The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-11
SOME BIG FEES
PAID TO LAWYERS
A Million Dollars for One Case but by
No Means the High Water Mark.
~ York Trihnnel


The cable report that the largest fee
ever paid TO a Scottish barrister for one
days services was that received the
other day by Thomas Shaw. h. c., NJ.
T.. or Edinburgh, Of 500 guineas, or 81
6S5, for defending the two sons of Hen
ry Phipps against the charge of shoot
ing. some OF Lord LoEats employees who
were poaching on salmon pool that
Mr.. Phipps had leased of Lord Lovat,
recalls the story Of Boswell, the ia
nous biographer of DR.. Johnson. B0s-
Well once remarked that his income as
Scottish barrister amounted to c10.-
600 a year, and some more or less sar-
castle friend, who heard the story Of
BOsWeUs income, remarked that he
wondered what all the other Scottish
lawyers lived on.
OF course, il Is scarcely probable that
the correspondent who made the asser-
ton that 500 guineas was the largest
fee ever paid to a Scottish barrister for
one days services could have accurate
Information TO absolutely support his
statement. 1t is an indication, how
ever, that large fees are not common in
Scotland, ana inaSmuch as Boswell s
friend suggested that If Boswell got
S50001 a year there would be nothing
left for any Of the other Scottish law
yers it seems to indicate that the same
condition of affairs existed IN Boswell 5
time that exists now.
In this country accounts are fire.
quently heard of big fees, some Of them
well authenticated and others brought
out apparently by some Lewis jar
Wis" who took this method Of Impress
ing the public with his Importance
There have been all kinds of stories
printed at various times and many
others circulated by word Of mouth
that never We're put in type concerning
the immense fee which a we'll known
New York lawyer received for organ
'ng the original Standard oil trust
While the trust was declared Illegal by
the courts as an attempted evasion OF
the corporation laws and as an unlaW.
ful combination, IL undoubtedly was the
fOrerunner of the big corporations
which followed, and probably gave the
name trust" TO all the big corporations
which nave since been organized.
Another story of a big fee received by
q New York lawyer was that of James
3. Dill. now a Judge IN New Jersey, for
bringing about peace between Andrew
Carnegie and Henry Z. Prick, or at
least compromising their difficulties, II
reports are true, the matters We're adj
justed within a short period OF time,
and ianumerable yarns are afioat con-
corning Mr.. Dills fee. IL being stated
on numerous occasions that he received
81 100000 for his services in this case.
If this is true, the fee of the Scottish
barrister before referred TO sinks into
insignifcance, as Judge Dill is cred
tied with having brought about the
compromise after q few days work.
a more recent case Of q large fee is
that said 10 have been received by
William Nelson Cromwell for bringing
about the transfer Of the interests OF
the French Panama Canal company to
the United States government Many
accounts have been printed about the
size OF Mr.. Cronwell's fee in this mat
ter, some of them making IL as high as
SIC, 000 OO0. This fee was not earned in
a day. however. but only after long
and tiresome negotiations.
Since lawyers fees have become the
subject of contract between the lawyer
and the client. and are no longer con-
sidered as a honorarium, as they were
originally, many stories are frequently
heard about disputes between lawyers
and clients concerning fees. In GER
tain class OF cases contingent fees APP
pear 20 be the rule. While among the
better class OF attorneys a case is rare-
~ ever taken on contingent basis.
With the advent of the electric rail-
roads, the numerous accidents due TO
the changed conditions Of public traffic
opened the door TO q thriving business
for that class of lawyers commonly
known as ambulance chaseTs." AS the
clients in these cases. are, In nine cases
out Of ten. probably irresponsible and
unable 10 respond for the costs of the
suit il they arc defeated. the lawyers
of the class mentioned take their eases
and bring actions on the gamble that
they will be able TO squeeze something
out Of the railroad company. They
figure that they have everything 10
gain and nothing 70 lose. and as-their
provide that they hAYei half pf what
ever is recovered they can afford toand
do take long chances many times when