Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-12-22

failure of the Peoples. bank, about the
s4th day of March, 1898, the said James
Gay Gordon, although at that time a
Judge of said court, acted as counsel for
one James McManes, president of the
caid Peoples bank, and thus obtained
possession of certain letters written by
gour petitioner relating solely to their
own private business transactions and
III certain private memoranda alleged
TO have been made by one John 3.
Hopkins. now deceased, formerly cash
ier of said bank.
FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
That the said James Gay Gordon had
said letter and memoranda copied FOR
The purpose of using them thereafter
for political purposes, he, the sara
James Cay Gordon, being then candi-
date for the nomination of the Demo-
cratic party for the office of governor
of said commonwealth at the election
held on the second Tuesday of Novem-
Der, 1898 That although the said James
Gay Gordon had possession of the IN
formation contained in said letters and
memoranda from about the 2ith day OK
March last, and although said inforna-
tion was from said date also in the pos
session and knowledge of one Thomas
". Barlow, as receiver of said Peoples
pank, and as special first assistant dis
tfict attorney of said county, yet no
complaint OF any kind whatever was
made against your petitioners until
about the Sd day of October last when
an affidavit was made upon information
and belief by one Meyers, alleged to be
a detective in the office of the district
attorney of this county (but who failed
to appear upon the hearing of said
CharSes), upon which warrants were is
sued charging your petitioners with the
otfenses aforesaid. That said warrants
were issued shortly before the recent
state election, which involved the cleo
ton not only of a governor, but of mem
bers of the legislature, who viii be call
ed upon at their next session to vote for
United States senator to succeed the
present incumbent the said Matthew :.
Quay, 1t being then we'll known thai
said Matthew S. Quay would be q can
didate for reelection to said office. In
inStiSating and procuring the issuing o.
said warrants said James Gay Gordon
was inspired by express and personal
malice against the said Matthew S.
Quay as is evidenced by the fact that
the said James Gay Gordon, publicly
charged said Matthew S. Quay with
having been largely instrumental in pre-
venting the nomination of him, the said
James Cay Gordon, for the office of
governor at the Democratic state con-
vention held at Altoona prior to the said
election. That ON or about the 2Sd day
of November, 1898, the said James Gay
Gordon resigned from his office as
Judge
lltl'EHu L LAX FhoChEplNHS'
That while said indictments were
being considered by the grand jury OF
said county an application was made
by the district attorney for attach
ments against the cashier Of a national
bank of Allegheny county and against
the cashier of a bank in Beaver, Pa. on
the ground that said persons, acting
under the advice OF the regular counsel
of said banks respectively, declined to
bring the books of said banks to the
city of Philadelphia for examination.
Said application was not made TO the
judge who had been regularly assigned
to hold, and who was then and there
holding the regular court of quarter
sessions which then and there had sole
jurisdiction over said grand jury and
OF all questions relating 10 the busl-
ness and proceedings OF said grand
jury, nut was Improperly ana irregu-
larly made to the said James Gay Cor
don, VINO was on that day holdlng
special session OF the court of quarter
sessions Tor the trial OF pan cases only
Nevertheless, sald James Gay Gordon
irregularly and improperly heard said
application and peremptorily ordered
said witnesses to appear before said
grand jury under penalty OF an attach
ment Tor contempt Ihat lew days
later on Wednesday, the I'D day or
November, 1913, your petitioners were
notified TO appear in court NO. 646 be-
fore the said James Gay Gordon for the
purpose OF pleading or demurring to
the plils OF Indictment Whlch had been
heretofore found against them, al
though the said James Gay Gordon had
not been regularly assigned TO hold said
court, but by reason OF his resignation
and retirement from the bench on the
day named for the appearance of de-
PENDANTS as aforesaid. said court was
without regularly assigned judge to