Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1904 — A Ten Thousand Dollar Suit [ARTICLE]

A Ten Thousand Dollar Suit

A new suit in which damages of SIO,OOO are asked for, has just been filed in our circuit court, plaintiff is Martha A. Bennett, acminiatratrix as the estate of Leo Bennett, deceased, Thedefendaut is the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Company, a corporation which operates a branch line through this county. It seems by the complaint tka' Leu Bennetl, whose home was in Kankakee county, I*l., and who was 22 years old, and the support of his mother and five minor brothers and sisters, and earning $75 per month, was employed as a brakeman by the company, On Sept. 22nd, 1903, he was helping take a freight train from LaCross to Percy Junction. At Wilders he got off the train to help do some switching, and on trying to remount the train be stepped on a pile of loose cinders, fell under the wheels, and was so badly injured that he died the same day. It is alleged that the company through its agents, knew of the pile of cinders, and knew they were loose and dangerous, though they looked firm and solid. Therefore the complaint alleges that through its neglect to level down and spread the oinder heap, the company isrespon sible for Bennett’s death; and damages in the sum of SIO,OOO are asked for. Johu Greve, of Wheatfield, and i E. B. Bellers, of Monticello, are the plaintiff’s attorneys.