The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-06-06
Living by Their Wits.

"How can all these lawyers earn
their living?" asked reporter OF one
Of the oldest members OF the bar.
1.-The lawyers have no difficulty in
making enough to live on. There Is a
comparatively small number OF these
among the three hundred attorneys. Or
course it is simply impossible for three
hundred men in city Of this size to
exc out a subsistence by the use OF their
legal lore. A great number are young
men who have not worked up prac-
licc and can not be expected, however
,hrcwd they may be- to earn a living.
Then, too, Detroit has its full quota OF
shystcrs and pettifoggers, who resort to
all sorts of schemes to earn a dollar. IL
YOU will take a court docket and look 1t
through YOU will find that about forty
LAWYERS have most Of the business. II
the law business were equally divided
there would be enough to support all OF
the profession in the city, but there are
several who make 800 600 or $4,000 n
year"
How do the rest live?'
In various ways. Some have money
TO live on inherited from their fathers,
some have rich wives, many combine
their law practice with real estate and
insurance business, but there are more
than people suppose who are living
from hand to mouth, hardly knowing
where the bread for the next meal Is
coming from. There is another class
which, am sorry to say, is not small
one and which is the disgrace of the
profession. 1t is the class of dead-beats
who in some inscrutable way gain the
title of attorney at-law. They make it
business to squeeze client as long as
ANYTHING can be gotten from him on
one pretext and another. At one time
they will want money for officers fees,
but the money never reaches the olll-
GERS. At another time it is to pay for
counsel or for expenses. There are
thousands Of ways that are used to get
money from an unsuspecting client.
Many of this class have no Office. They
sponge their stationery off the county,
beat landlords out of board bills. and
borrow money until their credits gone.
"Do lawyers ever seek out business"
Certainly they do. know of law
yers in this city who make it q practice
TO hunt up persons injured on the rail
roads and induce them to bring suit for
damages. In these cases the most OF
the lawy ers' fees are often made con-
tingent on the success OF the suit. a
close watch is KEEP. for every accident,
for scandals, family disputes. or prop
crty litigation. Immediately any prom
ising case is developed the lawyer ap-
proaches the victim and generally sue
ceeds in being retained"
How is this business looked upon by
the ProfessionP" e
MY own opinion is that no lirst-class
lawyer would ever stoop to any such
proceeding. When one is in straight
cned circumstances, though, lean hard
ly wonder that such devices are resortcd
to-"
rs this system pursued successfully
in criminal casesP"
Eyes, and much more easily than in
civil cases. don't know how it is now,
but a few years ago | have positive
knowledge that there was combna-
ton of certain lawyers with detectives
and other officers. The detective used
to get a percentage of the fees in all the
cases he would bring to the lawyer he
had bargained with. 1t was very easily
managed. Criminals very frequently
consult the officers as to suitable at
torney to employ, and the advice of the
officer Is usually followed. "-Detroit
Post.