The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-19
COURT IN THE CITY HALL
Judge Bedle Presides for
the First Time in the
New Building.
MAKES AN IMPORTANT DECISION
Against a Man Who Stirs Up Lit
igation in Cases Of Per-
sonal Injury.

r.
sides, was held today in the new court
room on the third floor of the City Hall
for the first time. When Judge Bedle en-
tered the court room he found ON his desk
a magnificent floral piece made in the form
OF the scales of justice. The piece was
about three feet high. 1t was presented
to him by Clerk Braden, Constables John
Masker, Frank Meyer and George Rush.
Ahandsome basket of carnations was also
presented to the Court. From Mayor Wan
ser down to the lowest official in the bufld-
ing every man was presented with a pink.
Just before opening court Judge Bedle
took occasion to remark that the court
room given him was a nice one. 1t is a
court room, he said, of which the people
of the city may well feel proud. He con-
graduated the officials who nave had
charge Of the erection of the new building
and congratulated them upon the haste
displayed in finishing it. He spoke of the
hall as a whole and said every property
owner should feel proud of the building.
There were one hundred and three cases
ON the calendar for today. A great many
OF them had to be postponed.
Before trying any of the cases, Judge
Bedle rendered an important decision.
1t was in the case of George J. Stan
ford VS.. John Werder ct al. This was
an action brought to recover monies adj
vanced by the plaintiff to the defendants
for their household expenses, pending
the settlement of a suit for damages
against the Consolidated Traction Com
pany for injuries to the defendants, re-
ceived while riding on a trolley car. The
testimony showed that the plaintiff, who
is not an attorney or counsellor at law,
heard through the newspapers that the
defendants had been injured, and he then
went to Mr.. Werder and solicited the
prosecution of the case. The plaintiff
admitted that he had pursued the same
course on other occasions. Stanford
made a bargain with the defendants to
the effect that he would take charge Of
their case. and either settle with or
bring suit against the Traction Com
pany, and in the latter case pursue it
to Judgment: that pending suit he would
supply them with means for their house
hold expenses, so far as was necessary
for their comfort, and that out of the
proceeds Of the settlement. he should be
repaid such advances as had been made
and should retain for his services and
legal disbursements one-half the settle
ment or recovery money. And further,
hat the defendants should in no wise in
t%erfere with the plaintiff, such as seek
ing interviews with or allowing them
selves to be interviewed by any
person or persons, n partieu-
a aar,y a any psrs the r wn9 night mpan Or
h bargain vas an oral one, but a
power of attorney in writing was given
the plaintiff. Subsequent to the making
of the power of attorney the defendants
settled with the Traction Company, in
dependently of the plaintiff and without
his knowledge. After the making of the
bargain with the plaintiff and before set
Element was made with the company, the
plaintiff had advanced to the Werders
$1S9.o0. For that sum Stanford holds a
receipt n a promise to pay as soon
as the claim against the company has
been disposed of.
$1Ss.50. The defendants defence was that
the contract was void because Of its
nature, which made 1t barratrous, cham
pertous and against public policy. This
point is upheld by the Court. The OBJ
ject of the clause in the agreement pre-
venting the defendants from interview
ing or being interviewed by representa-
tiyes of the company was clearly, Judge
Bedle rules, to prevent settlement by the
parties of the differences and to enable
tn intermeddler, by means of his control
Of the case and under penalty of litiga-
ton, to force the company to pay what
he may deem proper, which may easily
be a sum greater than the plaintiff is
willing to receive, or han which the de-
PENDANTS ought to be called upon to
pay.
In ruling against Stanford Judge Bedle
pays his respects to him in this way
IT am more easily led to this conclusion
in the case at bar, by the fact that the
plaintiff is not a licensed lawyer, but on
the contrary is a man who, without be-
ing amenable to the control exercised by
the courts over members of the bar, has
adopted the business of stirring up and
fomenting litigation"