Waterbury Democrat., 1902-05-24
BACK TAX BILLS.
We'll Known Attorneys Clash in
 District Court.
OVER A BILL OF ss CENTS

and Attorney Wood i'll Turn Scourgeu
 E. F. Cole-Cole Accused Porter Of
 Unprofessional Conduct and Porter
 Retaliated by Telling Cole He Was
 Collector Once Himself, and at That
 Time Was Up to All the Tricks Of
 the Trade
 The costly methods employed i'll col lecting from delinquent taxpayers of the Town Plot school district, which was commented upon ill the Democrat q few evenings ago, was the cause or q severe outburst of personal feeling between Attorney Cole and Attorney Wood in the district court this morning at short calendar. The display of feel ing was Incidental to a hearing of 3 motion for a more specific statement in the foreclosure proceedings by the Town Plot school district against John Bender ct al for SS cents. Attor- ney Cole appeared for Abbie T. Dudley of Linden street. The outburst caused the greatest sensation in the court room and those lawyers who had left re- turned upon hearing that "Cole and Wood were at it.'
 Attorney Wood is collector for the school district mentioned and in pre- senting his motion Attorney Cole re- marked sarcastically that besides being collector he also signed the writs upon which the proceedings were brought. Picking upthe complaint he read: "And due notice hereof has been sent to the defendant within named" etc. .We will now see how he gave due notice,' went on Attorney Cole. "How did he give due notice? We don't know. We get no notice. Do you think that if we did we would be here? Why, the amount is only SS cents. A man who is mean enough to sue for SS cents when he knew. he could collect it by merely calling for it is mean enough to do anything. The books set down such acts as this as barratry and champerty and they propose to take good care of such fellows as this. It takes care of such hungry fellows as this one who goes about in the guise of an attorney" Referring again and again to Attorney Wood as "fellow'' and looking names a thousand times more contemptible, Attorney Cole re- sumed his seat. Immediately Attorney Wood Was on his feet yelling: "Are you through? If not, insist that you pro- ceed''
 No, I'm not through with you yet. You'll hear from me again."
 Well, then, your honor (to Judge CoWelD, if he is not through now he {! can't be allowed to speak again. He has the floor and he must get through because I have something to say and I will not be interfered with while I'm saying it.''
 Judge Cowell replied that according tc law Attorney Cole had the right to reply to whatever Attorney Wood might say. Then Attorney Wood began: "Some of us greybeards can remember the days when Attorney Cole was foreclosing tax liens like these himself We greybeards we'll recall the days. It was not until within a week ago that I knew that I was hit ting this fellow on the ribs.o alIuding | to Attorney Cole, who was sitting grim and pale within q few feet of the speaker. "But this is not the first time he has been defendant in suits like this. He has been defendant three hmes to my Knowledge. He had not even the common sense business in- stinct to protect himself in these fore closures, so he went to Bridgeport. and here he is now. I defy him before this court and in the presence of these my brethren at the bar of Waterbury, turning around to the listening and surprised attorneys-'sfor him to name one incident in my career that would prevent any reputable attorney from associating with me" This was in reply to an allusion made by Attorney Cole. "But this fellow. this widows mite." looking at Attorney Cole square ir the face, "haS tried to blacken it' Then he took up the statutes and showed that according to law he had done all required of him in this matter of collecting this SS cents tax from the defendant. "A notice was published in the American," Attorney Wood went on. notifying the taxpayers that a tax had been levied. Then some time later another notice was published in the Waterbury Democrat. This last notice reed not have been published, accord iIg to law. for already the require ments of the law had been carried out in publishing the first notice. But, more than that, a bill for taxes was sent to each property owner in the dis trict. This last notice was published at the personal expense of the commit tee" This concluded Attorney Woods remarks. and Attorney Cole. replied to the Affect that if the word of Attorney Wood and MT Bendler happened to Dc in dispute, any man who knew both would unfailingly decide in favor of the latter. Mir Bendler denies he ever received notice of the tax. Attor- ney Wood said he sent notice to him. and. in Mir Coles opinion. Mir Bender was right and Mir Wood was wrong. "Mr Bender said he got neither word nor notice of this tax" said Attorney Cole, "and I believe him. He paid his taxes last year and why should he not pay them this year. He woC.d have paid them had he received notice. The mere idea of refusing to pay SS cents taxes is ridiculous, moreover, when the fact is he paid it the year before, or whatever it was. There is a great deal of this contemptible method of collect l ing taxes carried on here in this town, which is nothing more nor less than barratry and champerty, and it is done solely among small property owners"
 'sYou did it yourself" ;" interrupted At torney Wood.
 "I defy you to show it." retorted At