New-York tribune., 1905-08-06

To some men the law is little more thah
cloak for various practices of deception eAIo'-
ton and blackmail They call themselves Ia"
vers. they have indeed been admitted 10 the
49,. +bev are recognized as legal practitioners
An che courts: and yet they resort to methods
so shadowy, so underhand. so tainted oA'-
times with corruption and dishonor' that they
Mace themselves in almost the same class aS
.ho criminals who most frequently are their
clients. AS rule. they do not DO the olr'leS'
business themselves but work out their plots
through underlings. who are known generaly ds
"steerers." runners" 'adjusters" and YAM
&c 1" Although their existence is well known
n the honorable members of the bar. and in a
vap1,e vav to most other people. yet they cover
nm their wickedness so cunningly that they al
most always escape. About the only punish
mont most of them get is TO be stigmatized as
"shysters"
Non, and then, however, these dregs of the
1egaI nrofession are badly shaken up IN TINS
citv that they forced TO the surface ana their
,ourl,x, methods are for moment exposed 10
,,ieu, Only the other day, for example, case
came up in court, which, by an unexpected turn
OF circumstances, revealed what appeared 10 oe
a widespread conspiracy to fleece the SICK ana
the helpless at the city hospitals III thelr very
beds Facts were brought TO light which indi-
and a CLIQUE of "shysters." 1t was shown that
certain LAWYERS or their runners had access
"a the wards of Bellevue Hospital. where
through the connivance of attendants. they so
licited business from inmates who had been IN
jured in accidents or from other causes on "hlch
a lawsuit might be based. Further hght Was
also recently thrown on "shyster methous py
the accusation of a criminal lawyer VINO Doiuly
announced in the Harlem Police Court that Ger
tatin of his colleagues were permitted 10 talk
with the prisoners and get business whereas
he and others were kept out Ihe charges Put
forth by this attorney were so pointed that the
presiding magistrate at once instituted an N
Yestgation.
Through the activity of District Attorney
Jerome ten lawyers are under Indictment In
this county for various crimes and four others
have recently been convicted.
Deceit is the fundamental trait Of the sue
cessful .shyster" He deals mostly with the
ignorant spd the criminal. and he has learned
that with false face he can best awe the first
and outwit the second He must also be more
or less OF a corruptiOnst. He finds il necessary
20 ally himself with certain politicians IN order
10 get business" ana he knows that the easiest.
If not the only way to work through them is by
paying for favors c. Q. ID. Through the police
he gets most of his tips. and through court and
bospital officials he follows up his cews and
.'cinches his clients" Oftentimes, too. he must
make crime When business runs low, he
must make business" At his instigation, a
Doolroom must have a descent made on #, un-
fortunate women must be hailed to court from
the street. or a herd Of ragged pushcart ped
lers corraled and locked up; and all for the fees
The deception with which the ''shyster'' snares
50 MANY Of his victims is illustrated now and
t,cn bv his assuming a corporate name. which
looks like that Of a charitable organization. As
the Legal Aid Society Is IA charitable institution.
and has made an honorable record in protecting
moor poo2le who cannot afford to hire lawyers.
some ''shysters" are continually trying to lure
ciie,,.s into their nets by practising under sim
lar name NOt long ago "A concern known as
ihe Ncw-York Legal 90 snGetv was estab-