Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-11-29
ALLOWS $500 INSTEAD Of
So, 500.
RECOVERED TWO MILLIONS
Dead Attorney Set $4,000 as Price
OF His Services for State In Suits
Against Rallroad Companies, but
Executive Cuts Down the
Amount.
Madison, Nov. 81.


Governor Davidson yesterday cut In
two the price set by the late II. w.
Chynoweth as the value of his ser.
vices TO the state In reco' ering about
100000 In the state railroad law
suits, Mr. Chynowoth made claim
of $4,000 lie received St2.5OO while
Governor La Toilette was In the OK,
ecuttve office and Governor Davidson
now allows $500 more.
Governor Davidson allowed $500
ON balance claimed of s27 800. cut.
ting the claim down $4,000. II, NJ.
Bafhtord, attorney for the widow of
MI Chynoweth, handled the matter
and made II plain in presenting the
account TO the executive, That II the
governor did not feel justified In au.
diting 1t for the entire sum claimed,
1t should not prevent the estate
from taking other steps toward re.
covering the money
Big Sums Recovered.
The cases on which MIR. Chynoweth
worked for the state, and as a re-
suit of which work physicians say
his health was destroyed beyond pos.
sibility of recovery, were the three
sets of litigation, called the penalty
or license fee cases, the back tax and
the ad valorem suits. The result of
the litigation was that the state re.
covers in round numbers some S.. 900.
600 and II may be more before the
total of unpaid taxes due is finally dc.
termined.
Governor Davidson delayed auditing
the account, not being assured III the
merit of the large claim and the mat.
ter was placed in the hands of II.
NJ. Bashford, who laid before the gov
ernor documents covering the serv.
ices of Mr., Chynoweth, and the opin-
ions of leading attorneys as to the
reasonableness of the claim.
Amounts to 500 Day.
Mr.. Chynoweth was first appointed
In this capacity on September 3, 1904.
worked about 60 days on the cases
up to January, 1906, and spent all
his time thereon after that time un.
I'll he was stricken with his last sick.
ness. The service amounts to 400
days spent for the state. With the
documents laid before Governor Da-
wilson in a letter from Senator La
Toilette to Mr.. Chynowoth, showing
that the payments up to the resIgna.
ton of the former governor were not
intended TO be I'm full. In all legal
services says the senator, "the final
judgment must determine the value of
the work rs a whole"
Opinions Favor the Claim.
Judge Romance Bum, for many
years Judge of the United States dis.
trict court. to whom the matter was
submitted for an opinion as to their
reasonableness OF the charge, says
that S25, 900 is the estimate he would
make of the value OF the services,
considering the nature and great i'm
portance of the questions involved
and their newness to the profession
the known ability Of counsel, the time
employed and the results of the It'll.
CATION
Henry M. Lewis. referee I'm bank.
ruptcy, says: Many lawyers of no
greater ability or legal learning than
Mr.. Chynoweth can find employment
at a much larger sum than 500 a
day for their services. This claim
IL not unreasonable, and at least one
third of the fee was earned by the
presentation of the cases to the su.
preme court"
John NJ. Oin says he would sug-
gest $25, 900 as fair remuneration,
D. X. Tenney says $4,000 is entirely
reasonable" +. w. Hall says the
claim IL quite reasonable" George
G. Green and II. 0. Fairchild say $685.
900 to $4,000 IL not exorbItant." s.
s. Gregory Of Chicago says $4,000
would be very reasonable compensa-
ton"
The action Of the governor was TAX
en- pursuant to section 1871, of tho
statutes OF 1898.