The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-24
DAMAGE SUIT FOR
$4,000 BROUGHT
Leon Moon, a Minor, Sues
Deerfield Pulp Co.,
| Wilmington
BADLY MANGLED
BETWEEN TWO GEARS
Abdomen Cut So Intestines Protruded,
and Other Serious Injuries Inflicted
Negligence Charged by Barber, Bar
ber & Miller.

UCl ~ N4414S@'
Service was completed this forenoon in
suit for damages of $4,000 for person
al injuries, brought through the law office
of Barber, Barber & Miller of Brattle-
boro for Leon Moon of Wilmington
against the Deerfeld Pulp Co, which has
its main office in Wilmington.
The suit is brought in the United States
court in the name of Frank L. Wellman
Of Brattleboro, as next friend, Leon Moon
| being minor, only l6 years old, and it
is one of the largest suits for damages for
personal injuries ever brought in Wind
ham county. 1t is returnable at the De
tober term of court in Rutland
Although he made fairly good recov-
cry. so far as is possible, the Moon boy
was horribly mangled and mutilated IN
| the defendants mill Nov. /, 1917, and for
a time it was thought to be impossible
for him to recover, as the flesh OF his
abdomen from the right side to the left
side was torn and ground up IN gearing
so that his intestines hung out and some
of his organs We're torn away.
The boy was in a hospital IN North Ad-
ans, Mass, eight weeks and skin graft
ing was resorted to in order to heal the
abdominal wounds. He is a son of Mr.
and Mrs Milo Moon of Wilmington, his
father being farmer and laborer. A
brother, Clarence Moon, lives in Brattle
boro and is employed by the Boston &
Maine Railroad Co.
As the plaintiff lives in Vermont and
the defendant is Massachusetts, corpor
alton the suit is brought in the fedora
court. on account of diverse citizenship
A. n. Blandin of Boston is president o
! the defendant corporation and w 0. lie
Favre of Boston is treasurer. The cOrpor
alton is reputed to be wealthy. Its 10
cal counsel is Harvey Maurice & Whit
ney.
At the time of the accident Leon Moor
was Is years old 1t is alleged that a
minor he was employed by the defend
ant in violation of the statute law o
Vermont. that the defendant was negli
; gent and that he was put to work IN al
! unsafe place without being given an.
/. warning or instructions as to the danger
I According to the plaintiffs story h
y was asked to assist in moving a motto
/ from the second floor of the Pulp Go.
= mill to the third floor, which was bein
$ done by means of tackle blocks. Dun
e ing the process pin fell out of the taekl
blocks and dropped through the floor Q
: which the boy was working and fell t
: the basement The defendant was direct
! ed to 90 after the pin. he says, and til
q route led him down long perpendcula
IS ladder attached to a large vat in th
= basement.
g The basement was almost dark Nea
Il IL,
Ie turning a short distance back from ii
7 ladder, and on one end was large ges
"a which meshed into another and largt
lie one The pin lay beyond this shaft,
arbor. The boy says he mistook the sha
d for a water or steam pipe, and as it b
he came necessary for him to decide wheth
ne to climb over the pipe or under it in 0
~ der to get the pin he decided to elm
!" over it.
n When he stepped from the ladder on
N the revolving shaft he lost his footn
and was thrown into the gears, viii,
tore his clothing into shreds and inhict
the injuries previously mentioned,
right side especially being ground up.
. silver watch was in his pocket and IL
~ was caught in the gearing and help
throw off the big drive belt, stopping t
shaft from revolving.
sc Deputy United States Marshal f.
Whitaker of Rutland came here yest'
day and he and Attorney Frank f. B;
Der went to Wilmington, where late
tai the afternoon they placed an attachme
mt on the Pulp Co.'S property Last mig
led Deputy Marshal Whitaker started
mt Montpelier, where today he complet
pe service by filing the papers in the off
The of the secretary of state.