The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-05-28
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LAW CAREER
(BULLETIN.)

(BULLETIN.)
Attorney Louis /. Lefebvre was
disbarred from further practice i'm
Pierce county courts by Judge
Gard at 2:25 o'clock this after
noon.
''It is a most unpleasant duty"
declared the court, 'but there is
preponderence of evidence.
Every allegation of the prosecu-
ton has been sustained, and l am
powerless to do anything but my
duty as i see it,"
Lefebvre has been q resident Of
Tacoma for seven years, In which
time he has defended Louis Wee
Ter and Charles N. Newcomb, IA
nous murderers, and has han-
died several important cases in
the local courts. His disbarment
came after numbers of clients had
complained about him to Prosecu-
tor Loreno Dow.
@ o
In an effort to repudiate all
charges made against him by
LcItutIe,
the Tacoma attorney facing dis
barment In Judge Cards court,
today became badly tangled in
cross examination, after he had
/. taken the witness stand in his
own defense.
A personal checx by the attor-
ney, with the notation "Anticipat-
ing settlement of case due on
above date jotted in the corner
by himself, almost caused the un-
doing of Lefebvre. This check
was dated March 19, 1913, and
made out to Alexander Paltrahas,
a client, for SITS. The damage
case in which Paltrahas figured
was settled for $500 in August of
last year. Paltrahas Monday de-
clared that he had never received
a cent of the money.
No Funds.
Lefebvre testified today that he
had given check to the client,
but had no funds to cover it.
Later, he said, Paltrahas came to
his office and he handed him out
the $175 in cash and did not take
a receipt. He stopped payment
on the check.
On cross examination, Lefebvre
said that he could not explain the
notation on the check. When
asked where he received the
money to pay Paltrahas, he testi.
fled that March 10 had been his
mothers birthday and he believ-
ed he had received part of the
money from her.
"In our family, instead of the
usual custom of giving presents
to parents on their birthday, it
has been customary for the par
ents to make presents to their
children" testified the attorney.
Lefebvre had testified that he
had given Paltrahas the check
about March II of this year. He
was apparently non-plussed when
Prosecutor Dow reminded him
that the check deal had been
mentioned in the complaint
against Lefebvre, which was
drawn UP and filed the first week
of March.
In his direct testimony Le-
febvre declared that he had not
loaned Miss Ella Callahan, his
former stenographer, $1,000 out
of her own money. He said that
he gave her the money from the
$4,000 verdict which she obtained
from the Seattle Electric COM
pany and retained the rest at her
request.
Regarding the case of William
Vaelkovitch, Puyallup farmer,
who accused Lefebvre of holding
OUT a 800 judgment, Lefebvre
admitted that he had been de-
linquent in the payment, but that
he had paid over the money when
demand was made
He also admitted delinquency
in making $50 payment in the
divorce case of Rivard vs.. Ri
ward, but declared that he had
been given go days by the court
: in which to make the payment.
Miss Ethel Sayre, a former
stenographer for the attorney,
made a brief corroboration this
morning of Lefebvre's testimony.
1t is believed that the case will
be In the hands of Judge Card
late this afternoon. The court
is expected to take the matter
under advisement before deciding
whether or not Lefebvre should
Z be barred from further practice