Americus times-recorder., 1919-05-28
SENSATION IS
DEVELOPED AS
LAD TELLS HIS
STORYONSTAND
Jury Taken to Scene of Accident
Plan to Complete Testimony
Tonight.

"A HdHusome IoW-neaueu DOy OF
years, with his right leg off almost to
the hip and with pair of diminutive
crutches in his hand, sat in the wit
ness chair in Superior court this
morning and told the jury how he
lost his limb by being run over by
Seaboard freight car while crossing
the railroad track on his bicycle in
January of last year.
The boy was Clinton James John
son, son of Mr.. and Mrs. A. Johnson,
and he was asking the jury for YER
diet of 100000 against the railroad
for the loss of his leg, loss that will
go with him throughout life.
At the table with his lawyers sat
his father, A. Johnson, formerly a
yard foreman for the Seaboard, who is
suing the railroad in. his own name in
two cases, one for $4,000 for expense,
care and anguish on account of the
accident to his boy and the other for
$4,000 for personal injuries received
while coupling cars some months pre-
viously in which he was crippled. In
another part of the room were the
boys mother and two baby sisters
Sensation Develops.
The case itself attracted great
deal of attention about the court
house, not alone because of the size
of the damages asked. An unexpect-
ed sensation developed soon after the
taking of testimony began when W. w.
Dykes, representing the defense, ON
cross examination of the lad, devel-
aped that paper of some sort which
was not explained had been presented
to him in the absence of his father,
mother or other representative.
The boy denied he had signed
read or had read to him
any paper, but said one had been
presented to him. He could not re-
member when or where it was, and
knew nothing of its contents.
The development apparently was
great surprise to the boys father and
to his attorneys, and the latter pre-
pared to make much of the incident
when summing up before the jury.
The boys father was highly indig-
nant at the development, denouncing
to his associates, what, according to
his view had been an attempt
to secure the signature of a
boy 8 years old to a paper for use in
defending a damage suit brought by
him.
Later Mr.. Dykes explained to re-
porter that he was attempting to show
something entirely different, as he
would explain to the jury in his final
argument.
Stump Shown Jury.
The boy was represented by F. G.
Boatright, of Cordele, as chief coun-
sci, and Hixon & Pace, of Americus.
as associate counsel. He told his
story simply and directly in answer to
questioning by Judge Hixon, and at the
conclusion was led before the jury
where the stump of the lost leg was
shown. According to his story he was
riding one day in January, 1918, across
the Seaboard track at the point where
it crosses Furlow street, with Edwin
Mauk, playmate, sitting on the ham
dlebars. A freight car was standing
at the side of the crossing, and before
they could get across the track the
car moved, hitting the bicycle and
throwing him under the wheels of the
car, cutting off his leg. The bicycle
and the other boy was uninjured One
other boy who saw the accident was
called and he substantiated Clinton S
story completely. But the Mauk lad
testified that they had dismounted
from the bicycle and were attempting
to swing onto the freight car for a
ride whe1 the accident occurred
Late thin afternoon the jury was tai
ken to the scene Of the accident al
the request Of Mr. Dykes and with the
consent of the opposing counsel AL
ter the return Of the jury It was plan
ned 20 complete the taking Of testino
my tonight.