The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-04
In New York
BY PAUL HARRISON

New York.-Process serving is quite a fascinating occupation, says MT Gus Turner, who makes his living handing out supoenas. Process servers have to take all sorts of sporting chances, and get a good many black eyes. Mir Fur ner himself has been siugged by some of our very best people.
 The company which he heads is only one of about two score sub- poena distributing concerns in New York. He handles about 500 subpoenas a month. ana each of the other companies probably average just as many. That may give you an idea of how much pri- vate legal trouble New Workers are getting into these days.
 Most of the summonses handled
 by Turner are ordinary little $1.50 jobs which are doled out to the greener members of his staff. Turner saves the tough assign.
 ments for himself, his wife and
 his sister, who are all in the com
 pany. They get from $5 to $50
 for the particularly dicult services.
 
 Surprise Packages
 Such gloom spreaders are not in the least ashamed of their pro- fession. Indeed, they are made happy by such little strategies as serving subpoenas on Christmas day. Load themselves with some dummy packages and start out
 gaily in the morning. Doormen and house servants almost always
 allow them to enter, and then they
 seek out their quarry and hand l over the summonses.
 Turner has served two mayors, and says those were his most dan
 gcrous jobs. Mayors have body
 guards, who may or may not beat
 the stuffing out of process serv- CT, claiming they thought he was
 crank trying to attack HizZoner. Turner served Mayor Walker twice as he came out on the steps of
 City Hall to welcome some heroes.
 Picture This
 .tayor O'Brien was more diff l ficult. Turner haunted his office for a week, but always was chased | away by Secretary Fox. So he went and bought junk-box comera and tripod and attended the next cor l ldylHb dl W IliCH V officiated. He shouted Press. Press!" and policeman helped him through the crowd, right up to the cornerstone.
 Jim Brannigan, eyed Turner Eus- The mayor's bodyguard, MT piciously but seemed treasured as
 Gus busily set up his camera, The 1 mayor hustled up and Turner slapped his subpoena into his
 hand. Branngan jumped for him, but Gus already had jumped. The two flew down the street, the bodyguard swearing and puffing
 and losing ground. Onlookers at the ceremony laughed loudly, and
 Mir o'Brien left in a huff.
 Stage Fright
 Actors and actresses usually are easy game. Turner calls them on the telephone and threatens to serve them over the footlights un- | less they allow him to call on them | and peacefully present his um- | mons. Since footlight service Is quite legal, most of the victims are scared stiff and agree.
 Irene Bordoni turned him down once. He went to her show that night and sat in front row seat at one side. As La Bordoni saun- tered by. singing one of her songs, Turned leaned across the footlights and boucher he with a subpoena.
 The theater manager and an usher dragged Gus into the lobby and
 had him arrested for disorderly { conduct.
 Novel Approach
 Ursula Parrot, lodged the Turn CTS for a long time, but finally was traced to a certain radio station one evenoing. Mrs Phyllis Turner took the subpoena and went to the station. gushing all over the place about the writer of "Ex- Wife" and saying she was just dying to meet her. Mrs Parrott consented and shook hands warm
 ly. Mrs Turner said: Heres some-
 thing for you. dearie," and pre- sented the summons.
 Gus Turner uses disguises occa-
 sionally usually making up as a
 telegraph messenger or a uniform
 ed delivery man. Dashes right
 into hi victims offices wiht fake | packages. Another good trick is ''the lost wallet gag" A process
 server buys an expensive looking wallet, put in few worthless papers and the name of the man to be served. Then he goes to the | mans office and tells the secretary that he just found the wallet and | wishes to return 1t. Then he goes
 In and leaves the subpoena. Some
 times he has to come out pretty