The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-26
METHODS OF CURBsToNR LAWYERS.
The Large Number Of Them Who Haunt the
Police and Justices Courts in This City.

Every city in the country of any size is infest-
ed with that peculiar class Of individuals known
to the general public as ''curbstons7 lawyers, but
1t has been said that Indianapolis contains more
than her fair share of these gentry. Members
of the legal profession who may be classe3 under
this head are generally to be found in large num-
bers in the police court and about the various es-
adjustments whore justice is dealt out In large
and small quantities by 'squres and constables.
Even though none Of them may have cases on
hand. it is not hard to distinguish them from the
motley crowds that daily congregate in such
places. The typical curbstone lawyer, taken al
together. is very seedy-looking indi-
vidual. His broadeloth suit is in most
cases, sadly in need of trip to
the dye-house and his headgear would be
greatly improved by short vacation in the es-
Enlistment OF halter. Phe very fact that
their knowledge of the law yields them few
shekels makes this class of lawyers more grasp
ing than the Niagara Fails hackmen of DID,
"Curbstone" lawyers, or at least q portion of
them. will resort to all sorts of tricks to
business, and no case is ever called up in the
police court that is considered hopeless by them.
They will defend anything, and any body If there
Is q chance of realizing a dollar or two in event
of an acquittaL Their stronghold is assault and
battery cases. which they appear relish,
judging from the way in which they endeavor TO
string them out No matter if the two
defendants did nothing worse than slap one
another, in most instances the able lawyer will
call Up sufficient number of his clients friends
to show that that gentleman was almost muir
dered He gloats over the details, and is bound
to ascertain the exact position of the two prison
ers when the fight occurred, as well as the exact
time of day to the second. All this is, of course
very material. If one of the witnesses is not
friendly to his side, he gruff1y asks him if his
grandfather wasn't hanged for murder, and il he
nlmself hasn't just returned from the States
prison. Before the witness has had time to in
dienantly reply in the negative the legal gentle
man will ask him another question, thus leaving
the delightful impression that he, tlae witness,
came. of very bad family The curb
stone sSa LAWYER appears to labor under
into the world for the express purpose of hating
policemen and when he gets one of them on the
stand, he makes it decidedly warm for him.
There's no telling what would happen to the
poor ''coppers" once in awhile if the Mayor
didn't interfere The majority of these legal
gentlemen carry on a regular system of brow
beating but it seldom avails them anything Of
course, lawyers of note often take police-court
cases, but when they do, they have sure thing
on getting their fee and a pretty good chance of
securing the acquittal of their client
great many of the petty lawyers doing bust
ness in this city of the Samson Brass caliber,
and are not at all slow in participating in almost
any questionable traHeactf0H X there IS a chance
of realizing thereby The trial of Grand.
pa Joness pet mugwump, Harrison, who
is ''curbstonef lawyer of the first water, very
fully demonstrates this fact. It is stated that
one gentleman of the class under discussion is
in the habit of searching out young girls who
have grounds for breach-of-promisea and paternity
suits, and inducing them TO bring action or dele
gate him to brighten the young man into COM
promise. Of course, in this good work he often
clashes with constable, but little thing like
that does not deter him.
1t has been long time since the "curbstone"
lawyers have worked the station house for cases.
They used to go there at night and tell the pris-
oners that unless they procured counsel itwould
not be at all surprising If they were every
one sent to the State prison, no matter how
small the offense they had committed. 1t is
just possible that they cannot stand Turnkey
Clark's eagle eye. One individual who used to
show up at the city prison nearly every night
has forsaken the profession and gone into the
notion business on the South Side Another
one who was retained" in some police court
case about once month is now devoting his
entire time and attention to the stale beer re-
naming in the kegs that set out in front of
the saloons in the immediate vicinity of the
courthouse. The old-timers are disappearing
rapidly, but young ones are taking their places.