Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-03
MINNEAPOLIS & ST. LOUIS VIC
TIM OF sELF.iNJUREp MAN
WHO eLEEDs COMPANIES.
LOCAL ROAD PAID $500
FOR "INJURY" At HAMPTON
Christian Koch, Unable to Feel Pain in
His Body, Falls From Trains and
Over Obstruction in Dspots, With
Result That Railroads Pay Well in
Settlement For "lnjuries."

| That the Minneapolis & St. Louis
railway was victimized to the extent
! of 5000 and several months hospital
! bills by man who could feign
paralysis because of a lack of feeling
| in his body, and pretend to be severe
! ly injured, was brought out recently
when the man was convicted of grand
larceny in Duluth. Christian Koch is
his name, and he has been going
around the country for some time pre-
! tending to get himself hurt on various
railroads and then securing large
amounts as damages from the roads.
! The Duluth & Iron Range railroad sent
j searchers after him. and finally located
/ the man and brought him to justice.
The penalty for the crime of which
| Koch was convicted is from one to ten
years in the penitentiary 1t is said
| that he has already served three terms
! on similar charges.
! is Hurt at Hampton.
His injury when he was working the
NJ. & St L., consisted in a serious
harm to his back. He received the
when he came into the depot about
2 a. M. and suddenly fell over the
stove and began to yell. Employees OF
the company found him lying on the
/ floor, and the room in total darkness.
| It is supposed that he first un-
! screwed the electric light globe, and
| then proceeded to fall over the stove.
| He was removed TO the hospital at
| Hampton and later taken to a hospital
! in St Paul. where he lay for weeks
T! without moving, saying that his back
! was paralyzed. Physicians were com
! pletely deceived and in the spring he
/ took 5000 from the company and de-
F.; parted for fresh fields.
Gets Much More From Railroads.
Since that time he has "bled" var
(! ious roads. among them being the
Grand Rapids & Indiana where he Sc
cured $1,000. the Duluth G. Iron
Mountain, where he was paid $1,000.
and the Great Northern road, which
was touched for s4.050. S. J. Beard
sley. claim agent for the NJ. & St l..
testified a the trial in Duluth, where
Koch was finally convicted, that a few
; days after the NJ. & st. L. had paid
out it's $500, Kock was seen walking
| briskly along the street. During the
/ trial pins were stuck into Koch and he
was pinched several times without
! warning, but never turned hair.
Employed Many Means.
Koch had various ways of getting
hurt Sometimes he fell off the car
steps just as the train was about TO
stop. and then pretended that he was
so severely injured that he could not
rise. In one case he lay in a hospital
/ for eight weeks without moving, or at
! least never being caught at it In
I Montana he was awarded verdict of
/ $4,000 from the Northern Pacific, but
4 the case dragged on for such d long
time that he eventually lost cut. He
/ lived at the county poor farm during
! this time, however, claiming to he
cripple and penniless. Other cases Of
| similar description were brought to
| light.
Koch is said to belong to a good
/ family at Remsen, Iowa. He is a ma
/ tive Of Germany, and is 45 years Of age.