The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-30
JURY VERDICT
FOR MOLINE IN
TYPHOID CASE
Rula u. Collins Loses Longest Con-
test In History Of the Cir
cult Court.

The longest case in the history
of the circuit court ended this
morning when the Jury returned
a verdict for the city of MoliHe,
defending suit brought by Eula NJ
Collins to collect damages for the
death Of her husband, william T.
Collins. His death was caused by
typhoid fever.
The case went to the jury at 4:30
o'clock yesterday afternoon. Ex-
cepting an interruption for sup
per and a few hours rest, the jur-
ors deliberated until after 10
o'clock this morning. At 1890
O'Clock the jury announced IL had
reached an agreement and at 10:40
o'clock Judge ". A Larson received
the verdict
A few only were in the court
room when the verdict was read by
Circuit Clerk George w. Gamble.
relieving the defendant Of any re-
sponsibility for Collins death. Mrs.
Collins was one of them. She had
waited several hours for the deci-
sion.
Immediately after the verdict was
read and approved, Judge Larson
presented each Juror with a certia-
cate in which he requests that the
owner be excused from any jury
duty during The next six years.
In d short talk to the jurors the
Judge assured them that they
would not nave to serve in
his court again as long as he re.
mains in office, providing. OF
course, it should be their wish.
Blame CIty Water.
The case was based on the death
of William Collins from typhoid
fever alleged ID have been received
from impure water furnished by the
city. Collins died in the summer
of 1918. at a time when a typhoid
epidemic gripped Moline. The suit
subsequently started by Mrs. Col
Inns for $4,000 was one of several,
each based on substantially the
same facts.
The Collins case was the first to
come to trial. Numerous legal
tangles preceded the jury trial The
issues were finally settled by For
mer Judge F. D. Ramsay and the
case made ready for trial.
The case began Sept % and,
with scarcely an interruption has
been before the court each day of
its session since. Approximately
1855 witnesses were heard, only
few of whom were called by the
defense. The Moline Pillow Co. and
Deere & Co. were co-defendants
with the city of Moline until the
case Of the plaintiff was concluded,
when the court relieved them of
reliability by sustaining their mo
ton to have all evidence relating
TO them stricken from the records.
The city Of Moline then filed a
similar motion but was overruIod
when the court granted the plain
tiff the privilege of amending the
declaration to conform with the
evidence. Testimony of the defense
consumed a day and yesterday the
final arguments were made to the
jury.
The jury was composed of:
Rock Island-D. w. Dalsten, 1868
Eighth avenue; Henry Lahiff, 1885
F1fth-and-one-half avenue; Frank
Engelmann, 1926 Fourteenth ave
nue.; Phil Sommers, 1007k Thrill
avenue: Charles Carstens, 2736
Sixth avenue; William Nagel, 1858
Twenty-second street; w. R Wells,
1910 Thirty-sixth street
Moline-CarI Victor Carlson. 1911
Seventh aVenIe; Otto Anderson.
1850 Twenty-second street; A.
Friedel, ala Seventh avenue: Ben
Brice. S0S12 Twelfth avenue.
Edgington-A- G. Carlson.