Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-01
PAPERS ARE MISSING.
Many of the State Records Have Been
Stolen From the Court House.
LAWYERS DEMAND NEW METHODS.
Ihey Want Record Made of Each Paper
That Is Taken Away.
TOO MANY CHANCES TO PILFER NOW

any citizen, and this practice seems to COM
port with our democratic ideas, but the
facility with which records can be reached
has fostered considerable abuse, much more
than might appear to the average person.
Though lawyers are supposed, as a class, to
be honorable men, it does not follow that
they all are, and it is recorded that a Pitts
burg lawyer was once hanged in New York
| for some crime
Clara Williams wanted a divorce from
her husband, William Clayton Williams.
She began proceedings and her case is on
record as No. 337, October term, 1890.
Testimony was taken by a commits
sioner. The matter was supposed
by Clara and her lawyer to be COM
ing On all right until one dayit became nee
essary to submit it, and the testimony was
called for. Itwas not in the Prothonotary' S
Office. The clerks had doubtless allowed
several people to look at it, but the thief
could not be located, so on the 25th of last
May the Court granted an order on the
commissioner to retake the testimony. This
was an expensive affair, as the witnesses
meantime had scattered. Now, if Mrs.
Williams had right to a divorce it was un-
fair to put her to the expense, and, even if
she hadn't, the thief was not justified in
| purloining the testimony.
MANY RECORDS ARE MISSING.
It is believed there are many records
missing which may some day
cause much trouble. When the
late A. NJ. Watson was fighting
| the Pennsylvania Company in 1878, it be-
came necessary for him to file a bill in
equity. The petition was lost in this case
| and Mr.. Watson was greatly badgered be-
fore he got it replaced. The profile and
right of way of the Pennsylvania and Ohio
Railway, filed No. $50, June term 1850,
was lost. Being a lawyer, Mr.. Watson
found means to secure a copy from rail-
way source, but it was uphill work. The
Ohio and Pennsylvania Railway is now
known as the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne and
Chicago Railway, and there is, or at least
was and may be again, very important
matter to settle at some time relative to the
location of Jacks Run narrows. There are
still people living who might be able to
locate the wagon road, but it is doubtful,
owing to the Typographical changes the
section has undergone in Al years.
RAILWAY RECORDS WERE STOLEN.
Some people have never become recon-
ciled to some arrangement that was made at
that time but the profile and right of way
filed in 1850 have been stolen from the Pro-
thonotary's Office, or lost, 10, these many
years! 1t is true party in interest has
secured certified copy of it, but others
may want one and not be fortunate enough
to find it. How many other valuable docu-
or thereabouts cannot be known without
very tedious examination. It is said the
documents of 1850 and 1878 missing were
worth money to some person or persons
Given among lawyers NAV be found men
who are not honorable, " said q member of
the bal, and this declaration was the prelude
to discussion of the management of the
Prothonotary's office. Said one: 81 find
no fault with John Bradley, buD-- with the
system under which he is forced to work.
Positions in all the county offices are, under
it, the reward of political services, and 1t is
possible for the meanest buns in the county
to get place which the scrupulous honesty
of many deserving men would make them
delicate about filling, but which are eagerly
grasped by the unscrupulous, though some
times utterly incompetent 1t is not on ac-
count of the salary, but for the reason that
they are given opportunity to do dirty work
they could not do elsewhere, and very lucra-
tive work it may be, too.
TRICKS DONE BY THE LAWYERS.
81 know of case where a 1ibellant in a
divorce case began proceedings four or five
years ago. Counsel was careless and the
case dragged. Finally the libellant became
unfortunate and the matter was pushed,
when it was found that the testimony had
been stolen. 1t cost that libellant about
$500 to get two witnesses from the West. L
do not know, but I believe that someone
interested stole that testimony, bnt L do not
think the respondent knew how to do it
himself No, sir; all lawyers are not hon
orable men. do not lay the blame of the
burning of the old Court House on them,
but do believe some of them steal papers
from the Prothonotary's Office at times.
Said another: Suppose the testimony in
a suit is filed and that one of the parties
is aged and infirm so that he
cannot appear, and his deposition
is taken and an unscrupolaus attorney ap-
plies for permission to see it. He gets it,
of course, and there is nothing to prevent
him from taking it away and secreting or
destroying it-such cases have happened
and meantime the party or both, die, what
is left to prove the claim? Testimony has
been lost, and am certain it was stolen,
but cannot prove it. How easy it is to slip
out writ OF an affidavit of defense under
the present system. L am not blaming
Bradley, but the system under which the
Office is managed.
"Well, what are you going'to do about
it?" asked another.
"Well," said the first speaker, ''I have
remedy that would work a cure. In the
first place, I would have the Judges appoint
: ho I,to
this will not be done, the next resource is
to have the Prothonotary's records abso-
lutely closed against all who do not get
written order of court for their examina-
tion, and then require that this order be
made matter of record before papers are
given out. This arrangement would place
the responsibility on the Judge giving the
order and would abate the evil. Mr. Brad
ley has lately put the screws on applicants
who want to take papers out and makes
them receipt for them, but he cannot him
self abate the evil altogether, as a dozen
lawyers may be demanding to see records
at one time, and track cannot be kept of all
of them
TOO EASY TO OBTAIN PAPERS.
About this time the assemblage decided
that it wasn't talking for publication, the
members stating that they were not desir-
Gus of fight with either the Prothonotary
or the Judges and they all put an embargo
on the use of their names. 1t is plain,
however, that the abuse of which they COM
plain is one that at present may be prac-
ticed almost with impuuity, so long as a
lawyer, OF even client, has a right to de-
mand the inspection of papers without an
order from court. In many cases there
may be dozen different documents en-
hraced In one package, and material por-
tion may be abstracted Notwithstanding the |
vigilance Of the clerks in charge, and if one
were to be crooked, he could work a vast |
amount OF mlschlef vii hoIlt lnrri,,nr hi1,nsalf