Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-03-16
MEN OF AFFAIRS.
TWO Eminent Writers tell Of DOines
in Every-day Life.

o~OiS honCi 10 ob "Pe tihS
for thorougbgoing shyster. 1t is
so common for many lawyers of rep
utation, especially lawyers specialize
ing In personal injury cases, to send
out men to bring in business, that
the practice is regarded as scarcely
needing even to be winked at, but
the tue shyster, iu order to enjoy
his reputation, must not only "get
the trade already on the market" 5ui
create demand for his services.
The most depraved type of lawyer
is found in the justice courts not
connected with police station.
There the demand for keener intel
ligence and a greater knowledge of
law created by the great number of
civil cases causes him to be a mem
Der of the bar, but not a credit to it.
If, instead of being merely out of
job, you are lawyer without prac-
tice or prospects of a reputable char
acter, and choose to become a shyster
in these courts, you must not only
lay aside scrrples but petrify what
ordinary humanity you may have in
your makeup, for fixing cases, get
ting snap judgements. suing, nom
saiting, and suing again until the de-
fendant is worn out, will be among
the minor incidents of your "prac-
tice."
During the apprenticeship
served 10 law Office l stumbled one
day on to heartless piece of busi-
ness, being carried on in a gloomy
corridor outside a justice court.
Three persons were in earnest con-
versation. One was widow, whom
l had heard day or two before tell
ing in endless detail how she had
been swindled by some boarders.
With her were two lawyers of the
genus shyster, both of whom, how
ever, had some practice in the upper
courts. One had defended the people
sne had sued.
What had heard of the woman's
case while waiting to attend to mat
ters of my own and the knowledge /
had Of the men caused me to feel no
qualms about eavesdropping. The
woman had been represented by a
reputable lawyer, but he had been
called away suddenly, and the law
yer for her whilom boarders- had
seized the opportunity to have her
arrested on charge Of perjury.
There was none to sign her bond;
none even to advise her, aud she
looked desperate.
81 don't Care. Pve got you this
time, and I'll send youto Jail sure, ("
the opposing lawyer was threatening,
and added in reply to the woman's
protest that she had no LAWYER:
I"Why don't you take Mr. here?'
(laying his hand on the coat of
shysterlnumber two) "I've got an
awful Gaze against you, but if any
body's sharp enough to get you off,
it's this man. He's smart LAWYER,
I tell you"
"But have no money" answered
the woman in a hopeles stone.
"YOu have this. l would be
satisfied with this, broke in number
two. as he laid a finger on niagnifi-
cent opal ring she wore.
"My husband gave it to me-" she
sobbed.
"Give it to Mr., and he'll keep
you out of JAIL" wheedled number
one, quite unmoved.
l turned away. The ethics of my
profession forbade personal inter-
ference. and by the time the young
lawyer | summoned from the bureau
of justice arrived the woman was SO
completely in the power of her per-
secutors that she insisted she was
provided with satisfactory counsel.
Shysters even of this dark type
sometimes succeed In hiding their
true colors. One of these two men
has since been mentioned for public
office of great responsibility.-Wal-
ter Mayhead.
DON'T QUARREL WITH OLD BOSS.
One of the greatest mistakes that