The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-12
MINE OWNER WALSH FIGHTS.
JEROME'S ATTENTION CALLED TO
SUITS QUICKLY DROPPED.
Lawyer VINO Brought Them Now Sues On
His Own Hook for 40 Per Cent. OF the
$500 900 He Sued For for Vlolette
WAtson--Not . Cert. Says Defendant.


$500 900 He sued For for violette
watsonNOt . Cert. Says Defendant.
Thomas F. Walsh. the Colorado mining
man, has been made to appear as defendant
in suits brought in this county recently,
the nature of which has led Mr.. Walsh's
attorneys to lay the matter before District
Attorney Jerome.
Mr.. Walsh now makes his home In Wash
ingt on, where he has built him fine house.
For some years he has been spending con-
siderable time in Paris and London. Re-
Gently he hired one of the Vanderbilt cot
tages in Newport at large rental for his
summer residence.
The suits which the District Attorney
has been asked to investigate have been
brought by Dethlef c. Hansen, either for
himself or for woman described as Violette
Watson. Mr.. Hansen is lawyer who at
one time had an Office at 40 Wall street.
He gave this up and at present has desk
in the back room Of a fiat at 43l West Thirty
fourth street.
Mr. Hansen In September last served
Mr.. Walsh with summonses in three actions
brought in the Supreme Court of the State.
in which Vioette Watson appeared as com
plainant and Hansen as attorney The
amounts sued for aggregated $4,000,
one suit being for $3.50 900, one for 100000
and the third for $4,000. With the sum-
monses was the usual notice that unless
Mr.. Walsh appeared to defend the suits
within twenty days judgment would be
taken by default.
1t was also stated that John @. Carlisle
had been retained as counsel for Miss Wat
son. Mr.. Walsh was not served with the
complaint in any of these actions. He
turned the matter over TO Nicoll, Anable
4 Lindsay, his lawyers here. just before
the time expired to serve the complaint
Hansen went before Justice Mccall
and got an extension Of this time for two
weeks, or until Nov. L. He did this on an
affidavit made by himself that Mr.. Carlisle
was i'll and that for this reason he had heen
unable to consult with him in the prepare
ton Of the case. 1t does not appear that
Mr.. Carlisle was ever consulted. Two days
after this order had been entered Justice
Mccall vacated it on the application of MIR.
Walsh's lawyers. His order doing so ap-
pears on the records as follows:
-Oct. %, 'O4 Upon the Courts own
motion, and upon the consent to discontinue
is vacated and set aside
Thus disappeared the suits in which
yiolette Watson appeared as plaintiff.
In March last, however, MIR. Walsh's at
torneys became appraised Of the fact that
there was to be more litigation from the
same quarter. This was in the form OF
Faction brought this time by Hansen, as
plaintiff. against both Walsh and the woman
who had appeared as his client in the other
suits, the actions being to enforce an al
legged lien for services. The claim was
made by Hansen that he was entitled to get
from Walsh or the woman 40 per cent. OF
$500 900, the total amount asked for in the
suits he had brought in her name In the
new action Steuer h Hoffman appeared as
attorneys for Hansen. On March II last
they got an order from Justice bowling
permitting them to serve Walsh by publ
cation, he having sailed for Europe in Janu-
airy with his wife and daughter.
1t is said that publication was made ac-
cordingly. Ncoll, Anable 4 Lindsay sub
sequently asked, however, that the order
allowing such service be vacated, on the
ground that Hansen, in securing the order
had not informed the court that he had
personally signed the orders Of discontinue
ance in the previous actions.
In replying to this, Hansen, through his
lawyers sought to get before Judge bowling
an affidavit reciting tho alleged causes OF
action in the suits that had been discon-
tinued. but Justice Downing refused to
receive this affidavit as having no bearing
on the motion. He said. however, in
a decision handed down on June 80, that he
could not vacate the order for service by
publication, even though as was evident.
he said, Hansen had deliberately sup
pressed the fact that he had signed the
dscontinuances. Such an order could be
vacated, Justice Bowling said. only on the
ground that cause Of action was not
shown. He denied the motion without
prejudice to renewal on further papers.
or to another motion to strike out parts
Of Hansen's papers as scandalous, such
n motion will he made to-day before Justice
BschoT by Lawyer John d. Lindsay.
One Of the allegations in Hansen's com
plant is said to be an alleged settlement %
the previous suits out of court. That there
has been any settlement OF any kind as
result of Mr.. Hansen's litigation was de-
MED absolutely yesterday by friends of
Mr.. Walsh. It was also said that Mr..
Walsh proposed to find out what was at
the bottom Of the case, at no matter
what expense, but that he never would
pay n cent to those who had be en- suing him,
1t was for this reason the case was laid
before MIR. jerome, Mr.. Walsh believing
that 1t would interest him.
Violette Watson is said to be about %
years old and the daughter of Henry Z.
Watson, at one time business man in Paris,
but nov resident in England. One state
ment made to District Attorney Jerome
credits the woman with saying that she
never authorized suits to be brought.
Whether or not Mr.. Walsh il acquainted
with her at all could not be learned yester-
day from those acting for him. 1t was said,
however, that if he did know any such
woman--there being no admission that he
did-his relations with her were perfectly
proper. In the papers in the last motion in
Hansen's suit, Battle 4 Marshall are given
as attorneys for the girl. Mr.. Battle was
out of town yesterday. 1t was said that if
he had been retained the retainer was so
recent that nobody else knew of it in the
oniCa.