The Washington times., 1911-06-21
BONAPARTE BLAMED
FOR HEAVY COSTS
Half Million Trust Prosecution Fund Attributed to Ad-
ministration of RooseVets Attorney
General
By JUDsoN c. wELLIvER.

Illinois politicians, Sims would not be
retained as district attorney in Chicago.
He draws $4,000 salary.
Pierce Butler and Wade Ellis are
said to be the only special assistants
hired In a long time past. Butler
was not paid from the trust prosecution
fund; all he has got from that fund was
s., 500 for work in the Beef trust case.
He won great victory in the bleached
-four cases, under which there was a
large recovery by the Government.
Nobody seems very proud of the
Wade Ellis case. He was assistant To
the Attorney General and was detach-
ed from that position to become Repub-
lican political supervisor in Ohio. In
special counsel. and as such has drawn
good deal more in fees than his for
rner salary would have amounted to.
His case Is not unlike that of Sims, In
Its relation to politics. II is likely 20
prove one Of the most difficult that the
Administration win have to explain to
the Beall committee.
Wins Bathtub Case.
E. p. Grosvenor, another Of the law
yers reported to have drawn large COM
pensation, Is one of the best lawyers
in the Government service. He ham
died the famous bathtub trust case, got
indictments, and has recently cleared
away all the demurrers, and will get
the cases to trial the coming autumn.
He gets 1900 a year salary, an amount
which in private practice. 1t Is said,
he would earn several times over. The
oathtub case Is one Of the big VIC
tories the Government has won In re-
cent time, and when the question of hir-
Ing special counsel for It was consider
ed. the decision was that Mr.. Grosvenor
was just as well equipped as any fancy
Feed outside lawyer would be, and that
ne was entitled to the credit Of winnir 8
the case in which he had done and
made good, and the department is
proud of its record in the case.
Others of the cases are explained
with details OF the work, and the mod
est salaries that have appertained to
the department lawyers engagements.
AS to the condemnation cases in
Washington, there Is general agree
ment, apparently, that these have been
unduiy expensive; but they have had
no relation to the trust-busting busi-
the trust prosecution fund. The firm OF
Beach & Adkins has been especially
favored with Government fees, for the
report to Chairman Beall shows that in
two years Adkins has drawn SIG, ,667. 50
and Beach $1,000; Adkins In the cotton
leak" and certain patent cases, Beach
in condemnation matters.
McNamara's Case.
Stuart Mcnamara, a former Assistant
District Attorney fer the District, had
the same good fortune as 80 many other
former attaches of the District Attor-
ney's office. He was modestly salaried
when in offfee, but on retiring, enters
the special class. and is shown to have
drawn Silica in the last two years. Es-
pecial interest attaches to his case be-
cause he was the man who prepared the
brief and did most-of the work in the
famous prosecution of the New York
World for libel In connection with the
Panama canal corruption charges. This
case was a decidedly expensive one,
which the Government lawyers tapered
of with as much haste as possible when
the Roosevelt Administration had re.
tired.
A. A. Birney. who drew $4,000 In
connection with the condemnation OF
squares c36 and go. was District Attor.
new a number Of years ago. Mr.. Birney
like the other District Attorneys, had
developed the system of getting good
things out of office Is well as in, and
his case illustrates the interesting ia.
tality that pursued these District Off
the big-fee lightning with great regu
larity.
Peyton Gordon's case is illustrative IA
this connection. Mr.. Gordon was an as
sistant in the office Of the District At
torney. He was afterward taken into
the department, and in connection with
| the Lewiston, Idaho, bank fraud cases
and some lani fraud prosecutions, ap.
pears to have drawn SIS. 9S4. 10 in fees II
the last two years.
Nobody seems able to explain the pen
chant of the District Attorneys office
people for asso2iatinC themselves Will
the fine largo fees: the inquisitors hops
to get some light on these details.
One more case of the tendency to pas:
the condemnation cases and their snus
emoluments along to lawyers who hav;
been associated with the department
service. is that of D. D. Caldwell. Ht
got A.7o0 in connection with the con
demnation of squares 226 and go: and h,
was formerly employed at the Depart
rnent OF Justice.