The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-21
HANSON MUSTQUIT
Attorney General Brings an In
junction Suit.
Puts Stop to Lawyer HarassIng
Insane Hospital Officers.
RELEASE OF INMATES.
Has Commenced Nine Suits Tor
This Purpose.
Three of These Are Still Pend
ing in Topeka.
RELEASE OF INMATES.

Dawson attorney general, has 1lleo III
the district court for Mcpherson county
an application for an injunction 10 re-
strain John F. Hanson from harasslIs
the state officials in charge of the 10
peka state hospital and from disturb
ing the patients at the hospital. HaE-
son has brought habeas corpus actions
in the Shawnee county court to secure
the release of Swan johnson, John H.
Phelps, MulHgan McNulty, B. F. os-
borne, John Myers. u. S. Richard
Marion Jilston and Charles H Fleming
from the Topeka hospital for the in
sane. The cases of Richard, Jilston and
Fleming have not been heard but the
court ordered all the other patients
taken back to the hospital at once and
without more examination than view
of the men as all the patients had TO
be brought to the court room in chains.
Mr. Dawson's Charges.
John Dawson makes some serious ac-
rusations against a brother practitlon-
Rr in the law. Just notice the crimes
and misdemeanors that the attorney
general enumerates against Hanson In
the third section of the petition, which
follows:
1.-THE defendant, John F. Hanson, I'M
der the guise and pretence of practicing
and now is guilty of the practice of
barratry, champerty and maintenance
and arts and practices of a similar
character and akin thereto, by solicit
ing and importuning certain inmates OF
the Topeka state hospital who are at
flicted with mental arrangement and of
unsound mind to be engaged and en-
ployed as a lawyer for such inmates to
procure their release and discharge by
proceedings in the nature of habeaS
1~.fI, civ,
liar nature, and the defendant has
harassed and does harass and annoy
the officers, agents, servants, physi-
clans and employees of the plaintiff
with suits, proceedings and inquisitions
in the nature of habeas corpus and
other proceedings of a like nature, and
such suits and proceedings are not
brought in good faith nor upon prob
able cause but are brought upon ar
engagements and agreements procured
and solicited by the defendant with the
irresponsible inmates of the plaintiffs
institution as aforesaid, and plaintiff
alleges that all of said arrangements
and aSreenlentS between the defendant
and the said inmates of unsound mind
confined in the PLAINTIFFS institutions
are null and void and are no authority
for the institution of proceedings by a
responsible and reputable lawyer in
any court of law and justice in this
state.
AeIcS on common Law.
There may be other crimes on the
calendar, but they are of very small
moment compared to those cited in
the petition, whatever they are May
be the lawyers know all about what
The big words mean, but John Daw-
son had to go back three hundred
years and do lot of studying of the
old common law of England to find
them. Barratry means that Hanson
mas been a gay deceiver or tried to
be and champerty means that he had
no legitimate reason for being a party
to the suits.
AS reason for urging the injunc-
ton against Hanson, the petition of
the attorney general SAYS:
That for the proper care, keeping.
treatment and cure of the inmates of
the plaintiffs institutions as aforesaid,
quiet. rest and freedom from worldly
cares and concerns of every sort are
necessary and any disturbance of their
quiet and seclusion postpones and de-
lays their cure and frequently and
commonly renders their proper treat
ment and cure impossible.
And plaintiff further says that in
some of the suits and proceedings so
Drought by the defendant the lunacy
and maniacal affection OF the patient
and inmate has been so apparent to
the probate court of Shawnee county,
before whom it was brought, that the
court upon view of the patient and
without further examination was
compelled to, direct his instant return
TO the plaintiffs Topeka state hospi-
tal for the insane.
THAT among the cases so brought
by the defendant for persons of Iin-
sound mind and confined in the To-
peka State hospital were those of
Swan johnson. John H.. Phelps, Null
1igan McNulty. b. F.. Osborne and
John Meyers, and in each and all OF
said cases the patients and inmates
were returned to the Topeka State
Hospital as patients of unsound mind.
And other cases of a similar character
brought by the defendant not yet dis
posed of, but now pending in the pro-
bate court of Shawnee county. Kan
Bas are: Ulysses simon Richard
Marion Jilston and Charles H. Flem-
ing. all of whom are afflicted with
mental unsoundness, nor did the de-
PENDANT have any reasonable ground
upon which to base such suits or any
of them.
plaintiff further alleges that the
defendant has solicited other inmates
of unsound mind now confined in the
plaintiffs institutions for the insane
and has solicited and engaged relatives
and fl ENDS of such inmates by bar
ratry. thamperty and maintenance to
aid and assist the defendant in procur-
fng and bringing suits for the release
of persons of unsound mind from
plaintiffs institutions but the exact
details of which the plaintiff is at this
time unable to inform the court. but
all of which are well known to the de-
PENDANT, and all of which tends to de.
lay and hinder and prevent the care
and keeping. treatment and cure of the
persons thus afflicted and tends to and
does harass and annoy the plaintiff
its officers. agents, physicians. servant.
and employees, and the plaintiff i.
without remedy against the defendant
In the due course of the law, except b.
an Injunction issued out of this honor,
able court, which injunction should BIZ
pranted."