, 1885-02-12
LAW YER's RUNNERS.
HOW SOME NOT ovER-scRuPULoUa
ATTORNEYS THRIVE


ltnlc4-J scNAI
at is quite the propsr thing nowadays for
legal drms 70 have runners, said a promi-
nsnt member Of the Chicago bar. e0f
courso l don't mean to say that all legal
nrms havs these auxiliaris< A high-tonsd
att irnsy would not stoop to such practice,
or the employment of such assistance. But
the majority Of mail and struggling firms
are taking very kindly 10 the idea"
What arc the dutica OF these 'runners'f
wns asked.
TO drum up trnde. The system Il worked
Ia this mannsr: The chief OF the firm, or
some member who Is selected for office at
tornoy. dcvotes himself almost entirely t.
ths reading OF the daily newspapers Books
Of law lntsrelt him but little and engage
only a small portion Of his time. At his
coffee, midday lunch. and evening tea, the
daily journals are his inseparable compan-
lou-. Every hint OF scandal, rumor OF finan-
cial embarrassment, intimation OF roal estate
litigation, and itsm OF accident Il con-
sumed with a voracity which robs him O.
appstita-' Again. throughout his Office hours
he analyses and dissects every frngmentary
statement that seems 70 warrant a CAUSE for
loyal action or n possibility for legal defense.
Tho notices are carefully scheduled with
dates, namos, and details In a book
deiignod especially for that purpose.
When the 'runnersi appear each morn
Ing their work for the day Is mapped
out Ons goes out to submit terms for a
damage suit. II the injured party Is poor
the bulk OF the Zee l. made contingent An
other Is dispatched to Mr.. So and 81 with
the advice that he can make 1t troplcally
warm for somebody with whom he has come
into conflict in a real estate transaction.
And with the many other suggestions he hai
10 herald about, the lawyers runner finds
his position ANYTHING but a sinecure. As a
matter OF coursc, success Is assured, and the
runner IA invariably capable OF promising
TO the defendant what a few moments before
he had promised the plaintiff II the trm Is,
/ trough his commission, retained In the case,
lie promptly returns to the office. books thu
suit, and then hurries of into soma new fislc
for anothsr victim The business OF some
hrm1 Is augmented thousands OF dollar
every year in this Manner
"Are the lawyers who work on this system
fenerally snccessfnif"
in thu way OF making money. yss TheJ
generally win damage suitS Whenever they
arrange for a contingent fee 1t Is pretty GER
tail that thoy don't take many chances
Such q suit Is usually a good one. Tn-p they
do n great deal VI compromising, which pays
Ye', indeed, the runner Is profitable, but
a. | said hefore, no scrupulous lawyers-and
tlera Is n large nuraber OF such-would think
OF hiring such q to 4. It Is really the at
torneys who use 'runners that give new
paper propriet1is 50 much trouble and
anxiety. No ambition lawyer, with an eye
to n political future. AMI no honorable law
Yer who Is In the least sensitive to newspaper
criticism, will associate himself with a libel
suit against n newspaper unless the males
AMI injury are e. Ned boyond
contradiction Ninsty-nins faIs OF every
100 presumably libslous statements
made by the pros ean1os b. provsl. They
are attributable {, the mistaken OF the
hurry and worry attsn ling tho publication
OF nows or gossip. which are read by tn
public u couple Of hours after tho events 70
ported have occurred Without apparent
inalics there Is only the finsy tissue Of libel,
and hero Is what a ju lgs or jury considers
tio unwritten law wnicn is so intsrminable
and mex inustible ii lac License OF Il ms rs2a-
per. But the lawyer who finds tho ruIinsr
sesvireable as the se onl or ~third-class hotel
proprietor does, Is always ready to court
cheap notorlesy By meeting the offended OBJ
jet u indisrrset Newspaper comment TO
bring action f,r libel l venture TO say MOI
s par cent Of the plaintiffs in newspaper
libel suits carry siie.r grievances into the at
tor1ey's oaice. K her the indefatizable
runner or TIE ubsqlit "a pstifogger Is tb'
go-betweenf