Evening star., 1926-04-25

/
mission we're never allowed on the
! same funds.
Tells of Denmark. Trip.
In the case of NeiiI =. j. E.rem-
/ bjag. scheduled on paea 900. indi-
r1tea tna; n 1873 | was allowed com
! pc lsa5.on for services co. erinS one
1 tn' II the SUM of $500. which. on
he commission ba SIS is indlCated as
| Amounting 10 - plus psr cent OF the
! iucun" ful the year. An examination
uf The record o. this case al the court
houre N .ii reveal that during the year
covered by the said accounting. !
| made. a: ths raqI%Ft OF the ward $
1 Ella ives. Va, complete ana extensive
arrE NJ tiua Ms He' ->>arN 10. his T. urn
/ 10 he cnuntI r. o. h'H birth, the King
dom of Deu,nalh: Ihrt these arrange
nentS We.a made III This country and
/ in D"nmarK. that | personally accom-
| panied my said ward on the said trip.
/ that his condition Wae such aS TO re
| quire constant surveillance ana that
| with one attendant he was gwen such
/ constant surveillance. THAI he was
successfully delivered to gov etnment
no Spital in Denmark. close 10 The
home of the members OF his family,
( that the members of his fan>iN We're
dc pl% appreclatiVe Of The services
| llldl l ItEueIeu III ia y iHS llIt N dtu
whore they could frequently visit him
and where he could be permitted from
time to time TO so on short periods
of parole to the home of his mother
that the ward S relatives, in express
! ing their appreciation. approved an
allowance to me Of $500 for all the at
| tention given to the ward q estate for
period of one wear and for the un
usual attention and time Uour week 81
! incident to taking him to Denmark.
Court Ordered Payment.
The court papers further reveal
! that the advance approval of the
| court was obtained to the taking of
! the ward 10 Denmark and the allow
| anCe of $500 was made by appropri-
| ate order of court. The attenda nj
| who aCcompan me on this trip WAS
| James r. Toner. a supervisor at st.
| Eliza beth'S Hospital. where he has
| been employed for upward of 40 years
| and where he Is regarded as one of
| the best employees of the hospital In
| caring for mentally disea sed persons.
| He received no compensa ton for this
| service. and made the trip, as ! un-
| derstood. out of his annual leave.
Charge 4. barratry: Representing
| a lunatic in obtaining that which is
| due him. whether his claim be against
| the United States or individuals, is not
| barratrN. When | received letter
| from the Veterans Bureau, a request
| from ST. Elizabeth's Hospital, or a
| request from another member of the
| bar in behalf OF an insane person.
| and when | made known to the judges
of the court. to Government officers
| and TO members of the bar that | was
willing to act as a flduciary for per
| EnA L.
active and honorable protection which
| the equity court seeks and endeayors
| to extend TO persons who are or who
J are entitled TO be wards of The court
Answers Champerty Charge.
Charge S. champerty: More than
3 wears ago | had many cases of the
kind known rs class cases' before the
Court of Claims, in practically all of
which ca ases the claimant agreed to
pay a percentage fee contingent upon
success. In not one of these cases
did | ever advance one cent of cost
or expenses. This method was-and
may still be-a usual method Of
ha ndling such ca ses before that tri
bunal and before Congress, and in
deed, In the pa ssage of a general def
cheney bill some years ago. this praC-
tice was well within the knowledge
of Congress when it provided in the
said bill that regardless of the rates
of contingent fees agreed upon by
claiman nts, attorneys could not law
fully charge more than 20 per cent
of the amount appropriated by the
Congress in each case. TO the best
OF my recollection | have filed no such
cases for proba bly, 10 years.
Relations With DIR. White.
Charge G--Conspiracy with DIR.
White: ! have never had any improp.
er agreement, practice or understand
ing with DR.. White. 1t has been my
understa nding that other attorneys
We're entitled to ask information and
that they did receive the same from
st. Elizabeth's Hospital; the fact is
that many years ago ! told DR.. White
that | was willing TO be appointed as
committee for patients whose prop
ertN interests required such appoint
ment to be made and who could not
otherwise obtain their rights; that Dr.
White acquiesCed in the necessity for
such proceeding. stating that in do
ing so he had the approval OF the
Interior Department., and that during
a long period of more than 20 years
have rendered such service when II
was necessary to assert and to pro-
teCt the rights of persons non compoS,
and that in cases in which the ao-
dresses of relatives were unknown
aud there were no responsible rela-
tlves in the District of Columbia DR..
" hite, as custodian of such patients,
acted az next friend in executing the
required petition. We are not re-
lat ed by blood OF marriage. DR.. White
never in any manner, shape or form
received from me any money or other
valuable consideration in connection
with any of the said cases or in con-
nection with any other matter what
soeyer. OF course, he received his
ne-half of the net earnings OF joint
Investments made in the names of
Frederick A. Fenning and William A.
White, but that was not money re-
ceived from me, but earnings on his
own money.
Soliciting Charge Answered.
Charge f-SoIiciting judges and
OIL hers: When the Veterans Bureau
wrote letters to me suggesting that
a committee be appointed in SPECIFIC
cases in order that the rights of per
sons non compos might be protected.
| anu when the hospital did so and gave
| the names of relatives, of course, L
wrote the persons so named, in order
that they might be advised as to the
property interests of their unfortunate
relatives and in order that they might
act, through me or otherwise, in as
serting and protecting, under direc:
ton Of the Equity Court, the estates OF
such unfortunates.
Paid Physicians Nothing.
Charge s. Doctors fees: J. have
paid no fees to physicians for services
rendered in lunacy matters except
with the authority of the court and
with respect TO cases at st. Eliza
beth's Hospital. ] am quite clear that
no fees have been paid to physicians
connected with that institution for
more Ihan 10 years. The practice
! Of the Supreme Court. D. c., in al
lowing fees TO physicians for neces-
tnctiYaanuIr in