Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-07-13

Milwaukee, July 12.-Attorney John
c. keefe has been permanently dis
barred and his name stricken from the
roll of attorneys of the Milwaukee bar
Such was the judgment announced
yesterday by Judge O'Nein from the
bench of the Milwaukee circuit court
in the now famous Keefe disbarment
proceedings. Mr. Keefe, in the opin-
ion of the court, had at intervals and
deliberately made false statements and
attempted to deceive the court and this
entirely precluded the court from TAX
ing any middle ground in dealing with
his case. Judge ONeill said that to
disbar Mr. Keefe was one of the most
painful things he had ever been called
upon to do. Only recently he had
sentenced two men to the states prison
and he did not think that then he was
so worried and given such pain as in
this instance. He had worried over
this case more than anything he had
had before him for years; he had at
tempted to see all the eXtenuating cir
cumstances and to find the punishment
which would be meet yet not radical.
His mind had always returned to the
one conclusion, that under the circum-
stances it was best for the bar and the
profession to be rid of such members.
There was a very large attendance
of attorneys in court during the read
ing of the decision, but Mr.. keefe was
not present nor were his attorneys,
Messrs. Henry Killilea and W. II. Tim
lin. Mr.. Stark, who had presented the
case for the bar society society, was in
court. Upon the announcement of his
Judgment by Judge O'Neill, e. A.
Conway, who is of the office staff CT
Messrs. Timln & Glicksman, asked for
an opportunity to file exceptions, pre-
paratory to an appeal, and a stay of
execution. Judge O'Neill stated that
the judgment was one which executed
itself, but that every opportunity would
be given for an appeal. Mr.. Conway
stated that neither Mr.. Timlin nor Mr.
Killilea was able to be present.
The petitioners in the case against
Keefe were James G. Flanders, George
d. Van Dyke, Frank NJ. Hoyt, John F.
La Boule and Herbert Knight, the
committee on grievances of the Mil
waukee Bar association.
One of the charges MADE against
Keefe was that he was indicted in the
United States court of unlawfully re-
tanning pension certificate, convicted
and fined. The respondent admitted
the record but claimed that no offense
was charged and that he was unjustly
convicted. Upon this branch of
the case Judge O'Neill said:
Il am not satisfied that there was
any moral turpitude in the conduct of
the accused in this matter. Outside of
this statute the pensioner might have
left his voucher as a pledge for a
debt and there would have been no i'm
propriety in its retention An .attor-
ney has a lien to the extent of his
reasonable fees and costs, on all papers
of his client which may come to his
possession. The lien may be valu-
able only in so far as it can be used to
worry the client into paying, but the
enforcement of the right is entirely
les. The offense was merely nahum
prohibitum and not sufficient ground
for disbarment. | am not satisfied,
however, that it is proved that there
was intentional misstatement and
would be willing to sustain the charg-
es upon such proofs. l conclude that
upon this branch of the case the evil
dence is insufficient to warrant the
court in taking action"
Judge O'Neill found. however, that
keefe surreptitiously placed on the
records in the clerk of the courts of
flee a notice Of appeal in a case in
which he was the plaintiff and that he
made three successive affidayits that
he knew were false. keefe was once
student in the university of Wiscon-
sin. He is 80 years old. He has been
a teacher reporter and city editor OF
The Evening Wisconsin; was in the
manufacturing business and since '94
has practiced law.