Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
A LAWYER WITH THIS BIG NAME
ARRESTED ON A CHARGE OF
FRAUD.
SOME FACTS ABOUT A LEGAL LUMINARY
WHO GRACES THE BAR OF CHEMUNG
COUNTY-WHAT HE SAYS.
(Elmira, N. Y., Telegram).
BOUT three years ago, a tall and gaunt young
man, with a cadaverous face, stoop-shouldered,
and eyes which never look one straight in the
face, but steal little glances up from under rather
bushy brows, drifted into Elmira, and announced that
he was Ralph Waldo Morrison, sir, an attorney and
eounselor-at-law. Ralph Waldo Morrison speedily
became acquainted with lawyers of the city, but the
lawyers evinced no great fondness for his society.
In fact, several of those worldly gentlemen have been
observed sitting in the court house on the occasion
of Mr. Morrison's trying an important " horse " case,
in which $75 or $bO were Involved, and smiling at
flights of oratory and bursts of eloquence, in which
he referred to the " gentlemen of the jury " with a
frequency that was something remarkable. Jacob
Greener is a manufacturer of pianos, and a couple of
years ago, being in need of superior legal advice,
employed Ralph Waldo Morrison to furnish it to him
as occasion required. Mr. Morrison seems to have
had transactions with Mr. Greener since that time,
for he was arrested last Saturday night on a charge
of fraud preferred by Mr. Greener, and Judge Dexter
said that the legal luminary
A
WOULD HAVE TO FURNISH SECURITY
in the sum of $1,000 in order to keep out of jail, and
as a guarantee that he would be around when wanted
to answer to the charge preferred against him. Julia
M. Mills and E. W. Condit qualified in the sum de-
manded, and Mr- Morrison was released from the
custody of the sheriff. Mr. Greener has also com-
menced a civil action against his former attorney to
set aside the attorneyship, and Walter Lloyd Smith
is his counsel in both cases. Both of them grew out
of matters connected with the numerous suits which
Mr. Greener has, through Ralph Waldo, as attorney,
brought against different parties for infringing on a
patent held by him, for a soft pedal attachment for
pianos, and which he claims has been extensively
infringed throughout the country. When interviewed
as to the causes leading up to the arrest of Morri-
son, Mr. Greener said; " I first met Morrison
|about two years ago, when he came here, and I gave
him some collecting to do. In a short time I gave
him the power of attorney in connection with my
patent suits. I was to give him half of the royalty
collected, and he guaranteed that I should be at no
expense in the suits. He appeared perfectly honest,
and reported all collections promptly up till about
three months ago. We had received some pianos
from different firms in payment of royalties. Last
week I discovered that Morrison
PUT SOME OF THESE
in the hands of another dealer, and was thus running
opposition to me. I demanded the instruments, but,
although several promises were made, they were not
returned. I then asked Morrison for my patent
papers and the power of attorney which I had given
him, but he refused to give them up. When Morrison
came here he was in debt, and there was a judgment
of $200 against him in Penn Yan. Last March I
deeded him a piece of property on Third street near
Sullivan. It was agreed that I should hold the prop-
erty until he paid the Penn Yan judgment, when he
would get the deed recorded. In the summer I built
a house on the lot, Morrison agreeing to leave the
property in my name until I was paid. On the 5th
of December he filed the deed from me, and at the
same time one transferring the place to Ezra W.
Condit. He has in fact swindled me right out of the
house. When I found out the matter about the deeds,
I consulted Walter Lloyd Smith and brought suit
against him. I have found where he has col-
lected money, and also where he has settled infringe-
ment suits without making any report to me
whatever, and I propose to push him unless
he acts square and settles up." When asked by a
Telegram reporter If his business relations with Mr.
Greener's patent case had terminated, Mr. Morrison
said that they had and that he so notified Mr-
Greener on Saturday last. "When I informed Mr.
