The broad ax., 1908-10-03
NOT GUILTY or uNPRoFEssIoNAL
CONDUCT.

Judge Bietler of the Municipal Court of
Chicago. Mr.. E G. McElroy, Mr.. McEl-
wees client is entitled to the money
in question, S4.50O.OO. Several weeks
ago the public was startled by a re-
port to the effect that attorney Nc
Elwee was guilty Of unprofessional
conduct with reference to the probate
Of certain viii in the Probate Court
Of Cook County, In. that he was
charged with conspiracy to do an I'M
lawful act. The facts as ascertained
from witnesses who testified upon the
investigation Of said cause, before
Judge Bietler, were as follows to wit:
On March. End. A. D. 1908. Joseph
G. Wilson made his last win and test
amept naming the said E. g. McElroy
as legatee. DR.. Anna B. Schultz and
Mathew Bird were witnesses to the
will On the 18th, Of March A. D
1908, Joseph @. Wilson died at Denver,
Colo. After the death Of Wilson, E.
@. McElroy took charge Of the remains
and buried him, and then came on to
Chicago to wind up the estate. Mr.
McElwee never knew Wilson during
his life time nor he never knew Mr..
McElroy before the day that Mr.. Nc
Elroy called on him and retained
his services as an attorney to take
charge of the business for him. II
only connection that Mr.. MeElwee had
with the matter was that as an attor-
ney as above stated. Some time after
the will was probated and the public
administrator took charge Of the es-
tate, Thomas Pierson, a Colored law
yer. approached Mr.. McElwee and said
to him that he had information that
he McElwee had collected 100000 |
from an estate and that zone OF
the witnesses to the will was going |
to complain, unless he, Mr.. Nc
Elwee should pay over a GER
tain sum Of money. He further stated |
that this witness was under his wing |
and he could control him and IL the
money was forthcoming the matter
would be hushed up"
Mr.. McElwee had not collected any |
money from the estate and stated that |
he had not collected It and If he had.
he would not pay one cent TO stop :
scheme. Subsequently /
the attention of the States Attorney
was called to the matter and investi-
cation followed with the results above !
stated. The Court found that the will
was made and properly signed and I
witnessed by the parties whose names
were thereto attached and that no
offense had been committed by any
one. Therefore, all Of the parties here
in named were discharged and the
cause dismissed.
In this connection it might be said
that prior to coming to this city in
1901, to reside Mr.. MsElwee was quite
prominent in the political and civil
affairs of Nashville Tenn, but in his
struggles to climb upwards and
before becoming a successful law
yer, he had to work very hard at any
thing that he could get to do, while
OberIin College, he waited
on the table. picked currants and
washed dishes for his board, then he
taught school in Miss. for 5 years and
one year in Alabama, and at one time
be walked thirty miles to secure a
school in Tenn, after teaching a large
school in the day, he would walk ten
miles two nights In the week to recite
IN Latin, Greek. German and Algebra
10 a white student at Vanderbilt uni
In time he entered Fisk uni
Versity at Nashville, Tenn, graduating
.herfrom in 1888, then he entered the
Central Tennessee College, where he
studied law and graduated in 1885, and
while still law student he was elect
ed to the legislature Of Tenn, and
irst took his seat in January, 1888 and
he served three terms in
It's legislature, his speech on 'Mobs"
before that body was widely
circulated.
He was a delegate to the Chicago
in 1884, which nominated
James G. Blaine, the Plumed Knight
IF Maine and he was one Of six deli
gates who voted for him on every
ballot, in 1888, Mr.. MeElwee, was
united in marriage to Miss Georgia
Shelton, the highly accomplished
Of one Of the most promin-
ant families in Nashville, and several
/