Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 15.pdf/355

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3H
The Green Bag.

taken so readily by reputable lawyers on the found. A rather amusing case was that of a basis of a contingent fee, that the Society has lawyer who refused to pay his stenographer. found it wise to refuse to take them except Having all of his property in his wife's under special circumstances. The reason for name, he felt himself secure. When his at the exception in the case of separation and tention was called to this provision as to ar divorce is, however, somewhat different. Ob rest, his face assumed the smile of a man who viously the unsettling of domestic relations knows all about the law. "I'll get out on which would result from free aid to indignant bail," he said. He was in Lucllow Street jail wives and wrathy husbands would be rather for three days before he became convinced less charitable than the work of the Society that bail was not allowed in such cases, and aims to be. This interesting limitation does decided to permit his wife to pay the ste not extend to cases in which it is necessary nographer. to secure support for abandoned wives or Another large class of cases are those children. All other classes of civil cases are against insurance companies. Not many of undertaken, from pensions, for the collection these are for the collection of the insurance of which there is a Washington connection, to money. The companies apparently adjust crusades against installment sharks. Such such claims without the beneficiaries calling1 an extent of practice takes the attorneys of in an attorney. Where, however, there has the Society into all the courts, from the low been an innocent breach of warranty, partic est municipal court to the Court of Appeal ularly as to age, and the policy has been can and to the Federal courts. celled, many difficulties arise. The man who The collection of wages is the largest has paid money out honestly for many years branch of the Society's work. They are re only to discover that he is to get nothing in covered from all classes of the community. return, has a natural feeling that he ought to The manager of a "Coney Island show" has get his money back. The agent of the com been compelled to pay his houtchie pany glibly, or brusquely, tries to explain coutchie" dancer. When a woman of wealth that the law will give him nothing, and ends and social prominence had refused to pay her with a definite refusal to pay. WTien the maid for some frivolous reason, the Society company is seen by an attorney from the Le forced her lawyer to explain to her that the gal Aid Society, its attitude is entirely law would not allow contracts to be broken changed. The claim agent smiles most geni for such reasons. Last summer two miners ally and becomes very happy to avoid suit by came from the Pennsylvania coal fields to a return of the premiums. A typical case of New York to collect their wages from a coal this sort was that of an Irishman who had company recently very much before the pub kept up a permanent disability policy for five lic eye. After being repeatedly turned away years. Upon taking out the policy he had from the offices of the company, they came said that he had no definite information as to to the Legal Aid Society. They had their his age, but that to the best of his knowledge money within two weeks. and belief he was fifty-one years old. When A most useful provision of the New York he was injured in an accident, the company Code allows the arrest under some circum sent to their agent in Ireland to see if he stances of an employer who does not pay the could get definite information as to the man's wages of a woman. A mere suggestion of age. The agent did find old census reports the existence of the statute is usually suffi and church records which proved that there cient to inVluce prompt payment. At times, had been a mis-statement of several years. however, more refractory individuals are The company thereupon refused to pay the