Legal News

The case of John F. Rochelle vs. The News & Telegraph Publishing Col, will come up for trial Monday.  This is a suit in which plaintiff claims $5000 damages for libel.  (Hamilton Evening Journal, March 4, 1893)

In the Supreme Court the jury in the case of Reuben F. Sutton vs. the West Jersey Railroad Company, gave a verdict of $4,000 for the plaintiff. (Camden Courier-Post, January 26, 1894)

Steps are being taken to have commission appointed to inquire into the insanity of Horace Lateer, the old man who attempted suicide at the Oriental hotel in Middletown, by taking laudanum. (Port Jervis Union, August 20, 1894)

Was Not Dead ‘Till He Died

When David G. Rorick, a conductor on the Santa Fe railroad, met with an accident which resulted in his death, Mrs. Issola Rorick, his widow, tried to collect a policy for $5000 on his life in the Railway Officials’ and Employees’ Accident association of Indianapolis.

After the usual red tape, her application for the money was denied, and she brought suit in the U.S. district court for the amount. The company set up the novel defense that is explicitly stated in the policy that the beneficiary must notify the company within 15 days of the accident, and this was not done.

The reason this was not done, says the widow, is because her husband did not die until 17 days after the accident, so she could not report him dead within the prescribed time. On demurrer, however, her suit was dismissed, and now Hunter & Summerfield and Works & Lee have appealed the case to the U.S. district court for the widow.

Source: Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, March 18, 1902.

Before Justice Garrison

Reuben R.F. Sutton’s suit for damages against the West Jersey Railroad was continued this morning in the Supreme Circuit, having been opened yesterday.

Sutton was injured at Haddon avenue while boarding a train for Gloucester.

It is said his injuries, which were about the head, will be permanent. Samuel Grey, Esq., for the Railroad, asked for a non-suit at noon but the motion was denied.

Source: Camden Daily Telegram, January 24, 1894.

Defendant Must Pay For Water

Judgement for Plaintiffs in Sum of $800 for Water Rental for Four Years—Defendant Claimed Perpetual Water Right Without Compensation for His Land.

Judge Stewart yesterday rendered a decision in the case of Joseph Perrault and R.Z. Johnson vs. Enos C. Walling, wherein the plaintiffs sought to recover the value of delivering water to the defendant from the plaintiffs’ irrigating ditch during the years 1902 to 1905 inclusive. The parties in the case entered into a stipulation that a reasonable charge for said water is $2 an inch and the evidence showed that 100 inches had been used by the defendant annually during the past four years. The court decided that “plaintiffs are entitled to recover from the defendant the sum of $800, being a reasonable and fair charge for the rental of said water during the period named.”

Aged Main Fails to Obtain Sum Alleged Due From Daughter

Jesse Walling Hears Court Rule That Case Can Proceed No Further.

Again Jesse W. Walling, an old man past 80 years of age, has failed in his effort to collect from his daughter, Lizzie Elbert, and her husband, Harvey Elbert, the sum of $1820 which he alleges they defrauded him out of in a land transaction. Feeble and alone, with his hair streaming down over his shoulders, he sat in Judge Bert Linn’s court today and heard the court rule that his case could go no further.

Judge Linn, before whom the case has been heard for the last two days, took it from the jury and ordered a continuance. In withdrawing the case Judge Linn ruled that a motion for dismissal would be granted, unless counsel for the plaintiff wished for a continuance in which to formulate an amended complaint. The continuance was taken.

Doctor Gets No Pay For Service

A verdict for $472 was brought in by a jury in Superior Judge Huneke’s court Monday for Jesse W. Walling, aged 82, in the latter’s suit against Dr. J.A. Born. This was the second trial of the case, and the verdict was practically the same as the one brought in for Mr. Walling at the former hearing.

Walling declared that Dr. Born agreed not to charge him anything for treatment if he failed to cure him, but that afterward he took a check for $575 from him and refused to return any of it, although he had not made him better.

Dr. Born testified that Walling owed him $662 for his bill, saying that, in addition to giving the old man treatment, he had advanced him $102. The jury allowed nothing for the treatment in its verdict, but reimbursed the doctor for the money advanced.

Source: Spokane Chronicle, October 19, 1915.

Unable to Prove Property Hidden

Because of the plaintiff’s inability to provide that Dr. J.A. Born or his associate, Dr. Mary Oliver, were concealing any of Born’s property and refusing to apply it to a judgement secured against him by Jesse W. Walling some time ago, Presiding Judge Blake of the superior court today dismissed an injunction forbidding Dr. Born or Dr. Oliver from disposing of any of the property of the former.

Walling was given a verdict by a jury in Judge Huneke’s court for the recovery of about $500 from Dr. Born on a check which Walling claimed the doctor took from him while acting as his physician and refused to return.

Source: Spokane Chronicle, December 27, 1915.

Jesse W. Walling May Not Collect

Judge Clifford of Tacoma Grants Dr. J.A. Born Another Trial.

A new trail of the case brought by Jesse W. Walling against Dr. J.A. Born to recover $575 which he declared he had given the physician to hold in trust form him, was granted today by Superior Judge M.L. Clifford of Tacoma, who presided over the trial here.

Judge Clifford declared that the verdict for the plaintiff was against the weight of evidence in the case, which was plainly to the effect that the money had been paid for the physician’s services. Word of the decision was received here today by Attorney George M. Sommer, who represented the defendant.

Source: Spokane Chronicle, April 22, 1915.

He Gets Verdict Against Doctor

Jesse W. Walling was granted a verdict yesterday against Dr. J.A. Born by a jury in Superior Court Judge Clifford’s court yesterday evening for $575, which Walling declared he had given the physician with the understanding that it was for a place in an institution. The doctor, who contended the money was for services, was allowed a counter claim for $102.50, which he testified he had paid out for the plaintiff.

Source: Spokane Chronicle, March 26, 1915.

Woman Will Return To First Husband

Grand Jury Returns Not True Bill in Polygamy Charge; to Annul Second Marriage.

Helen Toews, 20 years old, will return to her first husband as the result of the action of the grand jury yesterday in returning a not true bill in her case on a charge of polygamy. She was married some years ago to Paul Wittcke and left him when they quarreled. He told her he would get a divorce and she, thinking he had done so, married George Deal.

Wittcke appeared in her behalf before the grand jury and said that he was willing to take her home again and receive her as though nothing had happened. She promised to have her marriage to Deal annulled, as it is illegal.

Source: Oregon Daily Journal, February 28, 1915.