The Telegraph Courier

MAY GET HIS MONEY

Lower House of Congress Finally Hears the Claims of Hans Guttormsen.

WAS INJURED 25 YEARS AGO.

Claim of $5,000 May Now be paid by the Government After Eighteen Years of Fighting—Officials Would Make Compromise.

Hans Guttormsen and his famous claim against the United States Government for injuries received while in the employ of the government more than twenty-five years ago is again in the limelight and Congressman Cooper took the floor in the lower house of Congress on Saturday afternoon to demand that the Government pay the Kenosha man $5,000 in full for his claims against it. Congress a year ago voted to pay Guttormsen $730 in full of all claims that he may have against the nation but this offer has been rejected by the Kenosha man and he is insisting that his claim is a just one and must be paid at $5,000. Congressman Cooper made a strong plea for Guttormsen on Saturday and as a result it is thought that Congress will eventually pay the Kenosha man the amount claimed but he will not get interest on his claim. The claim has been before the Government for more than eighteen years and more than two years ago the court of claims decided that Guttormsen was entitled to recover the sum of $5,000 but when it went to the proper officials of Congress they cut the amount offered for a settlement to $730. The matter was then laid before Congress for an appropriation of this sum and this gave the Congressman of the district a chance to get the appeal of Guttormsen before the members of the lower house.

Guttormsen is over 60 years of age and he claims to be disabled as a result of injuries received while working for the Government at Rock Island, Ill., more than twenty-five years ago. At that time he was working on a high scaffold which collapsed and he fell sustaining a broken leg and internal injuries. The Guttormsen claim was presented to Congress by an Illinois Congressman more than eighteen years ago and later on a petition signed by scores of Kenosha business men was laid before the United States court of Claims. Guttormsen went to Washington and appeared before the court and managed to secure a favorable report on the claim. It is expected that Congress will take some step to make a final settlement of the claim before the adjournment in March. Guttormsen has insisted that he will accept nothing less than $5,000. Should he receive his claim and the interest that would be due on it from the time of his injuries he would get a small fortune.