The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-07-20
LIES AGAINST RUDKIN
NAILED To THE CROSS
The Judge and His Friends Tell the
Facts About the Morford Case.
Every Allegation Denied.

JUu9e FRANK IL. kuukln ana several
of his friends in this city have prepared
a complete refuiation of the sensational
and false charges made against him by
the Seattle Times and the Spokesman
Review on the 18th and 18th of this
month. The reply was published in
Sundays Post-lntclligenccr and is here
With reproduced in full:
\ sensational story was published i'm
the Seattle Times of Sunday. July II. and
i'm the Spokane Spokesman Review of the
18th. charging Hon. +. H. Rudkin of this
city one of the republican NOMINEE; Tor
supreme Judge. with having betrtv,d 1
friend and benefactor ana robbed bin If
his wife and much Nalu able property
lie is charged with having used his office
as superior judge to carry out the plot to
rob his friend and complete his perfidy.
The story is based on the complaint If
one $. O. Morford. the alleged victim. in
suit brought in this county in the 81
peror court against Mrs. Pearl Eudkn.
formerly the wife of Morford. but now the
kin and George Donald. trustee. The IL
legged purpose of this suit WAS To set ASIDE
a contract of settlement coy aring the
division of the property of Movfori and
his wife prior to the entering O. u decree
of divorce against Morford which was
sought and obtained by the woman with b.
Morford also asked for an accounting as
well as the RECESSION of the contract. The
case was tried here early this spring be.
fole Judge Bell of the superior court Il
King county. No evidence was produced
at the trial to show that Judge Kudkin
was in any way connected with the mat
tiers involved. Morford did not offer proof
that Rudkin owed him anything. Or had
defrauded him out of money or propertJ.
The charges made against Rudkin in, the
Times-the direct charges--are based on
portions of the complaint which were
manifestly inserted for the purpose OF be-
smirching the character of Judge Rudkin
to trial were promptly ordered stricken
out as irrelevant by Judge Bell: No at
tempt was therefore made by Morford to
prove these charges. He never intended
to prove them. He is believed by those
familiar with the case here to have made
the charges for the. purpose of driving
cede to Morfords demands regarding the
property he had settled on her prior to
the divorce rather than permit them to
Judge Rudlkin has lived in this commun-
ity for many years His life has been an
open book to these people His character
ed. Nearly everybody here knows the
facts in the Rudkin Morford affair. and
If the charges made against the judge
had been circulated nowhere except here
no defense would be necessary. Not even
his enemies in the Yakima country if he
has any. believe that there ever was any
was discreditable to him. 1t is known
here that but for the fact that he and
his brother on different occasions advanc-
ed money for the purpose all the property
Morford had here would long snca have
been taken to satisfy his numerous cred
itors.
Judge Rudkin said today regarding the
publications that have been made in the
Times and Spokesman Review:
Il deny every allegation and insinuation
of wrongdoing made in those papers. I
nothing concerning
in litigation. The records of the superior
court of this county will show all the
facts. They contain 46O typewriter
pages of testimony taken at the trial Of
the case of Morford against Pearl A. Rud-
kin. F. H. Rudkin and George Donald as
trustee. as well as large number of let
tiers and documents bearing on the mat
tiers in controversy. These speak Tor
themselves. l am said to have pertidio Is
y betrayed a friend and benefactor. how
ever. and | am willing to make a short
statement regarding my personal relations
with my alleged victim during a number
of years past.
'Morford never stood in the relation of
benefactor to me. | went to school to
him. stated but that was for short
time only. and before | was years old
He never advanced a dollar for my edu-
cation He did not induce me to come to
this country. He never advanced money
for me or to me after | came. | never was
under the slightest obligation - him he
obligations. financial and otherwise, were
on the other side. never was in part
Il.
ton in the law business was that Nor
ford had desk room in nv office and fire.
quently collected fees from my clierts
advanced upwards of $500 at different
times to Morford, and to others for the
purnose of saving his property from, his
back. except $1,000 which he reluctantly
gave me at Dawson city in 1900. For
many, years he was c21tnually in litiga-
court. and never had a dollar for my
work. Two. Of the farms compris-
ing, most Of the vast property Nor
We're sold under execution. and sherif's
deed was given. l furnished the mon ay
to buy these farms back. That money
was never returned to me. Morford did
not leave his property in my hands when
he went to Alaska, as stated. and | never
assumed responsibility for it in any way.
nor was expected by him to look after it..
1t is said of me that l entered into a con-
Spiracy to rob Morford after living at his
house and eating at his table for Is years
| was at his house from time to time 1ur-
ing period Of a little more than two
years prior to 1898.
The publication of these charges. most
of them by inuendo against Judge Rud-
kin has caused no little indignation hcro.
Local democratic leaders, most of wdom
are familiar with the facts in the Morford
/ Rudiiin case. denounce II as outrageous
Ia publish under color of facts the ire
s3cislbe charges of a man like Morfor1,
ard to hold up as a martyr and victim "A
man Of Morford's stamp. Henry j. Snive.
" sand today: Il presume this pubiicd
,ic1 was made for political purposes. As
| am Il democrat, and as Judge Rudkin Is
Ola tie republican ticker. and as / intend
- support the entire democratic ticket. (
do not like to intermeddle adversely to
what might be the interests of my par
/ -. Common decency, however. UIols
mo II cay that I know all the facts in
/ cor lection with this matter. and tle'e is
not a scintilla of proof anywhere to show
trlt Frank Rudkin is other than an hon
orable. upright man. Rudkn never was a
/ proper party to the suit. The allegation
Of improper relations between Rudkin and
Mrs Morford had no more place in the
complaint than the ten commandments.
/ These charges are absolutely untrue. and
the plaintiff never expected to Try to
prove them when he made them.
1.-The peonle i'm this community know
Norford and five hundred people can be
/ brought to swear that they would not be
/ ieve him under oath. He lived here and
50 far as he thriVed at all. he thriVed by
fraud and deception and the mourning Of
debts which he never paid. His strong
/ play ia to beg for sympathy but he is not
able to get any of it in this community
where he is known
Morford has not and he never did have.
any standing i'm this town as a business
man. or as LAWYER. When MOrford
went to Alaska in 1896 he was broke He
had three farms. incumbered for more
than their value These farms constitute
the DrODertV alleged in the Times article