, 1881-12-11
Dragging Reputable chicagoans
Before Remote Suburban
justices
For the Purpose Of Making Them
Pay Bills They Do Not
Owe.
The Hepp Claims, and the Effort
Now Making to Collect
Them. -
What q Reporter Saw and Learned in
Justice Office at Vii
mette.

When the Supreme Court declared unconstltu-
honat the law prohibiting the practice Of carry
ing civil suits for debt to obscure country mag
istratcs It played directly into the hands OF set
OF unprfncipled sharks, whatever might have
been the law on the Qu e5uon. Some time ago 1t
became the duty Of THE TRIBUNE to show up
the questionable transactions of COttfe s. Co.,
and other "cOllecton agents. who are pos"
Sessed Of more energy than conscience. The
practice, often written I'D, consisted simply in
bringing suit on doubtful claim, OR against some
slow debtor, before a Justice In some little
country town where the profits Of tho petty
judicial bench were SO small that " his Honor
could be persuaded to net as the TOOL Of the UNI
principled collection shnrps. The average de-
fcndaut was expected to submit to this tcgnl
black1nail sooner than experience the trouble
and expense caused BY trip to the country only
TO find that the comp1aisant Justice had coN-
tiIlued the case ut the simple request Of the
plaintiffs. So tiagrant had this abuse become
that Mt its last session the Legislature passed IL
law dividing Cook County into city and country
districts, and compelling processes to be brought
in the district in which the defendant resided.
The Supreme Court, however, has declared this
law unconstitutional, and the
OLD ABUSES HAVE BEGUN TO STRING IT. 4
with yjgor derived from their temporary sup
preston. There are too many collection agents
and too many Justices Of accommodating prin-
c{plcs for this class Of cases to be. hidden long
from sight.
4 few days ago gentleman Of this city whose
name ia not Mt all necessary to the question ut
issue, received q summons to appear before
Justice" F. NJ. Cornell, nj bis. Office IN WI
1nette ILL.,, to answer to suit for $50, IN which
one Jacob i. Hepp Avas the rlatntlH, tho suit
having been brought for the use Of E. Il. Phillips:
1t SO happened that the Rentlelnan served had
never heard OF Hcpp, tlid not owe ht1n one cent.
and was at Il loss to know how the suit concerned
him. The Constable who served the writ knew
only his duties, aud served the WEit WITHOUT any
knowledge as to the merits of the suit: 10 20
to the trouble and expense OF a trip TO Nilmette
WIS out Of the question, although the purity
sumnoncddid not propose to be swindled out ot
Il single cent. After u vast deal Of trouble llepo
und the Justice were hunted up. The defeld-
ant, who may be known MS robert wilson, be
cause that is not his name, produced ench proofs
of his ignorance of the claim that uepn aud the
country Justice agreed to dismiss tue suit with
no question as to costs.
Tho summons was returuable at the Office Of
the Justice In Wilmette 1T i O'Clock yesterday
afternoon 10 observe the sorkinss OF this
class Of cases Tribune. reporter was instruct
cd to 0c On hand ut the proper time and place,
and his iuyesliga lions resulted III bringing TO
light
4 VERY PECULIAR STATE OF AFFA1rS~
In the case referred to Jacob u: Hepp was the
plaintiff for tho use Of Z; ,: Phillips. uepP
proved to be comparatively honest but stupid
German, who, IN l5.,, was TIE the propriet9r o Of
Ghcaso @ ''A"Su avenue, with l' bis ls residence at
irving Park. lie was seemingly pros
porous He was good D., -, neehanic acc n,b ic,
Systematically swndcd. His books were Il
cosupiete tnutiGc. His collectors and agents
collected money which thoy never turned over
His affairs were IN Il bud way, and he succumhed
to the inevitable, taking advantage OF the bauk-
rupt act. When his. books were. produced it
were comparatively blank. although it was
known that trany accounts mud been paid where
no entry was ulsde Of the fact. tfcpp bought the
claims in and placed then, in the hands OF rep
utable attorney. who attempted to collect thotn
In a legitimate way. While thus engaged IN
Phillips to 20 over the books and tnakc out the
accounts. Phillips was given tho books and
TOOK them away. tle was subsequently, pna
$1, to see the parties concerned. Among the
claims was tho one against the gentleman re-
ferred to, which. ou Investigation, the honora-
nls attorney nad tnarhed re Ws hm taIns
however, obtained control Of the books he pro-
ceeded TO take the matter in his oE1l hands and
to dispense with his employer. Mr. Hcpp's nt-
torney. On making representations to Nr.
Hepp TINT gentleman says he was Induced to
Place AL the sas n hs to hSas Sn, and
ea2 'ns Wia1stte Sefore 70
Cornell, who holds. the position Of
Police kasiftmtc RI 81; tor thas lase ta phRs 1
hands. u'' All ibis ibis Tho reporter learned Deiora
boarding the 4:10 train on tho Chicago &
Northwestern Railroad yesterday afternoon, the
TRIBUNE representative arrived at 4:50 ut Viii
miles % from r The city on the milwaukee, Division
OF the road. Having previously posted him
self as to tho toposraphy "f T., the coun.
Try The Ecnf So ennnGe TO beass rese
with but little trouble. lie paused to ask his
way of Il young man with Il mustache and dap
pcr appearance, who was carrying home some
steak and generous supply OF liver a mo-
Ineut's conversation served to sho" that this
was no other tun Justice Cornell himself, laden
with tho cares of Office and tho Sunday supplies.
He obliginEly led the scarchcr after Information
to hts house nnd introduced him to tho privacy
Of very large domestic circle. The reporter,
without disclosing his occupation, stated CASUAL
ly that
LIE DESIRED TO SEE THE RECORDS 4
In certain small cnses. He was accordingly
ushereu nrst into tho family sltttng-room where
was one very hot stove. three chnirs, sofa, 4
table, and four bahtes. From this apartment
he squeezed himself into the otlice,' {, little
room about the size Of ! packing box, contain
ing two chairs and pine desk. This was The
scuted by Wtlmette's Police Magistrate sits en- /
throncd in the dusk of tho evening after the ]
Judge has returned from bis olice in the city. |
reporter such information Us WAS ut his COM |
mand, when another huulun body was injected
into the closet. and m E. b r1hps; Ip:;oa1'5 put
az the n
A legal argument before Justice Cor |
neil convinced TINT funcuonary that the |
bouks were public property. open to the inspec- |
He sustained the demurrer Of the reporter, aud |
Phillips retired to commune with the stove aud ]
the bnbfeS in the outer room. \ brief examina- |
ton Of Police Magistrate Cornells books con-
yinced the reporter that the Justice had allowed
a number Of cases to accumulate. OF which he |
has no record on the books OF tho Hepp-p Phil |
lips cases but three appeared On the docket |
Internal Revenue Office, now on duty at the |
Empire Disti1tery. His was obviously Il case |