New-York tribune., 1908-12-20
PRISONERS ACT AS "PIKERs.

4 thOrUugLpaced styster does not hesitate 10
present forged notes purporting 10 be written By
relatives in order To- get at prisoners There was
attorney who wished 10 sec q boy prIS1nev. and
he said lie had been retained 5y the BOYS mother
and siste. The keeper found mother and sister
talking with the prisoner i'll his cell aud ti-ey ue-
CIared they had never seen The attorney Uh0 as
serted he nat been engaged by them. All sorts os
retaireIs accepted by the legal uIEinaries who
iufest the TIubs. One prisoner relieved Of a
pair of sleeve buttons. and it Is uOt doubted that
wearing apparel Of rawnable quality would be
taken fro.a the backs Of prisoners by some expo
nents OF Blackstone. 1t IS said that inmate Of
tie city ail gave ID his overCoat his attorney.
who argued that he needed it most, being out in
the cold world whereas the other was constantly
IN snug quarters.
CndeniabIy the prisoners except those who have
been deprived OF small change and necessary gar
ments rather welcome the influx Of legal visitors
as relief from nlonotony- II is an agreeable in
Permission OF confinement 60 De summoned into
the counsel room The ''piker' who reports daily
70 his legal employer what business he has picked
up on his ter during TIE exercise hour is espe-
cially pleased with prevailing conditions This
f1Inctuarv crculates his employers business cards
among his fellow prisoners and persua6es them
that no one else should handle their cases. Be
tween the solicitation OF pikers' above and shys-
ters below. a prisoner Is sometimes sadly confused
as 10 the merits OF the attorneys and perhaps
engages att who apply. Such case was revealed
when a man was called to trial, and court Off
cisI found he had half dozen lawyers registered
as his counsel. The official was in doubt as to
which counsel 10 notify. Finally he notified three
Of them and then discovered that the prisoner
had paid money to each and every one Of the
lawyers.
Some of the squarest men in the world. charfta-
HE and kindhearted are practising in the criminal
courts said Deputy Clerk Fuller, Of Special Ses-
sions 'aud the turkey buzZards of the profession
are in q distinct class They're ihteTate. ignorant
and hesitate at nothing They Will tell the pTts-
oper that he has a good or bad one 10 suit
their schemes Generally their first advice to a
client is to plead guilty. they can work him
for all his possessions: then. after few days IL
they can't get anything more, they tell him 10
plead guilty. A silk petticoat has been taken as
retainer from woman A poor Italian woman
was deprived Of her gold wedding ring, which the
runner pawned for 80 cents. whereupon lawyer and
runner drank up the proceeds in saloon There
vas a woman charged with keeping disorderly
house She had $500 in a savings bank II she had
1rafved examination. come down to Special Sessions
and pIeadetf guilty she would have been fined SIS
at the most A shyster told her she was likely 10
he sent up for six months and he worked her for
800 for bail Then he extracted SS75 10 defend her
in Spscial Sessions She reluctant give
up anv more 30 the >shyster induced the bonds
man to surrender her-his own client-as means
of persuasion after three days in jail colleague
OF the shyster found the woman ready TO part with
another 800 A third lawyer appeared on the scene
IN take the wuman's handbook and obtain her last
rS After all tnis. fined 50. anu not having
the money was compelled 10 serve twenty days
IN Jail"