Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-08-23
The BEES EXPOSE OF
LEGAL GRAFT WINS
Continued from Page one.)

NCuntluueu E-hke OuNl
they and their ASSOCIATES did not feel
that way about IL, may be gathered from
the fact that the series Of articles was
published by The Bee on May 81. June
and June 2. while the stiles a Devaney
surrender was dated June
II was shown in these original articles
which received wide distribution-that
in two years a group OF lawyers had
brought nearly 400 cases. aggregating
about $4,000 in claims against a dozen
railroads. that these cases were gath
cred from a dozen states by any means
OF solicitation the lawyers saw fit to
employ and that the burden OF the ex-
pense Of litigation fell, OF course, on the
Minnesota taxpayers. centering chiefly
in the Twin cities.
IL was shown further that legal ethics,
II not the law. itself. was disregarded in
the desperate chase for business Litera-
ture Of all sorts was sent broadcast. en-
ployes OF railroads were hired as agents
to spy out and turn In cases to these
lawyers and solicitors and. I'm some in
stances. lecturers were sent forth over
many states to exploit the virtues and
advantages Of the buslness-anything to
get the goods.
The bees Finding Confirmed.
The ethics committee Of the Bar assoc
citation confirms all these disclosures
made by The Bee IL finds that the
business has grown to be very form
liable and organized" A reading Of this
report is Interesting as reciting most Of
the vital details and even figures COM
prislng The Bees statements As fore
casted, this committee recommends the
enactment Of drastic laws by the next
Minnesota legislature as the cure. 1t is
not content to take the word OF the
honorable lawyers who have built I'D the
questionable business that they will quit
1t. In view of the fact that the Mime
sofa supreme court has recently held In
a test case that the district court has
no legal right to refuse to hear nom
resident business of this character. Then
the court pointed out:
II IL were the policy Of this state evil
denced by decisions of its courts. or fixed
by statute. to close It's courts both as 10
cltlzen plaintiffs and non-oltizen plain
titIs. against such transitory causes Of
action for torts committee in othsr states
refusal TO entertain Jurisdiction would
not violate the constitution.
Model Laws Proposed.
Model laws already drafted and pro-
posed for Minnesota embody provisions
written into the statute books OF Texas,
Maryland and New York, which have had
similar situations on smaller scale TO
deal with. 1t is believed, the Minnesota
legislature will not resist the demand for
such legislation, So long as the business
could be kept in darkness, II flourished
but when The Bee came
across this condition and turned the
searohlight fun upon 1t, that moment it's
doom was sealed
The story was one of general interest.
simply because if such an abuse could |
exist in one state It could and would, II
unmolested spread 10 other states.
a cogent reason why the Minnesota |
legislature is apt to take action is that
the taxpayers, having had their atten-
ton called to 1t, will object to continuing |
to foot the bills for cases arising outside |
OF their state and involving litigants out
side of their state.
SuDerfIuous to Rehearse.
In presenting the case to the Minnesota
Efficiency and Economy commission the