand,
of 142 Somerset street. the right of
an unborn child to figure in COM
pensation settlement under the act
will be tested for the first time in this
county, and, it is believed, in the
state.
Jacob Helfand, her husband, was
employed by the National Box and
Lumber Company as teamster On
December 80, while delivering goods
at the plant of the Eclipse Tanning
| Company on Sussex street, he was
caught and crushed to death in an
elevator shaft. Mrs. Helfand, through
philip J, Sehotland, her counsel, seeks
through the courts compensation for
herself. a child of year and half,
and the child as yet unborn, Judge
Martin will hear this case on
April 10.
The third case also has an unusual
angle in that the right to recover
damages twice for the death of hus-
band will be tested. In this instance
Mrs. Hattie Klotz is suing the New
ark Paving Company for compensa-
ton for the death of her husband,
| Charles Klotz, on December 8, 1912.
Klotz was employed as a laborer on
some work in progress near the Lee
high Valley station in Elizabeth ave-
nue., and while carting stone across
the street railway tracks in a wheel
barrow was struck and killed by a
| Main line car of the Public Service
railway.
The railway company has already
settled with Mrs. Klotz for the death
of her husband by paying her $500
The Newark Paving Company, in
their answer to the petition of Mrs.
Klotz, sets UP that as Mrs. Klotz has
already received payment through
settlement of an action for damages
against the railway company she is
not entitled to recover damages under
the employers liability act from the
company employing the husband. The
case will be heard before Judge
Harry V. Osborne on April IL