The times., 1901-04-07
QUEER FEES FOR LAWYERS.
Members of the Bar Not Always
Paid i'm Cash.
From the Milwaukee sentinel.)


Even old lawyers do not always get
cash fees, and the stories of queer fees
that have been paid to Milwaukee law
yers alone would fill a volume. Burglars
loot. farm produce, labor of all descrip-
tiOns, almost everything imaginable,
would appear on the list.
The story of a fee told by one young
lawyer is one of the kind where a lawyer
does not like to have his name mentioned,
but it probably wasn't his fault A Wis
itor was in the bachelors den of the
young lawyer, when he noticed an en-
grayed spoon hanging by a ribbon among
some photographs, as though it might be
a relic of some sentimental collegian's
love affair.
THAT spoon is my fee for clearing a
client one time" said the owner of the
decoration. Il had that given to me af-
ter defended old Bill Bradley, the
burglar Bradley had been arrested
charged with having robbed a house in
the fashionable part of the town, and
among other things 1t was charged that
he had made away with a set of silver
ware. lie sent for me, and from the
way he told his story | thought he was
right and had not mixed up in the bur
glary.
said he would make it all right with me
some day If l did get him out of his
trouble, so l went in and worked hard
and finally cleared him. A few days af-
ter he had thanked me and had gone
clear, without paying me, he drifted into
my office and said he had been trying TO
scrape up some money for me, but
couldn't. Then he reached in his pocket
and gave me that spoon. one of the set
had just acquitted him of stealing. If 1
took the spoon back | would convict my
self Of having defended a man I knew
to be guilty, so | left it there when you
can see it. | think something of it. too
especially as old Bill was killed while
stealing ride toward Chicago a few days
afterward.
When l was practicing up NORTH said
Judge w. II. Haisey, II had fee in kind
that l appreciated as much as l have $500
fees at other times | had defended an
old farmer in small suit, though | did
not expect to get any pay from him. The
suit was decided in our favor and the old
farmer and his wife went home. Some
months afterward the two came into my
office with paeIsageaaald bundle tied up
in a handkerchief. The package was
roll of butter, the handkerchief bundle
was haZelnuts. ana from the old farmers
pockets came two big. rosy-cheeked ap-
pies. That butter, apples, and nuts fee
was as satisfactory to me as any | ever
received
For ten years 1 have never paid 10
have an umbrella mended, said one law
yer. The rich landlord of the story
book style wanted the store the old Grip
pied umbrella man was using for a shop
and started to force the old fellow out
fixed him so that he was allowed to
stay, and ever since that have taken my
rain shields to him for free mending That
was all the fee l received for that case,
too"
fered to me as payment for a service
said one attorney who belongs to several
secret orders Il was sitting In my office
one day, when a well-dressed woman
came in and wanted advice. Her hus-
band, to whom she was but recently mar
ried, was member OF a secret society.
" 1 think it's perfectly horrid of him,
too she said, to have secrets and not
TO tell them to me- When he married me
he said he would share everything with
me, and the first thing l ask almost he
won't do. Can't you make him.
Il asked her to what lodge he belonged
and she told me the name of an order of
which | myself was a member. Then she
went on:
. l tell you what. if you will make him
tell them to me, / will tell them to you,
to pay you for making him do what [
want That's fair. isn't it? | should think
you would like to know such things, need
them in your business, you know.
i didn't accept that fee
Il had a good offer from one woman
ney, for 1t was too good to refuse, al
though it was not In cash. | had repre-
scented her in an action for divorce. and
after the suit had been won she wanted
pe to accept part payment in handmade
lace. The samples of lace she showed me
were exquisite, so | told her it would be
all right. She gave me about ten yards
OF the lace, and it was worth every cent
OF what was credited to her for it"
Il was paid in washing for a divorce l
secured, said a well known lawyer. "A
woman came to me one time with tale
of woe about her husband, and wanted
me to get "A divorce for her She said that
she didn't want any work done for her
for nothing, but that she was not able to
pay money She would do my washing
for 25 weeks though, if | would free her
from her husband. She refused TO let
me act in charity for her, and as she
wanted divorce so that she could marry
another man ] accepted her offer. and she
washed away, literally, her marriage
ties.
'I'U tell you of one of nv fees said
another legal light. Il was defending a
man who was charged with having killed
q dog out in Columbia County. The first
action brought against him was defective,
ana while the plaintiffs counsel was writ
ing out a warrant | took my man to the
door and told him TO get out of the county
the Justices office was on the border
line-as quick as he could. In my hurry
TO get him out of the county, l forgot to
collect my fee, and / never saw him
again. ..-