Greener," said Morrison, "that certain actions now
pending
IN THE UNITED STATES CIRCUIT COURT
must be discontinued as he could not establish what
he claimed, and the continuation of which would
only result in bringing upon himself the mortifica-
tion of ultimate defeat, and bankruptcy. That I had
now safely carried him through the cloud that hung
over his head and, since it became apparent that he
could not succeed, I had already discontinued five
or six of his actions without the payment of costs on
his part, and similar arrangements could be made
with the balance, and that if he wished to continue
he must go to some other attorney, that his relations
with me must close as I could not conscientiously
continue his cases with the knowledge of the facts,
and that although the same had long been burden-
some and tiresome to me, rather than to have it said
that I had deserted a sinking ship I had clung to his
cases until I had brought him safely through at a
great inconvenience to myself. I told him that I
had lent my legal ability to protect and enforce his
claims, sacrificing my state clientage and practice
at a great expense and loss to myself. The compen-
sation I have received has not been adequate to or
commensurate with the services rendered, and that
I had
2l5
of a malicious article inserted in a newspaper by the
defendant, and the suit is brought to have Owen re-
strained from holding me up to the contempt and
ridicule of the public." The justice told him that he
could not sustain such an action in his court, and the
lawyer went out. He said he would commence
another action in a higher court.
COMMERCIAL MEN'S LICENSE FEE.
OAKLAND, Feb. 4,
1886.
Editor Music TRADE REVIEW, New York.
DEAR SIR : In your last issue we notice the article,
"Don't Pay Any More License Fees." Will you
oblige us by giving, either through THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW or private letter to us, if this decision
was rendered by the Supreme Court of the United
States, and if so, the date of rendering same, etc.
By so doing you will oblige,
Yours,
KOHLER & CHASE.
[We say, for the benefit of Messrs. Kohler & Chase,
that the answer to their question is given in the
article to which they refer, which we republish for
their benefit. If they desire to get the date of this
decision, we judge they can do so by writing the clerk
of Supreme Court.—Editor Music TRADE REVIEW.]
BEEN MOVED TO TAKE HIS CASE
DON T PAY ANT MORE LICENSE FEES.
more out of sympathy from tho stories received from
his lips, and although the reception his case has met
with has been unfavorable from the beginning, I
cannot now consent to make the defendants any more
expense or trouble. It is true that Greener com.
menced proceedings against me, in one of which is
coupled an order of arrest, but in which Greener has
absolutely no cause of action. I consider it nothing
but a blackmailing scheme and I fear he has got
himself in a bad scrape. The other is an action for
an accounting. The proceedings are instituted by
Walter Lloyd Smith, and the order was granted
by Seymour Dexter, Chemung county judge. I hold
in my hands evidence sufficient, without any addi-
tional matters, to convict Mr. Greener and satisfy
any person who may desire information on the sub-
ject. The ultimate result can only bring upon the
parties connected with it the obloquy they deserve,
and I can see no excuse why he should not be pun-
ished when the facts develop." Mr. Morrison
claims that the house transaction was all straight
and that Mr. Greener owes him money, and quite a
large amount at that. Morrison came to Elmira
from Penn Yan, N. Y., and his record there is not a
particularly pleasing one. A prominent citizen of
that place says he borrowed $100 of a farmer named
George Hobson, who lives in the town of Barrington.
He told Hobson that he wanted to use the money to
buy a library, and the farmer gave it up to him on
his note for the amount.
Many of the Southern and Western cities have been
in the habit of exacting licenses from the Commer-
cial Travelers. We have always contended that s.uch
a law was wrong, and have urged the travelers not to
pay the tax, and have it settled.
The Supreme Court has just decided that the
money thus raised is an unjust tax upon commerce,
and that such laws and ordinances are unconstitu-
tional.
Many of these taxes have been collected from the
commercial travelers by threats of imprisonment
unless they were paid, and the question arises in our
mind if these cities and towns are not compelled to
pay back the money they have extorted from the
people. Why can't the Traveling Men's Association
bring a collective suit for the drummers against these
cities and towns, and thus test the case? There have
been thousands of dollars thus paid for these unjust
licenses. The following are the States and towns ae
far as we have been able to tabulate, which have im-
posed a " Drummer's Tax."
