Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-01-12
LAWYERS HAVE TILT BY NAIL
W. ]. Connell and 7. W. Blackburn
Pay Compliments to Each Other.
ROW OVER BRIBERY CHARGES
Being an Ambulance Chaser
and 7. W. Comes Back
with Warm Reply

An interchange of correspondence be-
tween two distinguished lettsr-writing
attorneys, Thomas w. Blackburn and W.
j. Connell. has been given out by the
former for publication. To print the
letters In full would waste too much
space yet some Of the passages, Paying
one another pleasing compliments, are
quite brilliant.
The controversy seems to have arisen
out of the activities OF Blackburn in the
action OF the Bar association on the
alleged jury brihins charges, referring 10
which Mr.. Council was quoted in an in
terview as saying:
They had far better appoint. commit
tee to investigate some OF their own
members, particularly such ambulance
chasers as T. W. Blackburn and his Xix,
who are responsible for this action.
With this prelude We have the follow
ing dialogue:
Blackburn to ConnslL
wish to know from you personally
whether this interview. correctly reports
you and whether or not you are re-
sponsible for It's publication. ] cannot
persuade myself that you would deiib-
erately utter and publish so false, mali
csous. slsnderous and hoelous re-
mark concerning myself and hope ] may
have by return mali for publication
fiat denial of your responsibility Tor
same.
ConneII Makes Reply.
Cornell to Blackburn.
With regard to tie published inter
view, | undoubtedly said. in substances,
in response to some inquiry OF some re-
porter what you say WAS published. IL
is TO be regretted. that the bar asso-
citation of Douglas county, should be
used. as 1t has been on frequent occa-
''chestnuts" out of the fire and to
enable you and some other lawyers 10
raid the street railway company, and
make unjustifiable charges against its
officers and representatives for the sole
purpose OF creating prejudice that there
by you and others can more easily OBJ
tain yerdicts In damage cases which are
utterly without merit. II Is my DELHI
crate judgment that the bar association
mistakes Its calling and the purpose Of
its organization when Il engages In this
kind OF work.
What ! said with regard 10 the action
peat on every and all occasions. The
action which | suggested the bar ASSOC
citation had better take. Is the action
recently taken In Des Moines against
certain attorneys for unjustiy rsiding
and harassing the street railway COM
pany OF that city. by ambulance chasing
and bringing all sorts OF damage suits
against H. The substance Of the charges
against them was that they were am
bulance chasers." We have some OF the
same kind of attorneys In Omaha You
well know what this term means ana as
you can recall, have had occasion and
4 kat tFfNf
in the list. and have so declared both IN
court and out OF court number OF
times.
Hoping this response will meet your
requirements and that the raids by you
on the street railway company during
The wear lsl2 will be less frequent and of
more merit than those OF the past ahi'
Blackburn Comes Back.
Blackburn 10 Cornell:
confess my disappointment at the con-
tents OF your letter. | have known you
more or less intimately for about thirty
five years and while / have known that
You did not claim to be any better than
anybody else" did not believe that you
would deliberately SANDER brother
member OF the bar. I remembered, too,
that YOU had not only been plainuffs
counsel In scores Of suits for personal
injuries, button -some-notahle occasions
mad been tDt plhlfitli sVWsehs ~ eVeh'
to me that merely as a matter OF kettle
and pot you could not consistently
criticize other lawyers for accepting
similar cases, even against the jury cor
rupting corporation in whose behalf you
have recently disgraced yourself In public
print.
I am not entitled TO the honor you would
accord me OF having induced the Bar
association 10 act. ] have not had
great many cases against the street car
company. I never solicited one In nv
life and have refused two for every one
have ever sued. Not only so. but
nave never employed a solicitor or paid
fee TO any person for bringing me
street car case. Fortunately do not find
Il necessary TO procure business by this
method-and you know you were stating
q malicious untruth when you sought TO
make II appear that I have been un-
professional IN any particular, either In
bringing cases against the company or
In the trial Of them.
II Il IL ambulance chasing to follow
UP attempts 10 corrupt juries and fight
a corporation guilty OF this most despite
able OF all forms Of corruption. then /
am an ambulance chaser" from Chaser
Vile.
do not know what the committee in
tends TO do. but l give you fair warning
that In 1919 as In 1900, II 1 catch any
scroundTel tamperinK with any jury in any
ease l en- trying against your client he
will be exposed and disgraced II pos
sible.