Omaha daily bee., 1900-11-25
LAWYERS HUSTLE FOR FEES
Police Court Barristes Have Hard Struggle
10 Obtain Clients.
TAKE ALMOST ANYTHING IN PAYMENT
Numerous shtfts ana Devices Em-
pioyed TO Ascertain whether
Prospective clients
Can Pay.

How the police court lawyers manage to
make a living defending the impecunious
rabble at the city Jail has long been
mystery to the uninitiatei. Like the
heather Chinee, their ways nre dark. but
unlike him their tricks are seldom vain.
having proved effective throughout years
OF practice
Here is an actual conversation over
heard between one OF the small fry barrls-
ters and a potential client, which serves
in part to disclose the secret OF the for
mers prosperity. The client Is under ar
rest for assault and battery:
"of course | can clear YOU" the lawyer
was saying. For $40 l will prove an
alibi."
What's an alibi?"
IAN alibi means that you weren't present
during the disturbance--that you were
some place else"
But l was there and q dozen fellows saw
me there"
THAT makes no difference. I know three
good witnesses who will swear you were
on an excursion steamer that night"
well. I've only got S.. Can you hx It
for that?'
mo. Alibis cost money. The best can
do Ia self defense for So"
The remainder OF the dialogue was con-
Quoted in a whisper and before Its con-
clusion the prisoner must have thought of
a way to raise $40, for he proved" his
alibi and the dozen fellows" he mentioned
were not there to combat 1t. lie was dis
charged
Methods of Luring Dollars.
Take the relation between bailiff and bar
rister. for instance; 1t is the reverse OF
that observed In the district court In the
Eleventh and Dodge street forum the differ
epce is all or the part OF the barrister.
The bailiff, called court officer" runs the
sessions with u high hand and to him the
poor attorney, hustling for fee, Is no
more entitled to respect than the ragsedest
prisoner in the dock 1t Is not uncommon
to hear officer Davis shout:
Judge Cooley! Get over there where
you belong, sir!"
And the disciple OF Blackstone never falls
to obey with becoming meekness.
The very atmosphere of the police court
negates dignity. What Judge, with any
sense of,the ridiculous. could sit unmoved
In the presence of a ragged. unkempt dere-
lict. with the unstudied makeup Of a stage
comedian and the remains OF a jag vainly
struggling to appear penitent? No one. un-
Y less II Is Judge Gordon. He very seldom
saw anything funny or anything pathetic
in the varied panorama that passed before
him.
But with Judge Learn It is different. He
enters into the spirit OF his environment.
A point of human interest seldom escapes
him and he never fails to hit of the Bitua-
tion with a sally OF wit--which, by the
way. Is alleged to be the highest attribute
Of a police magistrate.
Where the Lawyer shines.
The activity OF the police court lawyer
| ta aAI a.1 kAAA Alasr
First, securing bonds for his clients; sec
ond. appearing In their behalf in open
court The former is often the more re-
munerative. lone hundred dollar bonds
sounds big to the average prisoner, but
to his Learned counsel 1t is only phrase.
All he has to do is to get one OF the pro-
fessional bondsman OF the locality to sign
q document pledglng to deliver the prisoner
In court at a certain time. The amount
doesn't matter II may be $40 or 81, 900.
The professional bondsman. signer Of the
STRAW bond" seldom takes the trouble
to look at the figures, as all his property
II he have property-is exempt and the
forfeiture of such surety Is almost un-
heard Of. This, however, is not equivalent
to saying that the prisoner invariably ap-
pears in court as nominated in the bond"
But 1t 10 when he defends his client "be-
foro the bar OF justice" that the police
court lawyer is truly spectacular. II Is
; not uncommon for him to indulge In tho
most impassloned flights Of oratory In at
tempting to prove q prisoner guiltless OF
stealing q pair of pants" And In the
|, cross-examinaton he pretends to get angry
with the city prosecutor, disputes points Of
law with him, splits legal hairs, raves and
rants in a truly disQuieting manner
And all for what? Sometimes for s.:
| far t,,1l o.,
a second hand coat and vest and once
within the last three months a police
court lawyer accepted a canary bird and
cage! OF course such chattes are pawned.
sold, or otherwise converted into money
az soon as possible.
Go After Business.
The typical police court lawyer is not
deferred by the ethics OF his profession from
going after business. II he waited for busi-
ness to come to him he would starve to
death. A favorite way to solicit is to stand
at the head of the stairs as the prisoners
. are marched up Of morning and pass cards
to them Sometimes these bits of paste-
board are showed In under the door Of the
, ante-room where the prisoners sit to avail.
l trial.
a Tho lawyers are not permitted to mingle
with the prisoners In the ante room, and, a.
, Tesuit oi tnls OTucr, dttOTuey anu pTlsOuerb
are often seen conversing with each other
In a sort Of sign language through the open
. door. lawyer will nod and grimace, and
II the prisoner mods and grimaces In re-
ply 1t means that the former has been ''re-
tanned" Then the lawyer will hold up nve
. fingers and give his eyebrows an inter-
rogatory roll That means: "Will you pay
. me $50" The prisoner shakes his head
and holds up two fingers. And SO the
: psntomine goes on.
A favorite trick Of the BackstOnes--the
purpose being to learn whether a prisoner
has money or not-is to be down in tho
jail lobby when he Is brought In. From
their vantage ground on the outside Of the
wire netting they watch him as he Ia
searched, making note OF his name and AS
sets. and then govern themselves accord
ingly when he Is arraigned next day.
Another is to play the part of errand
boy for a newly arrested prisoner. They
will 20 to some friend or some member OF
his family and give notice OF his deten-
H. iH..g...