Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-08-04
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LAWYERS CHARGES.
The Big Fees Some OF Them
Have Received

AhNs AANN'-
Yesterday the Press informed its rea-
ders, through special telegram from
New York, of certain high fees charged
by lawyers in the Vanderbilt-will case.
AS was there stated, Mr.. Henry l.. Gin
ton charged S250,0O0. Mr.. Clinton was
attorney in the case, which was well
worked up, and probably his bill con-
tains items of money expended by him
for detective service and other matters.
Judge George +. ComstOck, OF Syracuse,
charged and received $4,000.
We learn that Mr.. Vanderbilt de-
clines to pay Mr.. Clinton's tremendous
bill, and we don't blame him, for it is
utterly absurd that any lawyer should
receive in one case, and that only OF
short duration, a larger sum than one
lawyer in a million makes by a lifetime
of hard work; and we think that Judge
ComstOck Whose bill for sitting in this
case and looking wise and occasionally
arguing a point of law was very modest
in comparison with ClintOn's) has great
reason for commencing Mr.. Wander
bits generosity.
We learn that Mr.. Scott Lord, the
counsel for the contestant OF the will,
received 100000. These immense fees
are beyond anything ever known or
heard of not only in this country but
in foreign lands. The famous lawyers
OF England and France have never re-
ceived such large sums even in cases OF
much longer continuance. To be sure,
there have been few, if any, cases in
volving such an immense amount of
money, for there have been very few
men in the world worth so much pro-
perty as Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt left.
During the entire eight 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" the reporter
OF that case is silent regard to the fees OF
the counsel, but we presume they con-
sumed the estate.
Erskine, the leader OF the English bar
in his time, and one OF the most brilli-
ant lawyers Great Britain ever produced,
never received greater yearly income
than So, 1000, and not more than $4,000
in any one case. Sir James Scarlet, al
forwards Lord Abinger, a very success.
iul lawyer, had an income certainly not
to exceed Erskine's. The same is true
OF Garrows, another great English law
yer. Ballantyne received from the
British Government very large fee for
going to Calcutta to try murder case,
but large part OF it was consumed in
expenses.
America takes the lead in big lawyers
fees, and it is only within dozen years
or so that our lawyers have been so
lucky. Pinckney, Webster, Choate, or
any of our great lawyers in times past,
never dreamed of such eXtravagant bills
The first great fee ever known in this
country was received by ClarksOn y.
Potter in the foreclosure of the Can
andaigua railroad, not many years ago.
1t is stated that he received 100000 in
that case 1t is reported that Charles
OConor received $4,000 in the Jumel
will-case and 100000 in the Rarrish
will-case. In the latter case Judge
John X. Porter and Daniel Lord re-
ceived large fees.
To come to our own city, which is sell
dom far behind in anything, the late
Henry Burden paid his lawyers up
wards OF $4,000 in the famous Spike
case, and ex-ChancellOr WalwOrth, the
referee in that case, received $4,000
referees fees. In the Marshall will-Case
Townsend & Browne received $4,000.