Alabama, $15.50 per year; $10 to State, $5 to county,
and 50 cents to officer issuing license.
Arizona, $200 a year.
Beaufort, S. C, $10 per week.
Bennettsville, S. C, $1 per visit.
Batesburg, S. C, 75 cents per day.
Charleston, S. C, $10 per month.
Cumberland, Md., $1 per day.
Delaware, $25 per year; fees 50 cents. Penalty,
$200 fine and six months to five years, option of the
court.
Deadwood, Dak. Ter., $5 per week.
Darlington, S. C, $1.
East St. Louis, $2 per day.
Elkton, Md., per cent, on stock carried.
Florida, $25 per year. Year begins October 1st,
and tax paid after that date is at a pro rata for the
months remaining.
Helena, $15 extra for city; Butte City, $10 extra
for city; Missoula, $5 extra for city, and all other
towns in the Territory, from $10 to $15 per quarter.
Hartwell, Ga., $5 per trip ; seldom enforced.
Johnston, S. C, 50 cents per day.
Lewiston, Idaho, $5 per trip.
Montana, $100 per year for each county.
Memphis, $10 per week, $25 per month, license to
run three months.
Mobile, Ala., $3 per day; $7 per week, strictly en-
forced.
Natchez, Miss., $2.50 per day—half to the spotter.
New Orleans, La., $50 per year, seldom enforced.
Newport, Ky., $1 a month.
North Carolina, $100 per year. $250 per year for
sewing machine and liquor salesmen. $250 penalty.
Nevada, $200 a year for liquor salesmen; cigars
and tobacco, $150; boots and shoes, $175: other
lines, $100.
Orangeburg, S. C, $2 per day.
Savannah, Ga., $10 per week ; 10 per cent, off for
cash.
St. Matthews, S. C, $1 per day, $3 per year.
San Francisco, Cal., $25 per quarter.
Texas, $35 per year.
Tucson, Arizona. $50 per quarter.
Tombstone, Arizona, $10 per day.
Virginia, $75 per year. $250 penalty.
Wilmington, N. C, $3 per day. Not enforced If
victim holds a State License.
Washington, D. C, $200 per year.
^ Walhalla, S. C, $1 per day, $3 per year.
AFTERWARDS HE WENT TO HOBSON
and borrowed another $100. When that gentleman
wanted the money on the notes, and after they were
due, Morrison told him that if he asked him for the
money again he would have him arrested. Hobson
finally sued him and got a judgment which is
still unsatisfied. When Ralph Waldo was asked
about this transaction he said that it was a lie
and he did not owe any one in Penn Yan. He also
forbade its publication and talked wildly of libel
suits, indictments, etc. Lawyers and others who
are personally acquainted with Morrison say that
he is peculiar. A week or two ago Morrison went
into the Western Union Telegraph office, and told
W. H. Owen, the operator, that he wished to buy out
the plant of the American District Telegraph Com-
pany. Mark Bennett, the city editor of the Advertiser,
was in the building and heard the conversation. The
next morning his paper contained an item stating
that Morrison was going to buy the right of the com-
pany, and Ralph Waldo was in a state known in the
vernacular of the street as "hot." Directly Mr.
Owen was served with a summons issued out of Jus-
tice of the Peace Ransom's court, and returnable
Friday of the past week. When the case of Morrison
vs. Owen was called, Ralph Waldo, with his hair
combed a la Pompadour, responded for the plaintiff,
and Clint Merrick was present to look after Mr.
Owen's interest. The justice asked Morrison what
the action was brought for, and that brilliant gentle-
man said : " It is for damages sustained by reason
THE Dayton Organ factory, Dayton, Ohio, was de-
stroyed by fire on February 5. The loss is estimated
at $20,000, with no insurance.