The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-05
Dawson Files Suit Against
Cunningham Law Firm.
Alleges Illegal, Irregular and
Fraudulent Practices.

Charging that the Cunningham Law
company. of Topeka, is doing business
in Kansas Illegally, that It's members
are guilty of divers and numerous acts
of champerty, barratry ana malnteh-
ance and kindred arts and practices
the state of Kansas through John >.
Dawson, attorney general, today nleo
a CORPORATION charter forfeiture suit IN
the district court of Shawnee county IN
which many alleged irregularities on
the part of the firm We're set out
The defendants named are j. G. Gun
ningham. F. NJ Cunningham, = n
Cunningham, Ira c. Snyder Lynn
BInta c. W. Jones and B. j. Tempe
nau. doing business. the petition states
as a pretended corporation entitled
the Cunningham Law company.
A few of the charges against the COM
pany follow:
That the said defendant persons as
such pretended and unauthorized cor
poration solicit and accept the com
mon forms of legal business ana IaV
practice which in any WeH-soNeriIe0
commonwealth should only be manas-
ed and handled by respoilsLpie
censed lawyer bound by the nigh ira
ditions of his profession and his soteiiln
oath of fidelity to the courts ana MS
clients And the said defendants as
such pretended corporation aHect
practice law in the courts OF TINS STAT
without legal authority or corporate "a
other grant of power so to do
THAT the said defendant persons as
such pretended corporation are guilty
of divers and numerous unlaWIui dclS
of champerty. barratry and ma1nleh-
nance and kindred arts and pracIcee
tha exact scope and extent OF an OF
which Illegal and disreputable arts anu
practices is unknown TO plain1ff, put
well known TO defendants. But PLAIN
tiff is advised and believes and there
fore alleges that the said defendants,
through such pretended incorporation
The Cunningham Law Company, sollc-
If among the business men of Shaw
nee County Kansas, and elsewhere
throughout the State of Kansas stale
claims for debts and dues and urge ana
bestir and arouse litigation over sucn
stale claims and dues, and institute
and maintain at their own expense
such LITIGATION and agree to hold all
such owners of such claims and dues
harmless against all costs of such htl-
CATION in consideration of an unrea-
sonable and eXtraVagant allowance 10
them out of any such successful It'll
cation And the said defendants a S
such pretended corporation have inst- |
tuted and maintained and disposed of |
such suits in Shawnee County, Kansas,
and elsewhere throughout the state OF /
Kansas in the aforesaid champertous. |
Illegal and diSreputable manner: ana
there is on file in the Court of the City |
of Topeka at the time of filing this suit
bout fifty lawsuits procured, be
stirred and melted by the said defend
ants in the manner aforesaid.
Plaintiff further says that however |
speeious and plausible may be the pre-
tended. corporate powers set out in the
charter of the Cunningham Law company
-hartered and organized about the 5th of
August 1872, the said powers are not
among those for which corporations may
be lawfully formed under chapter % OF
the general statutes of Kansas of 1893 |
and the amendments thereto, and the
permission and authority of the
charter board of the state of Kansas To |
approve and grant such charter |
were ultra wires and confer upon said /
pretended corporation no lawful right 20 |
4 corporate existence. and corporate pow
zrs exercised by it should be resumed by
the state OF Kansas and the, plaintiff L
entitled to a recovery of all such cor
Dorate powers. liberties. privileges and
franchises exercised by the said the Gun
bingham Law company Incorporated. or !
oy the Cunningham Law company. a pre-
ended corporation. and by the defendant |
persons in thei- assumption and pretense
10 be a corporation. and the charter OF |
the Cunnin ham Law company granted |
o il on or about August >, 1872 as afore- |
said should De forfeited