Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-06
Taxpayers Not at All Pleased at
S5,2O5.35 Payment TO
Louis Hood.
THINK PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
COULD HAVE SAVED THIS
Itemized Bills Show That Re-
tanned Lawyer Charged and
Received $l0O a Day.

Why was it necessary for Prosecutor
Wilbur A Mott to engage Louis Hood
as special counsel in the various pro-
ceedings connected with the ocey w
M. Snead murder case?
Why could not himself and the as
sistants in his office, who receive total
of $4,000 in salaries each year from
the county, handle the case instead OF
saddling the taxpayers with an extra
$5,205. .35, the amount paid Mr.. Hood for
his services in the case?
The above two questions are still
causing discussion in the Court House
and in legal circles generally since the
publication in the Evening STAR that
the cost OF the trial to Essex county
would be considerably over $4,000.
1t has been pointed out by many
lawyers that Prosecutor Mott receives
$4,000 a year; Fred r. Lehlbach, ms
first assistant, $6,000 and Andrew van
-Blarcom, second assistant. $4,000. a
total of $4,000. With these three men
it is figured out by eminent and capa-
BILE lawyers that it was an unnecessary
expenditure of money to pay out over
$4,000 almost one-third of the entire
yearly cost of the prosecutor and his
staff. for special counsel in the Snead
case.
An analysis of the bills, copies OF
which are printed below, show that Mr
Hood was paid for his services practi-
cally at the rate of $10O per day for all
the time he spent in connection with
the case. The bill of $500 for serv-
ices in the Caroline B. Martin case
n ION m January
1911" covers 214 hours of actual work.
ing time. allowing eight hours for
days work and four hours for evening
sessions. Figured in days at eight
hours per day it amounts to 26 ga days.
Got $3.50 in Insanity Proceedings.
For services as counsel in the in
sanitv proceedings against Mrs. Caro-
line B. Martin" which resulted In her
being {adjudged sane, Mr.. Hood re-
ceived s1,750. This bill dates from
September q to December last and
includes sixteen days attendance at
court during November and December,
when the hearing was in progress De
fore Judge Jay Ten Eyck
The third bill rendered by Mr.. HOOD
and paid by the county covers his serV-
ices in the habeas corpus proceedings
brought by Samuel Kalisch on penail
OF Mrs Mary w. Snead before the
United States Supreme Court at Treh-
ton. In this case five and one-hall days
were spent and a bill of $3.50 rendered,
as well as one of $5.35 for expenses. LII
an action on behalf of Miss Virginia .
Wardlaw, on a rule to show cause, also
tried before the United States Supreme
Court at Trenton Mr.. Hoods bill calls
for five days of service. The bill is for
$500. These last three items are
punched in one bill. amounting to
S955.35.
Briefly summarized the total Of Mr..
Hoods bills are as follows:
Served as special counsel, $2,5OO; PAID
January 80, 1911. $,
Services in Martin sanity hearing,
81, $50; paid December 16, 1910.
Services before United States Su-
preme Court. $955.35; paid October 4
1910.
All of the bills are certified to as
correct by Prosecutor Wilbur A. Mott
and approved by Jay Ten Eyck as
judge. Bills of this character do not
go before the finance committee of the
Board Of Freehoiders or before the
board itself. They are paid at the
county auditors office on the approval
of the presiding judge as soon as they
are audited by County Auditor Edward
L. Conklin Under the law Mr.. Conk-
lin has no authority to question any
item or the amount of any bill so ap-
proved. In other words, when court
expenses are concerned the hands Of
the county financial officers are tied as
far as curbing any expense.
Prosecutor Explains.
In this connection Mr.. Mott has this
to say: "It must be remembered that
when we went into the Snead case we
were up against a big mystery matter
and one that was very puch involved.
Looking back now one can see where
money could possibly have been saved,
but that is true of every instance
wherein the expenditure of large
sum of money is involved.
at must also be remembered that of
the $4,000 or more that the case cost
Essex county considerably over $4,000
of this expense was forced on the
county by the action of the lawyers for
the defense in bringing outside mat
ters into the trial for murder l refer
to the proceedings in the United States
Supreme Court on behalf of Mrs. Mar
tin Snead ana Miss Wardlaw and the
sanity trial of Mrs. Martin.
1.-The prosecuting office had nothing to
do with starting these proceedings, but
of course, were forced to defend them
OF the $500 total of Mr.. Hoods bill
S95535 was incurred in the proceedings
at Trenton, while $1,75O is for his serv-
ices during the month the hearing as
to Mrs. Martins sanity was in progress.
This hearing also put an extra expense
on the county of $4,000 for medical ex-
perts."
Mr. Mott would not discuss Mr..
Hoods bill except to call attention to
the fact that they were approved by
both himself and Judge Ten Eyck.
Copies of the three bills, now re-
ceipted and on file in the county audi
tors office, follow;
To services of Louis Hood, as spe-
cial counsel in the case of the State
Continued on Seventh Page)