, 1875-09-03
OFF FOR TEXAS.
An Ex-Co,lnty Judge Arrested on
the Chnrgo of Forgery.
His Explanation Of the Troubles.

tic 1farsfa County, 1'oxas Bench. artl porsnns
acquainted with tAo facts In tho cnso aro con.
vincod tia. tho detention waa instigatct! by po-
lltcal .notiyos. md without duo regard to inv
ana juHtuc. Tho object al tho arrest III we'll
otucaso'l. Incorporating man Of about 40 years,
named John ". Mcdonald, and llo ia native OF
Tcnnaylvania. 6ut has lived In ToxaH twopty
yearB, Ioaving tAoro about year ago.
Durln. tho War ho was firm Union snan,
aud took Ho part In. tho strifo, though
l,o remained nj his homo In I1onaton.
mud kept t'ln own counsel. Aftor tho War le
was ouc.o.l hy tho Republicans to positions of
trust. lie Was n firm supporter Of tho uureriI-
mont, anl commanded. 1t Is aad by ha friends,
who know hin during hin long residence In tile
1.ono Star State. Nearly tlvo years Ngo ho waa
elected by tho 1lcpublIcan party TO tito oi}lco of
COUNTY JUDGE
Of Harris County, the couuIy-aeat being At
Houston. Under the Stato Conntitution ho was
Tax Assessor Of Tho county cx-ofIlcio. Ho Gilt
ployed lyo Deputies in furnishing tho
nocoHsary notifications to taxpayers, who
woro required by law to furhtsl,
a schedule Of their taxab1o property. With their
valuation Oh lands aud cllattola duly sworn to.
When thcao Woro rattsEnnu by tho Dophtieb, as
n,ont, Judge AlcEnna1d carafnlly examined
them. II he Was nats:ted that tho return was
too fow IN any case. he 1na.1o Ioto Of IL uu tho
maEgin Of ths pchotanto, and returned 1t to tho
Deputy. WIN would inko 1t back fur the asuesacd
posson to examine. II tho latter wss opposed
to tho higher valuation, nj liked by Judge
| Mcdonald. who 'sas we'll pcstod iii
t. yalaes OF property tlesoaboats, thou Tic
arbitrs.ors, cl,oaon by tho tax-pngor md tho
Judge. III most canos tho porsons nusossed
agreed to tho valuation Oh noted on tho mar-
gins, knowing full vol tint tho nrbi.rntors, II
Just, would give fnr valuation, which, Of
course, WIS In 4xccsa Ut tlilt returned by tho
proierty-uvncr. This procedure obtained in
| tue case Of
ONE HEHR1Ku,
rhosc property WAS assessed. IIo returnol 1t
\ Ia claimed by McDonuld, a low and palpably
wrong yaluntton In orslor to nvoi1 tho tax, but
ho submitted TO tho alteration without dissont-
| il!s mud with oshor bitter political oppoMenta
| Of tho Judge lost no timo in n,ahinH capital
againht him, with 4 Wow toward dotaating hl,n
Mt tho ne1t olcctiou. IIo claimed TINT Me-
donald altered hia schedule rogartloAs OF law,
| charging fraud on tho Judge III order thnt ho
| might make big fees. It appoarlng that the
higher tho valuation tho creator tho JudEo's
| iuconlo III AEBcsgor.
TIE ELECTION CAME
| and the Democrats carried thu lAy anil prom
itod to make IL hot for thu lsadtcAla. How well
thoy have kept their word 1nny DO inferred
aro following judge sicpona.d. Mo oaln,s s''s to
ilayo made Ills returns in good fait and sayA lio
| dii n whan n,ncnI ~ ir:o1 Ncsar,;,"in." srtar
he Ind settled all his affaiss Quoi!y and turned
over tho bookn and rnporn OF Ills otllco to ls
snccoasor. with full explanation Of hs manner
! alrn mi stsrtc,l for 1t I.o'n' fTr al mr. ha
| EMS, leave Houston III my lnAto.
| lie CAME TO CIIcAno
lis cotu,uv Or Of lii Tl,croaGouts iIo han hmm
| cHrnUn1 thn G1t1a7,tJrf,ir}
tapcr lore M BUSINESS arent and In, alan at-
| ic,i,Jotl Ia ol],or mntnra 81 bnpl,,eus .uc, no
lawyer WHO is u stranger III a place would bo apt
to rock, Therefore, Whom Sheriff AHllo mot lin,
| . triouJiy cscotipg. bo was astouisiIo1 but not
! frightened. lilo was moro surprised when tin:
lin in Texas, Informed lin tLat i,o wautod him
90 nAcK TO HOUSTON
with lin, to a,swor ri, Indictment for forgery,
a. hs o.iaes st nshrns and sS
Tho judge Lad no objection to returning and
natissying Ills accuse,s. bnt I,o lad LOFT lis ulI
homo on account OF tic partisan aud angry pot-
icnl warfare Which PREVAILED and believed
tlat under such q aIato Of airairs ho
| could not obtain q fair herring stlIl ho
| VIVA ready to 70 ot tho Htatn'a nxnpn1n. Aaho
| lht reuujHitlons from tho Uoyarnnrs nf 1'c1nn
and illinois, aud presented shum to n polico oIi.
COZ, when Mcdonald questioned their poryico.
| Thc nntrolman wonld not act On tLem Iecansf
| thoy wers not dtroctol to him. BloriH or Il
Constable only lad authority, as shown by tho
document. However, at Ashes ros,uogt, lo nc
con.t,n,,icd then, to iho Ccntrni Stat,m,' x Sss,
had previously agreed with .lcDoualh to 80
10 tirst-ciass hotel. but wlur l,o uul h,a pris
onor In tho station ho talked plaiu forgery 10
Chief Detective Dixon or snpt. 1tolm, ani lad
| Mcdonald rusl,stl into n cell and locked N, by
sn, Prince baforo tho accused could ray word.
liz was tobarrcd tie prIyilogo Of sanding inarn.
datciy for l,sa vito and friends, wiio woro