Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-07
ASKS FOR A WRIT.
Mrs. ketcham Wants Her Former At
torney, Hansen. Cited for Con-
tempt of Court.

tempt of Court.
Chicago March 6-Mrs. Minnie W. W.
Ketcham asks Judge C. C. Kohlsaat to cite
Dethlef c. Hansen, her former attorney.
for contempt in a bill filed yesterday aft
erroon In the probate court. She claims
that Mr.. Hansen has interfered with her
duties as executriX of the estate of the
weaIthy clubman by securing writ OF
attachment in New York state which stops
the payment of insurance policies aggre-
eating $4,000.
According to the instrument Mr.. Han
sen charged Mrs. Ketcham $4,000 for his
services and when the sum was not forth
coming proceeded to garnishee. the estate.
1t seems that Mr.. Hansen drew up the
will of the late John B. Ketcham, but
withdrew from the case after the docu-
ment was brought to the probate court,
A. S. Trude succeeding him as Mrs. Ketch-
ans lawyer. The bill claims that the
plaintiff is responsible for the fee which
Mr.. Hansen alleges to be his due only
as an individual, and that the lawyer has
transgressed on the bounds Of the court
il his attachment.
Mrs. ketcham represents that the charge
of $50 co is divided as follows: S10,f1o for
advice and services as attorney practicing
before the coroner, and s9,5S5 for services
in the probate court. The petitioner as
serts that Mr.. Hansen eXacted consider
able money from her at frequent intervals.
representing that IL was necessary to cir
cumvent the designs of her enemies. who.
he said. were arranging to place poison
in the organs of her dead husband SO that
she might be held to the grand jury on
the charge of having murdered him.
The bill asserts that Mr.. Hansen's serv-
ices in the probate court were only cal
culated to hurt her cause He is said 10
have entered the courtroom with his silk
tile on his head and brought down upon
himself a severe rebuke from Judge Kohl
saat by placing his headgear on the judg-
ment seat directly in front of the court.
The instrument states that Mr.. Hansen
did not address the court on any PROPOSE
tion of law or fact except to say al
right when he was censured for disre-
garding the rules of propriety.
Mrs. ketcham intimates that her former
adviser is indebted to her for his board
during period covering four months. He
is said to have insisted that in order prop
erly to attend to her legal affairs it woulG
be necessary for him to remain constant
ly at her home. Mrs. Ketcham declare.
she has real estate in Cook county valued
at 900, besides personal property aggre
eating $4,000. Independent of the fortun,
left her by her husband. She insists tina
she has no intention of going to Pari:
to live. This admission is intended to re
flute the claim made by Mr.. Hansen tina
his former client was preparing to leay,
the country in order to evade payment O.
his fee.
Mr.. Hansen is charged with conspirinl
to secure the greater part of the estate
| through threats. He is said to have asked
ex-State's Attorney Kern to cooperate
with him in plan whereby they coult
obtain from the petitioner contract fol
| a contingent fee of one-half of the estate
| Attached to the bill is an affidavit from
! Mr.. Kerr TO verify the statement mad,
/ by Mrs. Ketcham.
THE state Is in a terrible muss on ac
| count OF this fellow Hansen" said Mr.
| Trude. THE court has got to take som,
action or We will never he able to get thi
woman out of the tangie. 1t seems tina
| Hansen went to work when he found h,
| could not impose on Mrs. Ketcham an,
| longer and conspired to make matters un
comfortable for her. 1 will give sui
| of clothes to the man who proves to m
| that Hansen ever tried case In court o
| record in his life before he made such &:
| foo! out of himself in the presence O
| Judge kohlSaat."