New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-21
Charged with Annoying
Lawyer, Pair Tell OF
"MOral Obligation"
LEGAL ACTION BARES
HINT OF ROMANCE
Woman Is Silent-Husband
Speaks of Past Support
$4,000 Suit Threatened.

A mysterious romance extending back
almost twenty years is said to be the
secret behind yesterdays appearance
of Edward Lauterbach, lawyer, in the
West Side court, as complainant against
Mr.. and Mrs. E. A.. Lcet, Of sos West
Hath Street.
Lauterbach charged that the couple
had accosted him and asked for money
on the street and annoyed him night
ly when he left his apartment at SOL
West 1O6th Street. Their lawyer, Ben
nett f. Siegelstein, told Tribune re-
porter last night that Lsuterbach was
trying to shirk an alleged moral and
legal obligation" to support them for
life.
"Mr Lauterbach and Mrs. Leet met
fifteen or twenty years ago." said Mr..
Siegelstein, "snd their acquaintance
ship ripened into an affection. Mrs.
Leet claims a moral and legal oblga-
ton on the part of Mr. Lautcrbach to
support her for life. That is all can
then amounted to about s250,000 Mr..
Lauterbach has paid about 100000 in
supporting the Leet family for about
fifteen years. We now intend TO bring
suit against him in the Supreme Court
for $4,000, and the basis of the suit
will be correspondence that has been
kept intact during the entire period"
Tells of Aid to Family.
Mrs. Leet said her attorneys phrase,
"ripenod into an affection" did not
accurately describe the situation. She
denied there had been any affection on
her part, but would not discuss the
matter further. She and her husband,
however, admitted that Lauterbach had
been their support for the last seven
teen years.
Leet showed batch OF almost daily
letters covering the last few months.
Each one Of the missives, he said, had
contained So from Lsuterbach. They
stopped coming on Tuesday. This ac-
counted for Mrs. Leet's remark in court
yesterday:
"l've been starving for two days on
account of this man"
All that Mr.. Lauterbach would say
about the strange case was this
81 have been advancing Leet some
money on several patents which ne got
on photograph inventions, but decided
a few days ago that | would not be at
tackled on the street any more, and
stopped paying. 1t is simply case OF
man who will not work. He thinks
the world owes him a living. | have
known him for about twenty years, but
he has worked little in that tue. AS
to the moral and legal obligation, you
may say that there is absolutely no
truth in il. II they think they have a
claim against me let them take il TO
court and prove it. ! hesitated 70
bring the matter to public attention.
but | felt it was a public duty to 10
so, in spite OF the risk OF notoriety."
Mr.. and Mrs. Leet live in fur
nished room house. The husband was
defiant, as far as Lauterbach was con-
cerned. He said he had gone to the
lawyer about twenty years ago with
letter of introduction from a mutual
friend, and Lauterbach got him job
in Cincinnati, advancing him money
for time. Leet said he placed all
his confidence in Lauterbach, but that
the latter "hounded Mrs. Leet" and
tried to persuade Leet to get divorce.
Patents Not in Reckoning.
The photograph patents, Leet ad-
mitted, did not enter into whatever
moral and legal obligation" is alleged
to exist between Lauterbach and the
Leet family.
"All ! ask" said Leet, "is for Lau-
terbach to give me a chance to get on
my own feet"
well, why" he was asked, SHOULD
Lauterbach be obliged TO give you that
chance any more than anybody else"
THAT can't tell YOU he replied.
at will all come out in court
According to Leet, they have a son,
Robert c. Leet, twenty-five years old,
serving with the lst Field Artillery.
y. G.. n. Y, at the border. who has
been supported for seventeen years by
Lauterbach's financial contributions.
Until two years ago the couple lived at
the Cumberland Hotel. Lauterbach
shut down on his payments then, Leet
said, and they were forced to move.
The threatened civil suit for Sl50,000,
Mr. Siegelstein said, would be begun in
about ten days. Mr.. Siegelstein told
Magistrate Nolan in the West Side
Court yesterday that his clients would
not accost Mr.. Lauterbach He OBJ
tanned an adjournment of Mr.. Lauter-
bachs's complaint against the couple
until August 9.