The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-17
HITE CALLED UP.
Proceedings to Disbar Well
known Attorney Begun.
He Is Charged With UnprOfes-
siOnaI Conduct.
ARE MANY COUNTS.
MANY COUNTS.
Include the Extortion Of Money
from Clients.
w. R. Hazen, a Topeka AttOr-
ney, Starts the Action.

Disbarment proceedings against D.
r. Hite were filed in the Shawnee coun-
ty district court this afternoon by w.
r. Hazen. The charges against ME-.
Hite are of unprofessional conduct, ex-
tortion and scheming against clients
and defendants.
The parties named in the case as
those who are expected to testify to the
charges are: J. S. Lyman, z. S. An
derson, ]. G. Waters, r. T. Herrick, E.
B. PfOst, A. NJ. Harvey, A. K. Rodgers,
J. E. Lord, Charles Hayden. Sydney
Hayden, Henry Keller, Richard Hay
den, Amelia Branner, J. S. Branner, w.
r. Hazen, A. A. Hurd, G. NJ. Holmes,
John Ferguson, Clay Alexander, A. B.
Quinton, E. S. Quinton, Mary Vauter,
George Morris.
The charge is made that Hite acted
as legal advisor and counsellor of the
Kansas Mutual Life Insurance COM
pany and as such obtained information
given him as attorney for the company
and that after receiving such informal
ton he threatened to bring suit against
the Kansas Mutual for E. L Philips
unless the company paid him 81 600. He
is charged with using his information
of the business of the company to pros
ecute this extortion. The charges are
that the company refused to pay the
money and that Hite then offered his
services and was employed by E. L.
Phillips, ]. S. Hyman and E. A. An
derSon and began suit in the United
States circuit court against the Kansas
Mutual and that he received $500 from
Lyman to prosecute the suit to the
best of his ability and that he in some
way furnished the company with the
information of Hyman's suit and al
lowed the officers of the company to
get possession of this evidence and
then tried to dismiss the case without
the consent of Lyman and that the
Kansas Mutual 8
stop the suit.
Another charge is that Hite was
attorney for the Ancient Order of the
Pyramid and as such was entrusted
by z. B. Pfost. an officer of the COM
pany, with $500 to be paid into court
which he did not pay but kept the
money.
The charge is also made that Hite
extorted $500 from Jacob Smith.
president of the w. A. L. Thompson
Hardware company. The charge is
that Hite hunted up an old bond of
Administrator Smith had signed for
J. S. Branner years ago. which was
released in 1901. but he threatened
to bring suit for $4,000 damages
against Smith on some charge and
that the Thompson Hardware COM
pany paid $2.5OO-to Hite not to bring
the suit, fearing that such a suit might
affect Mr. Smith whose health is not
good.
The charge is also made that Hite
conspired with parties in Chicago, st.
Louis, Kansas City and other points
to buy A, T. & S. F. railway stock
when the price was low and then tried
to force the Santa Fe into the hands
of receiver in the Jefferson county
court in order to force the price of
stock down.
The charge is made that Fite kept
$500 given him for safe keeping by
Mary Vauter.
The charge is made that Hite accept
ed a fee of $500 from George Norris to
defend him in an action in the Shaw
nee county district court and then failed
to defend him or return the money.
The charge is also made that Hite
drew drafts on parties and secured sig
natures of other parties to them com
polling the parties who signed to pay
when the drafts were protested.
The charge is made that Hite secured
money for ]. E. Lord but refused to
pay it.
The longest charge is that Hite con-
spired and cheated J. S. Branner out OF
real estate and that he secured possess
sion of $50 900 worth of real estate and
collected $4,000 in rents whihc Bran
ner could not secure from him.
Mr.. Hfte is one of the attorneys for
Henry Allen and D. r. Anthony in the
congressional contest cases.