Tcl - from Our Readers - November 2005 - from Our Readers
| Publication year | 2005 |
| Pages | 93 |
| Citation | Vol. 34 No. 11 Pg. 93 |
2005, November, Pg. 93. TCL - From Our Readers - November 2005 - From Our Readers
November 2005
Vol. 34, No. 11 [Page 93]
From Our Readers
From Our Readers
Dear Editor:
I enjoyed reading about Mr. Rothgerber [Lyons, "Six of the Greatest: Ira C. Rothgerber, Jr.," 32 The Colorado Lawyer 25 (July 2003)]; however, there are many errors in the section on Lieutenant Colonel Rothgerber's service in Melbourne, Australia in 1942. First, the name of the serviceman was Private Edward Joseph Leonski, NOT William, second, the city was Melbourne, NOT Sydney. Also, Leonski is referred to as uneducated, but in sources such as "Australia's Serial Killers" by Paul B. Kidd, he is said to have been an honors student at college, and had a genuine interest in music and the arts. My grandmother was the Matron of the Melbourne City Watchhouse (city jail) where Eddie was held from the end of May, 1942 until the beginning of November, 1942. She was very upset when he was hanged, and spoke of him fondly for the rest of her life. She used to take him home made treats to eat, played checkers with him, and took him a tennis ball, which he would throw against his cell wall for hours at a time. After his execution, she brought this ball home and I remember it was around the house for years. . . .
Kudos to the remarkable Mr. Rothgerber, who put up a marvelous defense, only to be illegally overridden by General MacArthur. It was wartime, and the Australians were too timid or something at the time to stand up to him. . . . Lieutenant Colonel Rothgerber wanted him declared insane, a novel defense at the time. He petitioned the United States Supreme Court, but before the Supreme Court could meet to discuss the case, General MacArthur confirmed the death penalty, and Leonski was hanged on November 9,1942, . . . for the strangulation murders of three women. Matron Simmons was one of his jailers, and the only woman he had contact with for the last five months of his life.
Sincerely,
Nancy Laughlin,
Dear Editor:
I was generally impressed by both points of view regarding contingent fees as expressed in the "Just Wondering" column ["Contingent Fees," 34 The Colorado Lawyer 123 (Aug. 2005)]. I know that Mr. Burtzos is the editor of this column and the proponent for doing away with contingent fees.
I take issue because Mr. Burtzos, an employed attorney with Paul S. Edwards and Associates, is an employed attorney by the State Farm Mutual Insurance Company. In fairness, I think Mr. Burtzos should disclose such facts.
Sincerely,
Peter A. Goldstein
Dear Editor:
I read with interest Mr. Burtzos's column in the section of the August 2005 Colorado Lawyer captioned "Just Wondering" ["Contingent Fees," 34 The Colorado Lawyer 123 (Aug. 2005)]. Although I know Mr. Burtzos is entitled to his opinion, I think for purposes of editorial fairness, the readers should understand that Mr. Burtzos is not an attorney with a law firm called "Paul S. Edwards & Associates." He is a paid employee of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.
It is important to know the true nature of who the author of the article is. For future use, if Mr. Burtzos writes letters or if other attorneys who are employees of large corporations operating under aliases write letters, I think for the purpose of editorial accuracy, that needs to be disclosed.
Respectfully yours,
James M. Roshal
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