The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-08-19
LAWYERS, CHARGES.
The Big Fees Some of Them Have
Received. 81


Received.
Yesterday the Press informed tsresd-
ers through q special telegram from Nev
York of certain high fees charged "
lawyers in the Vanderbilt will case. As
was there stated. Mr. Henry u Clinton
charged S250,000 Mr.. Clinton was az
torney in the case, which was well work
ed up, and probably bis bill contains
items of money expended by. him for,
detective service and other tnatterG u
Judge George F. Comstock. OF Syracuse,
charged and received $4,000.
We learn that Mr. Vanderbilt declines
Ito pay 5Mr. Clinton,s tremendous bill,
|and we don't blame him, for 1t 10 utsetly
absurd that any lawyer should receive
in one case, and that only OF short du-
ration, alsrger sum than one lawyer in
q million makes by lifetime ofshard
work; and we, think that Judge, COM
stock { whose bin for sitting in this case
and looking vice and occasionally ar
guing q point Of law was very modest
in comparison with Clinton's) has great
reasen-fo commending Yanderhilts
generosity.
We learn, that, Mr. Scott Lord, the
counsel for the contestant of the will,
received 800 900. These immense'fees
are beyond anything ever knowAsot
heard Of, not only in this country! !bnt u
foreign lands. The famous lawyers Of
England or France have never fe6slEed
suclf large sums, even in cases ofCmueA
longer continuance. To- be- sure, there
have been very few, il any, cases ipyoly-
ling such an immense amount OF money,
for there have beeulv very few men-in the
Eworld worth go much. property as Cor
Inelius Vanderbilt left. During the entire
Ieight years which the famous Warren
Hastings trial went on, none of the
lawyers received such heavy fees. IN
the even more famous case OF "Jarndyce
and Jarndyce,nn nthe.reporter of that case
issilent lin regard To- the fees -ees the
c'unsel but We presume they consumed s1ss
1.-The estate.
Erskine. the leader Of the English bsr
in his time, and one Of the most brill
liant lawyers Great Britain eyerproduced,
never receiveda q greater yearly income
than $60, 600, and never more than E5,-
600 in any one case Sir James Scarlet,
afterwards Lord Abingeryla. very .suc.
cessful lawyer, had an income certainly
not TO exceed Erskine's. The same fs
true OF Garrows, another grea. English
lawyer. BalIantine received FROM the
British Government o verylarge fee for
going to Calcutta to try a murder case,
: but large part of it was consumed Ia
expenses. 'r 1se
America takes the lead In big lawyers
fees, and it is only within a dozen years
or so that our lawyers have beeh &c
lucky Pinckney, Webster. Ghostee ~
] any of our great lawyers in times past
never dreamed of such extravagant bills
The tirst great fee ever known 10 thi'
c6untry Was received BY Garrison n
Potter n the. foreclosures of the Caaan
daigua Railroad, notmany yesrs sgp :.
tits stated that be received Si00. 800 II
that case. 1t is reported that CbAr3eI
10 O'Conuorreceiyed s75, 900 In the June
will case and sl00, 900 in the Parish will
case. In The latter case Judge John K
Porter and Daniel Lord received large
Ifees. 3ss9 zagj99
To come to our own. city. which II
seldom far behind 10 anything, the ,lals
Henry Burden paid his lawyers upwards
: Of S75,000 lin the famous Spiks ease
and.ex-C x-Chancellor Wslworth. the referee
lin that case, received $4,000 referees
fees. In the Marshall will case Town
send q Browne received 5000. rH''i