New-York tribune., 1896-12-06
ana there is mad race in the dark after nm
wholesome and mysterious fads IN F.
THE SH YSTER AND HIS WAYS
'io RICH FIELD IN THE CRIMINAL
COURTS

MS NATIONALITY OFTEN HIS CHIEF STOCK IN
TRApE-BLAcKMAII. AND ExToRTioN
"hen the parasites which hang on to the various
a'"eu PROFESSIONS are named. the quacks who
or'hg Ill repute to the callings which should COM
nahd The respect of the best elements of a COM
''"iy' 'he "shystor lawyer should not be forgot
'e' Like his brother in the medical profession
me quack lawyers income is derived from the
ie"er strata OF society," and although his quackerv
ooeS not endanger the lives of those who trust
'iih ne Is dangerous member OF the community
because or his reputation among the criminal
10 pe ah!e 10 clear criminals or to make 1t easy
Tor those of whose guilt there can be no doubt
Iney arc not illi;oratc like the fake doctors and
the make-be!icve dentists: many of the men who
compose the class Of quack lawyers are college
graduates well read IN law and fitted in all par
ucuars to occupy place in the regular profes-
sion.
Some of these men have large offices in which
representatives from all branches of criminaty
may be seen daily. ana where the machinery OF
crime is kept fabricated with the funds acquired
by sin.
In the days of Tweed. when the criminal asked
Nhat are you going TO do about it, these law
offices were the meeting places of political mag
mates and there many plans were laid and schemes
concocted which had the peTpetuaion of the ring
ana the division OF spoils their main objects
Since law and order have triumphed In Ncw-YorK
the cheap lawyers Office has lost some of it's p0-
litical Importance but there still number OF
these quacks who aspire to and do succeed In OBJ
tanning political Office. and then assume "A double
Importance toward their clients whom they wan;
TO impress with the magnitude of their "pu"
The business centres for the shyster lawyer
city prison and the county Jail There he hovers
over the poor unfortunatcs and hawks his
and makes promises which include liberty and dam
ages. and grows eloquent and lmportunate in keep
ing with the clients bank account
MANY man has been compelled to serve adj
ditional time said a lawyer in speaking Of the
quack lawyers. because of the way in which his
case was handled by his Tombs lawyer. Instead of
advising his client TO confess where there is no
chance for him anyway, he plays the game OF OBJ
s,rucion. in order to continue the case as long as
possible. and nis client is the sufferer. OF course"
he added this policy is only employed when the
man on trial has money. and when he can be
wheedled or bluffed into giving 1t TO his defender"
In cases where the accused person has no money.
matter whether he is guilty innocent. here
is no scramble for his patronage: no one of the
many lawyers who look for clients seems anxious
10 defend him. and the chances arc against him
from the start If the accused person Is poor and
has means with which to pay counsel. the Court
assigns a lawyer to defend him. but the person Sc
lected Is usually some young man. who Is no mattel.
for the experienced prosecutor on the other side.
IF the shyster fourshes and prospers In New
York CITY, said man OF high standing, IL Is the
fault of the better class OF lawyers to IA great ex-
tent The practice is given over mostly 10 the
Court House lawyers because men Of good stand
ing dislike TO practise in the criminal courts There
is no city in the world where there are so fe"
reputable lawyers IN tho criminal practice in pro-
portion 10 the whole number of lawyers as III Nc'-
York. There are only few lawyers In the city who
practise in civil cases 10 whom man with hn''''
means may 20 for advice in criminal case some
men of Acknowledged standing MAJ be induced 10y
a big fee TO take a case In the criminal court phl
people who cannot pay extraordinary ices mus DE
satisfied with the professional criminal lawyer. who.
rule. is looked down upon 10y his brother prac-
In other cities the foremost men VIII occasi9naiN
practice in criminal court nu nor even ~ ,heg t
feel the inclination. they refuse ana gay 70 i rno
woud-be clients that the atmosphere OF the ci;ihi-
other clients and tha; to be seen there would DE
TO sink to the level OF men who had been deDaIIed
ana ana nnprofcssohpai HiproT's pui'irS Methods
Among the law quacks Of ,his city there are many
Tn re- are Russians. talans Germans, Trenchmen.
lrishmen and scandnayans ana an h nave ,rnIer ,ne
where it will do the most good They al %rn %1rk IN in
their branch of he business and thcir nanecrs-on.
students and clerks take their inspiraions from
the methods of the same Institution These law, law
yers on the most intimate terms With WITH thcir h
clients and usually own he Psope whom thSI
in many OF these shysier offices, where the secrets
which come there in the course 9' nuS'r ron ac ,bc
unfortunate ones. Every thing OF scandalouS
woman is carefully tabul4tcd and kept TO be used
at some future time. and many SUIT, sill, naS @ p"eh
some shyster threatened to tell what ne knew about
some person the other side. . -
WHO pays that lawyer for defending that poor
mani was asked in one of the criminal courts i d
fev; days ago when "a wcknOwn criminal lawyer
announced himself as counsel for inc accused hG-
corling the stories which had Deeii cIcu,"@su i IN
the man had neither money nor friends ana SUI
h. had "able counsel" -
nc "es,rbat man never did any work for glory. was
tho answer and he is doing this either Tor the
adyertiscmcnt which 1T will give him or FOR re-
tainer from an unknown source ,
The criminal lawyer never gets lcii on ms zee ann
~ be fails 10 get It in cash It comes IN the snapc
~ mortgage the house OF an ANXIOUS iaun',.
or doting mother or. for an we kno" tn' Je".is
- somn woman are contributed; but no matter
where il com IS from. the lawyer gets ms Zee ana
ei, her his diamonds. his horses nor MS nashy iur-
,. shou. ,hat fhey are the profits or degrading
nran,Ice conducted under the cloak OF the law