The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-30
uNPRoFRssIoNAL CONDUCT.

a comm itiee of the Bar Association. con-
sisting of James 6. Mcguire. Columbus
Bartlett, b. A. Powell Sheldon g. Kellogg
and Donald Campbell, has impeached three
members of the Local bar, with he recon-
mendation that they be expelled on the
ground OF unpr0fessloual conduct. The
persons so impeached are named u W.
Howe. Henry l. Kowalsky ard u. r. Nap
thalv.
G. ". Howe is lawyer who was adj
mitted to practice in the courts OF San gran
cisco in 1890. and who has since carried on
business under the firm name OF q. W.
Howe & Co. He tried to attract business
by advertising that his firm consisted OF
eight criminal and civil lawyers, whereas
he WIS the only member thereof. and that
il had been in business for ten years,
whereas il is only two years old. The
committee finds that The advertisement was
an evasion of. section 1914 of the Penal
Code, and that Howe persisted in publish
ing it after he had been warned that il was
Illegal.
Kowslsky is the man who figured in the
case of the minor heir Macdonald. lie OBJ
tanned money from the guardian. Corbett.
by stating that Judge Levy had promised
to sign an order authorizing the payment,
and, as the public VIII remember, was pretty
roughly hauled over the Goals by Judge
Coffey for his conduct The committee
finds him guilty Of unprofesslonal conduct.
and recommends that his case be brought
before the Supreme Court.
Napthaly, with whose name citizens are
pretty familiar. went TO the house of man
and demanded $40 10 secure the release of
his daughter. who. as he alleged, had been
arrested for breach Of a municipal or
dinance. Tie father paid The money and
afterward ascertained that his daughter
had not been arrested and tbst Nsplhaly's
tale was false throughout. Having vainy
attempted to get his money back. he had
Napthaly arrested on the ground of obtain
ing money under false pretenses; he was
convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of
S100. The committee concludes that per-
son of this sort is not fit TO be member Of
the San Francisco bar. and therefore recon-
mends that bis name be stricken from the
roll OF attorneys
These steps Indicate thattbe Bar Assoeia-
ton is not the purely ornamental body
which people have imagined. II is awaken
ing TO a consciousness that It has important
duties 10 perform and serious responsible
ties to shoulder. Ii is the guardian Of the
honor Of the bar and. as a corrupt bar is
apt at times 10 make a corrupt bench, it
may be said to be the censor of public
morals and the supervisor Of the admins
tration Of justice. The whole fabric Of our
legal machinery rests upon the theory that
lawyers are honest; that they remember
they are officers Of the court as well as
advocates. and that citizen is safe in put
ting his secrets, bis papers. his property
and bis far fame in their hands. When
they are not honest, and not worthy of
being entrusted with the belongings of
clients. or when they use their position at
the bar to blackmail and rob the innocent
and unwary they are the worst enemies
against whom the community has 10 con-
tend. Az through history knayes have
wormed their way into the profession. ana
have brought such ill-fame UPON it that for
many years il was part OF the constitution
of some Eastern States that no lawyer
could sit in the Legislature. Only the other
day the Knights Of Labor embodied
special provision in their constitution, de-
claring that no lawyer should ever belong
to the body. The prejudice reflected BY
these invidious distinctions should arouse
honorable members of the profession to
disaVm sweeping criticism BY a constant
process Of publication.