Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-22
FIGHT FOR BIG FEE
Attorney Hancock DiscIoses a
Curious Matrimonial Row.
WIFE'S SECRET WAS HIGH
Wanted to Wed a Rich Man Under
Odd Circumstances.
NEGOTIATIONS ARE DELICATE
This Work, the Lawyer Ayers, Earn
ed Him a Very Liberal
Compensation.

NEW YORK, January PAN order
signed by Supreme Court Justice Leven-
tritt and filed In the county clerks office
yesterday referring the claim of Lawyer
Henry j. Hancock in a divorce ca. for
fees to Benjamin N. Cardozo, as referee,
disclosed a curious matrimonial entangle-
ment.
Hancock wants SO, 500 for his services in
bringing suit for divorce on behalf of
Minnie L. Weis from Louis Weis. Mrs.
Weis has retained ]. d. Redding to act for
her in the later proceedings. but Hancock
declines to be relieved of his duty, he says,
until he has been paid in full. Hence the
reference to Mr.. Cardozo to discover the
amount due
Mrs Weis says in her affidavit that Han
COCK agreed to finish the case and obtain
her divorce for $500. Hancock swears that
there was no such agreement, and becarse
of the work he did such fee would be en-
tfreiy inadequate.
Weis has recently started for the West
Indies in the interest of the brewery of
which he Is manager and general agent
He is Kentuckian, and is well known here
and in the south.
Mr.. Hancock, in his affidavit, says that
he was retained last September by Mrs.
Weis, who was then living at the Hotel
Savoy. She told him, he AYERS, that she
wanted to rid herself of her husband be-
cause of misconduct and also because she
wanted to marry very wealthy man, a
well known in political life and society.
Name Not Disclosed.
Hancock's affidavit does not disclose lie
name of this man, because, he says, it
might destroy the prospects Mrs. Weis now
has Of making good matrimonial alliance.
He says that the prospective husne ID is
% mn
manufacturing business.
Hancock, in his affidavit says that Mrs
Weis had received presents from the man
she expects to marry aggregating $685. 600
within the last few months. He further
says that he employed detectives to follow
wells in Georgia and obtained enough evil
dence to justify the beginning of a divorce
suit. The summons and complaint were
served on Weis with very great difficulty,
he says, and afterward he managed con-
ference between husband and wife.
At this interview, Weis, according to
the affidavit said that the charges were
false and he would fight the suit to the
end. He added, the affidavit says that he
feat any attempt to obtain evidence by
deposition.
After considerable difficulty. according to
the affidavit, testimony was taken in Georgia
Keener, who was the referee in the case
Hancock declares that he had to exer-
else great caution to keep Weis from know
ing of his wife's ENHANCEMENT and to keep
the views of the divorce and the impending
marriage from reaching the society re-
porter" thereby possibly laying the foun-
dalton for demands on the plaintiffs part
for large sums of money In this connec-
ton the lawyer swears:
In fact, l was consulted by her and by the
gentleman concerning threatened publfca-
ton by the reporter of a leading newspaper
in the city of New York of an article which,
q hno OIL 1ry
written by the said reporter, unjustly re-
fecting by innuendo upon the conduct of
the plaintiff Mrs Weis.
Much Arduous Work.
The aff1ant says that Hancock was
compelled to perform much arduous work
in connection with the case which had
to be handled with the greatest delicacy
in order not to endanger the prospect of
a matrimonial alliance with a man of
large wealth." This, he submits, entities
him to payment of liberal fees.
Among the presents given Mrs. Weis,
and part of the $69, 600, according to Han
cock, was one of fifteen one-thousand-dol-
lar Bills, which the mysterious man in the
case obtained from his brokers last Christ
mas. He had also given her securities to
insure an income Of $1,000 year.
He adds that he has received as q re-
tainer the sum of 500, but he can account
for the expenditure of this sum. He then
declared to her that he would need $1,000
more to look after her interests. She OBJ
jected, and later, when he net her at the
hippodrome in company with the rich man
she was to marry, she saidi that he Han-
cock) had agreed to see her through the
case for $500. The matter of compensation
was then threshed out.
Mrs. Weis' new lawyer, ]. D. Redding,
objected to the Hancock affidavit as scan
dalous, and Roger Foster. who appeared
for him. submitted brief in support Of
Hancock's claim.
1t was said yesterday that Mrs. Weis'
prospective husband has large manufacture
ing interests in the neighborhood Of
Yonkers.