New-York tribune., 1905-08-06
A Description of Some of Their Tricks
to Get Clients and Skin Them.

lished, and still another so bold to take
the very name of the Legal Aid Society and do
business under that. Both, however. were forced
to give up their names by the courts. Yet. de-
spite the vigilance of the real Legal Aid So
ciety, counterreiters of its fame contin-
ualy springing up, and at the present time there
are three operating openly III this city, One
has extensive offices in Broadway building.
and has induced some 5000 persons to become
members! charging them a few dollars on the
representation that it will protect them in case
they get into any legal difficulty.
That the 'shyster" must have some political
Connection is open secret Without it he
might as we'll take down his shingle. He gets
business" An illustration of what appears
to be such alliance between Tammany and
certain "shysters' was shown the other day In
the of a cabman who had been approached
while a patient at Bellevue Hospital by man
representing himself the president of the
Peoples Legal Aid Society," The cabman had
been injured by being thrown from his seat as
a result of of the wheels slipping into a
hole in the asphalt pavement. His leg was
broken
The visitor to his bed informed him that there
was "A good case against the city. and that as he
was the regular attorney and counsellor for the
hospital he by all odds the man to take
the case. Furthermore. if he did not get it, he
is quoted saying. it would friction with
the attendants. Because of the freedom the
caller seemed to enjoy in the hospital, the
familiarity with which ne greeted by the
hospital officials ana employees the helpless
"cabby' led to believe what he heard, and
accordingly he agreed to sign paper author
izing the stranger TO begin suit. and fixing the
attorneys compensation at 80 per cent of the
he SII.e1 for
GOO
What was the cabman's CONSERVATION there
fore. TO learn later that his visitor was no
lawyer at all, but instead. turned has cases over
to others. Instead of being an attorney for 'ne
hospital he was an ambulance chaser or
vampire" This revelation reused all the fight
ing spirit that is inherent in New-A'rK
'cabby," and he petitioned the court to authorize
him to choose other counsel. His petition WAS
granted. and Justice O'Gorman, in giving ms
decision. rebuked this sort Of "shysterism" with
these words
The undisputed facts on this motion, if they
are accepted as true. disclose the existence of
soandalous condition in Bellevue Hospital "h'el
iustIv exposes those in authority in that insti-
tution Ia the eravest consure Reves (who OBJ
tanned the case from the cabmam is not
LAWYER. but appears to have some business reIa-
tions with one Alexander Mclhado, VINO Is an
attorney. and who thereafter. in considerations II
il claimed Of 500 and share OF the attorney
fees turned over the case 10 one Dvieiia'i'''
whom The plaintiff has never seen. but Wno ap-
Dcars as his attorney OF record am uN''e
satisfied the original authorization was procured
h,, a snecfes OF deceit and durcss at a time Wheh
the plaintif was in state of physical collapse
and incapa,itated from attending to business
According to the uncontradicted aVermentS
in the Dapers this is not isolated III
stance OF gross injustice to patient whiie en-
titled TO the care and protection of the hoSplta'