Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-07-07
KUSAH STARTS SUIT
AGAINST M'C0RKLE
ONE OF THREE INJURED IN CUT
TING SCRAPE ASKS $1,000
DAMAGES.

DANlAGES.
Charging gross carelessness and
official negligence and claiming that
his right arm and hand are paralyzed
SO that he is permanently injured,
Fred Kusah, one of the inmates Of
the county jail at the time that an
other prisoner, Ernest Reisch, ran
amuck," has brought suit against
Sheriff Fred w. McCorkle, the Fidel-
ity Bonding & Trust company, and
Reisch, for $4,000 damages.
No papers in the case have been
filed at the county clerks Office and
Sheriff McCorkle is uncommunicativo,
though he did not deny that the pa
pers had been served on him. This
service was made Wednesday by
Wright & Wright, Seattle attorneys
retained by Kusah. The papers need
not be filed for 20 days.
The suit is the outcome of the cut
ting scrape in the county Jail early
on the morning of May IL, when
Reisch, who had been picked up near
Shelton in demented condition and
had been confined in the local jail
May 8, became crazed with the idea
that the other prisoners intended to
harm hin, and assaulted them with q
heavy knife he carried in his pocket.
That afternoon he was committed to
the Steilacoom asylum, where he IL
still confined. He has brother iv-
ing near Kamilche, with whom he
had been making his home.
As the result of this cutting scrape.
prisoners by the names Of William
Thompson, ]. w. Miller and Fred
Kusah, had to be taken to st. Peters
hospital for medical treatment. and
Thompson y still ct that institution.
He and Kusah were the worst Injured
Of the three, though the latter was
able to leave the hospital In . few
days.
Az the story was told at the time;.
Thompson was the first man attacked
by Reisch and Kusah the one who
grappled with the insane man and.
with Miller's help, downed him and
took the knife away from him. Ku-
sab. in his suit, claims he was stab
bed . half . dozen time in the left
shoulder and in the hollow Of his
right arm Just above the elbow. that
the nerves and muscles In his arm
were severed, and that his arm =
paralyzed below the elbow 90 that he
is unable to use 1t or his hands and
fingers.
Since the serving Of the papers In
the Kusah case, 1t has been reliably
reported that Thompson, through his
attorney, e. N. Steele Of this city,
would also bring suit against Sheriff
McCorkle and his bondsmen, and It
is expected that this action will be in
stituted within the next few days.
Whether Miller intends to bring any
such action is not known.
Kusah, shortly after his return
from the hospital, was tried on .
charge of stealing betting from Te-
nino MILL, but the jury disagreed
and he was released and went to Sc
attic. The trial Of Miller ON the
charge of stealing logs from the Rob-
inson tract at Hogum bay also ended
in a disagreement and the charge
against him was dismissed last week.
Thompson is held on q charge OK
stealing brass from local concerns.
Reisch's mind had been affect
ed ever since he was q boy when..
while working as an apprentice to 9
in the "old country" his
employer hit him on the head with
maui. Reisch had made
his home with his brother for six or
eight years, and was found in Mason
county early in May. wandering
around. After being confined to tho
Mason county Jail over night. he va
brought to Olympia and turned over
to the city police. who turned HIM
over to the county authorities the
next day.
Sheriff McCorkle was absent from
the city that day and Reisch was TAX
on in charge BY Deputy Sheriff Jack
Clifford. who failed to search him.
He was confined In the bull pen occu-
pied bv the other prisoners and gave
no signs Of dementia the three days
he was confined to the jail prior TO
Tuesday morning. May II. whom the
cutting scrape occurred.
He is made a party to Kusah's
suit, as is also the Fidelity Bonding
& Trust company. which furnished
McCorkle's bond Of $4,000 indemni-
A. no~rty frnu, onv noh}1ffv