The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-07-20

Rumors came here that Morford was
leading a dissolute life in the north His
Wlfe went to Dawson city and there found
| nm living in open and notorious adultery
| with an abandoned woman. Being cor
nered. he admitted his infidelity. and de-
manded that she get a divorce from him
| He proposed basis of settlement which
was that he would give her an interest
FOR for eight years in the the farms here, and
| accepted this proposition. The agree
ment by which Mrs. Morford received
$4,000 in money and an eight years estate
| in the Yakima county farms as her por-
| ton of the estate of a husband who
claimed to be worth a quarter of a mil
lion dollars. and undoubtedly was worth
over 100000. was entirely satisfactory
| to him at the time.
! Judge Rudkin tried the Morford divorce
case. lie could not do otherwise by vir-
attorney. nor his wife's attorney. Had
he been the disqualification arising from
that fact was waived. as the case was
as is shown by kilograms from him to
Mr.. Donald. on file with the clerk of the
court
When he made the request Morford, of
connection with his affairs and interest
in them as he processes to know now.
National bank of this city. said to your
correspondent this morning: II have
known all about the affairs of the Nor
fords for Is years or more. l was select
ed by Morford as trustee for his property.
and all the farms are still in my name
held for Morford's Indebtedness. | have
| no reason at all to favor Judge Rudkin in
making any statement regarding the mat :
ter. but it is undoubtedly true that in all
his dealings with Morford in connection
with business and property matters, he
has been the soul of honor. He has done
a hundred times more for Morford than
Morford did for him. Regarding the di-
Mrs. Morford secured it at the demand of
her husband. l know positively she did
not want to ask for it,. begged Morford
not to insist , on it. and he would not lis
between them was entirely satisfactory to
him when 1t was made l know that Nor
ford ord sent his wife and family no money
would often have been in actual want but
for the fact that our bank advanced them
money.
respondent: II have known the business
! affairs of the Morfords and the Rudkins
for fifteen years. as well as ! have known
through Frank Rudkin, nor did any other
man. The allegations of Morford in this
matter are an instance of ingratitude
! sharper than serpent's sting.
Not single charge against Judge Rud-
kin grows out of any testimony that was
given in the trial of the case of S; o.
Morford VS., Pearl A. Rudkin. F. II. Rud-
kin and George Donald, as trustee. Every
vile insinuation and fnuendo has been
made on the ST., strength of imm s al
!
whose character and standing in this com
munity. where he lived FOR n number of
years should be made plain enough to the
public by the statements above. every one
of which can be subStantiated from the
records of the superior court here. They
are made tolerably plain by the decree of
! the court in the case:
THE said plaintiff tMorford) in the fur
therance of his unlawful purpose and de
sign to hinder and delay and defraud his
said creditors and his then wife, Pearl a.
Morford, unlawfully and fraudulently
caused all of said property in said com
nlaint described, to be conveyed to the
defendant Donald, without consideration.
and for the sole purpose and with the de-
sign of unlawfully and fraudulently hin
dering. delaying and defrauding his cred
itors and his said wife, and of placing his
property beyond the reach IF creditors
and wife" and so on. And again: THE
said plaintiff associated with and squand-
cred large amount of money on common
prostitutes and dissolute women in the
territory of Alaska. and during said time,
lived in a.. state Of open and notorious
name is unknown, and with one Kitty
| Burke. alias Ray Keller. and for more
than one year prior to November ?. 1901
wholly deserted and abandoned his wife,
and so forth.
The court found that Morford was en-
titled to no relief whatever. but that the
provisions made for Mrs. Morford under
the agreement prior to the divorce We're
entirely inadequate; that Morford had
squandered and converted to his own use
more than his share of the community
property and gave to Mrs. Morford all
of the Yakima county property subject
to claims against Morford amounting to
from 81 .000 to SIS. 600.
These chapters from the career of MI.
Morford are given to show the character
/ of the man who is responsible for the
/ charges against Judge Rudkjn: to show
that his property here would have passed
out of his hands by process Of law but
for the man he accuses; to show that 1t
was not Rudkin's Vaccinations but Nor
/ ford's profligacY and criminalitv that led
/ up to the divorce. and to show that In
/ the settlement of the property affairs he
/ had things practically his own way. had
1 all the best of it. and was entirely salts
/ fed at the time. as he certainly should
have been.