The Bridge of Sighs, which connects the Tombs
with the criminal court building.
CHAPTER XXVI
SHARKS AND SHYSTERS OF OUR CRIMINAL COURTS
Within recent years there seems to be a bad odor in all of our Criminal Courts because of the sharp practices carried out by the “shyster” and “harpies” of the law. Most of these men, if they are not inferior in calibre to the other members of the bar, are intemperate in their habits. And they are severely criticised by friends and foes for their unjust dealings toward their clients. It is true, the modern lawyer is brought into fierce conflict with some of the sharpest temptations of the times, and are frequently drawn into the maelstrom from which they seek to extricate other men less fortunate than themselves. Since William Travers Jerome became District Attorney, he has sent more than a score of lawyers to prison for various acts of dishonesty, and some of them were men of prominence in the profession.
In almost every walk of life, if professional men received money for services which they promise to render and then do nothing, they are liable to prosecution for false pretenses. When lawyers treat their clients this way, they have much harsh criticism hurled at them, and deservedly.
It would be hard to estimate the number of persons who are continually robbed of money and valuables by legal sharks and shysters around the various courts of the city. Although complaints are made from time to time against these thieves, nothing is done to stop it. It is a well known fact that many of the lawyers that hang around these courts are of the poorest quality, and are often glad to get whatever comes their way. At any rate, these harpies of the law soon become adepts at “bleeding,” every victim that falls into their hands, including the prisoner, his family and friends.
As soon as a “shyster” secures a victim the first thing he does is to find out how much money he has on him. Then he demands a fee for his services which must be paid on the spot. If the prisoner has no money but has a gold watch, chain, ring or other jewelry it must be surrendered and sent to the pawn shop and the money given to the lawyer.
But if the prisoner has neither money nor jewelry, then he must give the names and addresses of his friends or relatives who are requested to furnish money for his defense. The shyster usually alarms the friends of the prisoner by telling them it is a hard case and expressing the opinion that he may be sent away for a long term of years. All this is done to deceive and make sure of a large fee.
In a great many cases the dishonest shyster intimates that he has a “pull” with the Judge or the District Attorney, to turn the prisoner on the street as soon as he gets a goodly fee, which may be a hundred dollars or five hundred dollars; not only do his promises to the prisoner prove to be absolutely false, but as soon as the shyster has entirely fleeced his victim he abandons the case, leaving the poor defenceless prisoner to the mercy of some other legal shark like himself.