Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-16
CASE FEES 70
fDTTEN THE LAWYERS.
MILLIONS TALKED ABOUT WHEN
SUMS TO BE PAID ATTORNEYS
ARE MENTIONED.
regulations TO BE MADE.
1t Is Certain Fortunes VIII BE
Spent in Litigati0n-HOw the
Money Will Be Divided Is a Sub
ject of Guessing-JeaIousy in h
Profession.

Andrew carnegie and his partners TO
recover a claim of $40, 238, 900, $500 0
and 500, 900 damage suits seem trifing
to the lawyers. The most interesting
feature to a barrister is the lawyers
fees. No suit of any moment is yer
begun that there is not all sorts of
conjecture as to the probable remuner-
alton. The F~rick-Carnegie suit is re-
sponsible for all kinds of guesses.
Most lawyers concede d. T. Watson
the honor of having the reputation and
ability that entitle him to demand any
fee he may wish 'for professional SER
vices" One well-known attorney tells
a story. He says Mr.. Watson told him
a few years ago that the largest re-
tainer he ever received was $40, 900.
The lawyer then added: CAS- the re-
tainer is generally a small percentage
of what a fee really is, you can guess
as well as I what he received when
the case was concluded"
uClC dlO OCuCl lawyers VIII huOW
how to collect quite as large fees as
Mr.. Watson. One of these is Willis
f. McCook, who is the associate of Mr..
Watson in the Frick-Carnegie litiga-
ton. 1t is said to be recorded in
three or more receivers accounts in
the Allegheny county courts that Mr..
McCook received fees expressed in four
ciphers following a mineral. John G..
Johnson, who lives and practices law
in Philadelphia, is known throughout
the State as the brainiest lawyer that
Pennsylvania has ever produced. He
has attained his eminence without
much newspaper notoriety. The law
yers of the State who study the decis-
ions of the higher courts very closely
all say that Mr.. Johnson is the best.
The only way to judge what his
charges are is said to be to engage
his services.
AS to the attorneys fees in the
Frick- Carnegie suit, the estimates run
all the way from $1,000,00 0 to $5,000,-
600. Sometimes the contingent fee is
two-thirds of the amount recovered, es-
pecially if it be for some tort that has
not caused the sutton any great finan-
cial loss, and his award is largely made
up of punitive damages. The most
conservative attorneys seem to think
that MI. Prick should divide 81 ,000,-
900 among Messrs. Johnson, Watson
and McCook if they come out victor
ious.
Ten per cent is considered a very rea-
sonable fee for collecting any bin In
volving a court trial. The legal work
in the Frick-C Carnegie suit will be no
greater because $40, 900 is involved
than 1T would be If the amount were
one-twentieth of that sum. There are
few If any new questions of law to de-
termine, and the witnesses and stem
ographers' fees will not be as large in
proportion. 1t will therefore be seen
that no reliable estimate of the remun-
Grafton of the lawyers can be made and
figures that are talked about are purely
speculative. 1t is known, however, that
Mr.. Prick has arranged for the undi-
vided time of Messrs. McCook and Wat
son until the litigation is ended. That
fact of itself to any one familiar with
the work of these attorneys means the
expenditure of money by the thousands
on the part of Mr.. Prick in his fight
against Mr.. Carnegie
Little is said about the fees that will
be paid on the defendants side of the
table. The most interesting thing
about that side just now is the hustle
of young barristers who have influence
to become attached to the Ease. There
are a great many defendants named in
the bill and lots Of room will be had to
get an appearance on the docket. This
would give any young lawyer prestige
and none of the older members OF the
bar who have made their regulations
blame the young fellows for trying to
work themselves in.
The following will clear all doubt as
to the Carnegie attorneys having ac-
cepted service:
There is no mystery in this case"
said Mr.. George B. Gordon, of the firm
of Dalzell, Scott & Gordon, tonight.
81 have accepted service for the Car
negie Steel Company, limited, in the
suit of H. G.. Prick, and for such other
of the defendants as can be readily
reached. The only delay in accepting
service for the others is their inacces,
sibility, and as soon as mails can reach
P~ittsburg. authority will probably be
given their attorneys to accept service
in each case"
The recorders Office Of Allegheny
county furnishes an interesting pince Of
news relative to the present quarrel,
and the revocation of the powers of at
torney filed by Andrew Carnegie relat-
ing TO H. C. Frick, H. NJ. Curry, F. t.
F. Lovejoy, L. C. Phipps and Henry
Phipps. Jr., in which he deprived each
of them of any rights TO sign or act
for him, which they have held for years,
adds another page 10 the controversy
and furnishes one reason why Mr..
Tricks attorneys state that these gen
tlemen or some Of them favor Mr.. Prick
in the present proceedings.
From the records it appears that Mr..
Carnegie took away all their rights as
his attorney in fact as far back as De-
cember 20, 1899, or about the time he
was comforting with Mr.Schwab IN New
York. The action was taken in that
State and forwarded at once 70 the
recorders Office here, where 1t was filed
and recorded December 81. or four days
before Mr.. Carnegie came to Pf.tsburg
and demanded from Frick his resiguar