Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-06-29
FORD'S SUIT MAS
ALREADY COST
200 THOUSAND
Tribune Brings Many Witnesses
from Texas Border al Big
Expense.

ready mas COSI more IllttH @-OV,VoO,-
10000, and the end is not yet in sight.
These figures are a very conserVa-
tive estimate, made after watching
the case Nl court fer over five weeks.
The Tribune brought more than %
witnesses from Texas and New Mex
leo, along the Mexican border. While
on the stand one Of these was asked
about the arrangement with the Tri-
une and swore that he was to get
$1,000 day for his time and expenses
paid besides.
They were kept in Mt. Clemens,
Mich, the place of the trial, for four
weeks, We're given side trips to Mag
ara Falls and other places while wait
ing to testify. They, like all others
connected with the trial, put at the
best Mt. Clemens Hotels, and Mt.
Clemens has several first class ones
that charge regular city rates Of $3.50
day for an ordinary room, $3.50
for a sirloin steak for one and the
like.
Figuring the railroad fare from the
Mexican border to the Canadian Dor
der the per diem, the expenses and
the side trips careful estimate
would place the total of these wit
nesses alone at above 100000, and
they are only the beginning of the
Tribune's testimony.
The expense of hunting them up,
taking their statements, arranging
for their trips to Mt. Clemens was
no small amount.
The editorial for which Mr.. Ford
is suing the Tribune appeared three
years ago the twenty-third of this
month. The suit was commenced
shortly after that date and the Trib-
une has been busy all the time since
preparing for it's defense. They called
Mr.. Ford an anarchist to strive to
prove that conditions were such at the
time that a man who was not in favor
of extensive military preparations,
is an anarchist.
So these witnesses testify as to the
conditions along the border, and it
ones.
Lawyers Work Three Years
! Lawyers have been working on the
| case almost continuously for the three
years. Perhaps no greater prepare
ton was ever made for a case than
| has been made by the Tribune, surely
no greater for libel case, and Mr..
Ford's attorneys have been no less
dilligent.
There are always ten lawyers
around the Tribune table in the court
room, and seven at the Ford table.
These comprise the men from two of
the best firms in Detroit several from
Chicago, and five local attorneys No
one imagines that any one of them
gets less than $4,000 day and some
away above that.
Elliot G. Stevenson is always in
court. He is the head of the Detroit
law firm of Stevenson, Carpenter,
Butzel and Backus The firm handles
most of the large corporation legal
bushes of Detroit. One cannot think
of his getting less than 100000 a day
for court practice, and probably $780,
90 besides a good retainer for his
firm to begin with. Weymouth Kirk
land and Horace K. Tenney, men of
no small calibre and the principal
two of the Chicago attorneys on the
Tribune side, with fees that are not
small.
One the Ford side of the case is the
firm of Lucking, Murphy, Hoffman,
Lucking and Hanlon, ranking with
the Stevenson firm of Detroit.
Former Congressman Alfred Luck
ing, is the head of the firm. He is
general counsel for Henry Ford and
his interests and has devoted most of
his personal time to Mr.. Ford's bust
ness for several years.
Judge Alfred J. Murphey has serv-
ed in the recorders court and circuit
court as judge in Detroit for about
20 years. He had what was consid-
cred practically life position at $1O,-
100000 year, but resigned recently
to enter the Lucking firm. He par
ticipates in Ford trial, being con-
slant attendant in court. In fact, the
first five weeks of the trial saw all
four of the leading members of the
firm in court all the time, they being
Mr.. Lucking, ST.. Judge Murphey,, Mr.
Hoffman, and Mr.. Lucking, Jr.
Mr.. Lucking and Mr.. Stevenson are
both men above sixty years, have
fought each other in court for over
30 years and contest every point for
all it is worth.
Mint for StenOgraphers
You can get fairly good idea of
the general cost from one small item.
That is the written reports of the
trial. 1t requires several stenog-
raphers and typists to keep the steno-
graphic report, of the case up to the
minute. The stenographers work in
relays of about five minutes each. No
hour goes by without having the case
written up complete. For this they
get 25 cents page, where one report
is taken, and 40 cents for two reports.
At the end of the fifth week there
was a total Of 1898 pages, and nine
reports were being taken I do not
know how many were straight Is
cents, and how many were two for 40
cents, but estimating them eight at
the lower figure, 20 cents, and the odd
one at rs cents, it brings the total
cost of the reports up to $6,O92O5 for