The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-01
SOME BIG FEES
PAID TO LAWYERS

out OF /, ten, probably Irresponsible and,
unable to respond for the costs Of the
suttfif they arc defea tod Il, the lawyers Of
the class mentioned take their casesAan
/ bring actions, onG the h ga mble" they
will be able to- squeeze something out OF
the railroad company. They figure that
they have everything to- gain and noth-
/, Ing ito lose, and as their agreements with.
their clients usually provide that they
have half of whatever is recovered, they
can afford to and, do take long chances
many times when they know that their
clients were injured. ifaat all, by reason
, OF their own negligence. The very
minute an action Is begun tho defendant
cannot settle with the plaintiff without
being responsible for tho lawyers feos.
and therefore the attorney has strong
inducement to bring these cases with.
little or no danger to himself In case
Of defeat. 5@
1t Is said that C;uitca,I, the ASSASSIN Of
President Garfield, who at one time was
n practising attorney In New York City,
once took Il case on Il contingent fee the
agreement being that lie should have
! half OF what he collected. He collected
one half OF the original claim and In
formed his client Of tho fact, telling hlS;
client that tho half no had already col
lected was his, tho lawyers. hall. and
when he succeeded In collecting tho other
| half he would turn 1t over to the client.
| OF COURSE the value OF Il lawyers SER
vices frequently depends on the effective
ness OF his work rather than the time
which he takes to do It, and when he ac-
composites Important results for his ell
cnt. and does 1t within day or two, or
perhaps In AN hour or two. 1t Is hard TO-
make the client believe that tho services
are worth as much as tho lawyer thinks
they ought to BIO.
( A story Is told OF one OF the most
prominent lawyers In the city who had
an important litigation pending, and It
was agreed between his client and him
aelf that II he could secure $4,000 the
lawyer could have half that amount, The
attorney finally, after some negotiations,
secured Il settlement BY which tho client
was to receive $4,000, and called his
client In to carry through the adjustment.
The story goes that when the client dis
covered that the money was In sight he
made a strenuous objection TO the law
yer getting so large a fec, whercupon the
attorney replied thnt the papers were not
yet signed ana could be Immediately re-
turned TO the other party and tho settle
mcnt could be declared Off. The client
then thought better OF tho mntter and
accepted $4,000.
Lawyers In tho country districts, liko
editors In small towns. arc sometimes
compelled TO take the amounts due them
4. In somctning beside legal tender cur
rHncy, A case Of this kind also happened
to an attorney In the c'(se, who rclate
his experience to tho writer only n short
! time ago, Tho attorney said:
u received II call from q client for
whom had done n small amount Of
business. who told me that 20 was hard
up. but no wanted mo to do some work
for him. and snggested that take n
smah yacht which he owned In payment
for my services. 1t was. OF course, an
unusual proposition. but nssented and
after had done tho work went up to
\ take possession Of tho yacht, My client
| went along and explained the workings
of tho machinery. 1t being fitted with q
steam engine; the power OF which was
generated by II burner Which first turned
gasolcne into gas and then burned II
under an ordinary tube boiler hired
an engineer TO run the boat, spent seyera
| times the amount OF my fee, and took
two or three trips In tho yacht, But
tho boiler and the engine were or ar
! Anticipated pattern, and were constantly
| getting out Of order, and finally one DAY
the whole machinery got on fro ana We
were compelled to jump into tho Wntel
to escape With our lives. We were picked
lup by some men in rpWboats. Tho yachi
burned to the waters edge, and SUP
pose u sank l have1royert seen or hearf
, Lunytlns OF 1t since, and don't wnn
! to know anything about H. lnnd1 W
7 my mind that thereafter would accom-
, only cash fees for my services. NcN
a YDrlo Tribune fE8l3Hf 4i ls ~ ~