Mcallen Daily Monitor

OVER $108,000 WAS PAID IN ACTUAL CASH
Lawyers From Austin, Laredo, San Antonio And Brownsville Got Funds.

(Special to The Monitor)

EDINBURG. Jan. 8.-Hidalgo county's legal bill for the past four years, 1931 to 1934 inclusive, paid for special counsel has amounted to $121,511, of which amount $108,136.52 is accounted for in the form of paid checks on record in the treasurer's office, while existing contracts not yet paid but for which the past commissioners court has obligated the county amount to $13,374.48.

Lawyers from as far north as Austin, west to Laredo, and east to Brownsville, in addition to local firms have appeared from time to time as extra legal counsel employed by the county and were paid handsome fees for their services.

Law firms outside the county have drawn $37,631 during the four years, Brownsville heading the list in the amount of money received, one Cameron county firm drawing down $22,100 and $16,000 of that amount during the past year.

In addition to these fees paid there are many items of telephone and telegraph tolls, traveling expenses, and such which have also been paid by the county, although the firms were paid handsome retainers.

Griffin & Kimbrough of McAllen head the list with $47,293.18 during the four years; Davenport, West and Ransom of Brownsville are next with $22,100; during 1933 and 1934 R. D. Cox, Jr., McAllen, was paid a total of $10,432.34; Douglas and Black of San Antonio $5,500; Andrews, Kelley, Kurth & Campbell of Houston, $5,000; Grade Calloway, Edinburg, $4,030; D. W. Glasscock, Mercedes, $3,000 in 1932; Black & Graves, Austin, $2,500; Dunn & Haigh, Edinburg, $1,100; Luther Hughes, Weslaco, $1,050; Roy Buckley, Mission, $150; Bryce Ferguson, Pharr $1,500; F. G. Clay, $150; E. A. McDaniel, McAllen, $800; G. G. Clough, $531, and R. L. Bobbitt, $2,000.

The lawyers were paid from the general county funds and from Drainage District No. 1. In 1931, the total amount was $17,831, of which $900 was from the drainage district; in 1932 it was $27,000, of which $600 was from the drainage district; in 1933 the amount was $11,800, with $5,200 from the drainage district; and in 1934 it was $56,425.52 with $4,400 from the drainage district.

In March, 1931, the county employed Griffin & Kimbrough to

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Over $108,000

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handle their legal affairs, on a retainer of $15,000 per year, and to pay them 10 per cent of all sums recovered from suits, and also five per cent of all the amounts saved by cancellation and reduction of the county's obligations.

In April, 1931 Dunn & Haigh were employed as associate counsel for Griffin & Kimbrough by the commissioners court on a $500 retainer fee and a contingent fee of three and one third per cent of all sums recovered and collected and one and two-thirds per cent of all sums saved by cancellation and reduction. This $500 retainer fee was deducted from the fee paid Griffin & Kimbrough.

Then on June 2, 1931 Davenport West & Ransom of Brownsville were employed to assist Griffin & Kimbrough and were to receive $2,500. That firm was paid $3,500 in 1931, $2,000 in 1932, $2,600 in 1933, and $16,000 in 1934.

On June 19, 1931 the commissioners employed Luther Hughes of Weslaco to assist the county attorney in the collection of delinquent taxes and receive a salary from the general fund of $250 per month. Mr. Hughes received a total of $1,050, three checks of $250 each and one of $300, and all of these checks were endorsed by him and also by C. W. Gounds indicating that the latter received this money. On September 28, 1931 the court passed an order dismissing all delinquent tax suits, slightly over 90 days after the order employing Mr. Hughes to assist in the collection of delinquent taxes.

On September 1, 1931, the county employed Douglas and Black of San Antonio to assist Griffin & Kimbrough, the fee to be $6,000, payable $2,500 in cash and $500 per month. In addition to assisting the Hidalgo law firm in civil matters they were to undertake the prosecution of all criminal cases then pending against former Hidalgo county officials and others indicated in connection with county fiscal affairs. Not a single conviction was ever secured by the firm in the criminal cases.

On January 26, 1934 R D. Cox, Jr., was employed at $200 per month, but in 1933 he had been paid $2,100 of which $1,500 was from the drainage district and $300 from the county. Then in 1934 he was paid $7,732.54 from the county and $600 from the drainage district.

On January 16, 1933 the drainage district employed F. G. Clay at $150 per month and when he resigned Grade Galloway was employed August 14, 1933 to take his place.

So far as the commissioners court minutes show there was no action taken employing D. W. Glasscock but he was paid $3,000 in 1932, nor is there apparently anything in the commissioners minutes to show authority for payment of money to R. D. Cox, Jr., in 1933.

Practically all funds paid Davenport, West and Ransom came out of the creditor's retirement fund, and included in the $16,000 payments in 1934 were three checks for $1,000 each which were made out direct to the First National Bank of Weslaco.