Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-07
LETTER BAG.


EDITORS HERALD: My attention has
been called to an interview with "a
Young Lawyer" printed in Yesterday
mornings HERALD, in which some state
ments are made concerning the estate
of o. l.. Susand. Inasmuch as have
as member of the firm of Wells, Mo n.
roe & Lee. acted as the legal adviser and
attorney of the public administrator in
conducting the administration of that
estate, cannot let the untruthful state
ments made to your representative in
that interview pass without reply.
In the first place, the "young lawyer"
in question has exhibited such an utter
aversion to the truth in the statements
made, as shown by the records in the
case, that 1 am compelled to conclude
that his prevarication is intentional,
willful and malicious, and as such /
brand it. )"
For instance, the inference is left to
be drawn that the lot wherein Susand
was buried was not paid for. This is
untrue, the claim OF the Los Angeles
Cemetery association for $72.50 therefor
having been allowed whenpresented, and
paid in full.
Again, the statement is made that
''there was a little advertising done in
the papers, and the papers have to dis
count their bills one-half because there
was not money enough to go around
among the lawyers )" this is absolutely
and unquali6edly false. The necessary
probate notices ordered published by
the court were published in the Even
ing Express, Times, and Mirror, and
were paid in full. There was also a
claim by Messrs. Ayers & Lynch present.
ed for $3.50 upon which they were paid
through their attorney $13.5 so, increased
by accumulated interest. This bill was
for advertising done in the HERALD by
Susand before his death. There were no
other advertising expenses or newspaper
bills incurred than the ones above men
toned.
Again, the statement is made that
zone firm drew $400 for legal advice, an
other $3.50, and 30 it went" This is also
untrue. The facts are that the admins
traitor paid our firm fee of $3.50 for our
two years. services as attorneys of the
estate and it's attendant litigation, and
the court allowed the attorney OF the
heirs 500 for his services. No item of
$3.50 has been paid to any attorney out
OF the estate. Our predecessors, who had
attended to several suits for Susand in
his lifetime and acted as his attorneys,
had an account against him which was
presented to the court, allowed as a
claim against the estate and paid to the
amount of $1S5.40. These are the only
attorneys fees paid out of the estate.
All of which can be easily verified by
reference to the files in the case.
When Susand died he was practically
insolvent, although popularity supposed
to be possessed OF quite an estate. While
it was appraised at about $14, 900 as
stated, yet there were debts, liens and
membranes thereon of about an equal
amount. The Figueroa street lots were
foreclosed under mortgage. The Ninth
street lots were under attachment levied
prior to his death for an amount far ex-
ceeding their value. All his personal
property, other than the barber shop
furniture, was pledged to secure debts.
Several suits were pending against him
in which collections aggregating several
thousand dollars were sought to be en-.
forced. The estate was in this condition
when it came into the hands of the adj
ministrator.
A forged will was offered for probate
which was successfully resisted after
a long and tedious trial. The admins
traitor, aided by his attorneys. after over
two years of unceasing work, finally, by
bringing about compromises of some oil
the pending attachment suits and con-
tested claims, and by sales of property
which were hard to be brought about
owing to dull market, succeeded in
realizing enough on the property, after
paying off the existing liens, out OF
which all the expenses of the last sick
ness, funeral expenses and expenses OF
administration have been paid in full
with interest, and the general creditors
have received 95 cents on the dollar of
their claims, but have really lost
nothing, because the accumulated in
terest more than made up the loss.
While this matter seems unimportant
In the eyes of the public, yet value my
reputation and good name too high to
rest under an imputation such as is at
tempted to be cast by the obscure indi-
vidual who seeks to publish Islander
under the nom de plume of A Young
Lawyer; hence / ask for the publica-
ton of this communication. Very
respectfully, BRADNER w. LEE.
Los Angeles, Nov. s, 1891.
highlands Army In the Revolution.
EDITORS HERALD: To settle discus
sion between friend of mine and N.Y.
sell, phase state the actual number OF
soldiers = American and British-en-
gagged in the revolutionary war. MY
friend says there were not over 70, o0u
British soldiers in that war. b. II.
THE Annual Statistician for 1891 says
that the thirteen colonies contributed 9
total of $1,000 American soldiers, mill.
tia and continental. The British lost