The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-29
LAWYER GETS A MILLION
BIGGEST FEE EVER PAID TO AN
ATTORNEY IN A SINGLE CASE
IN AMERICA
JAMES B. DILL GOT IT
Prepared the Papers I'm the CWrne-
Hie-FricA COmpTOmise-Once -
Successful Chicago News
paper Reporter.

dollars Is said TO have been the fcc earn
ed by James B. Dill, the co. p0ratiou w
yer, OF this city for the work pe.to;med
by him in bringing about the great Car
negie-Frick combine. Like Prrs-d> mt
! Harvey, of the Harper Publishing cor
poIation, Mr.. Dill began his career not
Sc many years ago reporter in CD
cago.
His fee in this case is by far the ! ,rg-
est sum ever earned by a lawyer cor one
case. 1t is probably the largest sum eVet
paid for the performance of single
definite piece of legal WUik, no matter
of what nature. 1t is without pre- edent
| in this city, where all the la gest sala-
ries are paid, and where all the great 81
| corporation transactions are wul KID out.
Mr. Dill naturally declines 20 say
whether he was paid such sum, but hi>
manner rather indicates hat the report
Is true. He tod an intimate friend that
he wished the newspapers would say
nothing Of the story.
MODEST, BUT NOT SHY.
But he did not deny its truth. He lath-
er desh ed to be allowed to be unmolested
in the matter. The inference drawn by
the friend to whom he spoke was that
Mr.. Dill got the million.
Mr.. Dill is a young man. He is also
| modest But he is not shy. Ne.thtr Is
| he slow He Is a corporation lawyer In
| New York, and a successful one TOO
! What this means is that Mr.. Dill Is man
| Of tact, perseverance, energy and un-
| bounded integrity He is as full OF busl-
ness as he is Of energy, and his success
! before this time In handling big cases
| made him Of the value Of million dollars
| to Messrs Carnegie and F'rick ard thelr
associates when the great $l60, OO2 steal
| combination was to be built upon the ru-
| ms of a lawsuit and the broken friend
| ships Of two of the manufacturing kings
of the age. Tact, above all things was
| needed in connection with the work 70
| be done.
TACT THAT WON.
Carnegie and Frick were at law. They
were sorry, both Of them, that this was
so, but their pride kept them from set
| fling their differences. Their friends knew
| that each man was sorry that there lad
| been a rupture. 1t was known that he
right man in the right place could bring
a reconciliation.
| Various reports were circulated in the
days before the final meeting at Atlantic
| City. when the deal was closed. Fr!cncs
Of both Carnegie and Frick hoped against
hone. They knew that there was de-
sire on both sides for compromise and
| a new deal all around, but they were In
doubt as to the success Of the outcome.
I 1t was known that the principles were
near a settlement, but nobody dreamed it
TUaG yUniSnPrel
Mr.. Dill had taken hold Of the case and
was likely to straighten out the stub
born principals. Then came the true
story.
HANDLED PEACE MEETING.
| James E. Dill was the manipulation and
manager Of the Atlantic City meeting.
| He sat at the table with the men VINO
represented Carnegie and Frick and the
| others who were most heavily interested
| I'm the combination. He took all the
| naners in the case, and when the two
| sides got near he announced that only
! million or so stood in the way Of set
tlement and q great combination of the
warning interests. His tact and frmness
won the day, not only for his clients, but
| for himself and when it was all over
the 100000 fee had been earned. Mr..
| Dill was given power of attorney, and
then came the filing of the Incorporating
|
papers.
! Mr.. Dill studied law young; he was q
! success as q newspaper man, but DECIDED
that he could do better If he devoted his
! time entirely to the practice of the pro-
| fession he had studied while labOring at
his work on the paper. He came on 70
| New York, gained the confidence of great
| corporations, and has risen with remark
| able rapidity.
He is a member of the law firm Of Dill,
Bomeister & Baldwin. The offices Of the
| firm are in Pine street, and the senior
! member lives over in East Orange, n. j.
where he has a fine mansion and exercises
| a strong influence in politics.
OTHER BIG FEES
Joseph H. ChOate, now at the court OF
! ST. James, is another lawyer who has
| earned some very large ices but he never
! approached the million mark in any Of
his dealings. He has several times taken
as high as $1O0,0J0 for some particularly
! fine piece of important work, but that is
! the largest sum with which he is credited.
| Cromwell & Sullivan, the lawyers who
! have done all the big work in connection
with the Northern Pacific and other great
railroad cases, have been paid some very
! large sums, but nothing near million
ever crossed their palms in one case.
| Benjamin Harrison, once president OF
| the United States, is another lawyer who
| has taken in some immense fees. Most
! OF his biggest fees, however, have been
connected with government work. 50 he
! can hardly be counted In the class with
| ChOate and Dill and Depew.
DEPEW'S LARGEST.
The last named earned 100000 as a fee
| in connection with the clearing up of the
| Vanderbilt will, but in this case the work
was hardly in the nature of legal services.
! although it was announced at the time
| that this was so. 1t is generally thought
! that the money was merely a legacy
rather than a fee, but given as a fee to
| evade the inheritance tax that would
have been charged up tc it in case DR.
Depew had taken the money without per.
forming any services for it.
Edward Lauterbach put in a bill for
S2OO,OO0 for legal services in connection
| with the Third Avenue railroad. I'm
fortunately, however, he had not collect
ed the money before the recent crash
came to the road and his big bill now
appears in the hands OF Receiver Grant
who will pass upon it as in his Judgment
| 1t deserN es.
But all these sums fade into insig-
niflcaace when placed alongside Mr. DiIl's
| million.