The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-01-17
WITNESS MAKES
BRIBERY CHARGE
ATTORNEY THOMPSON is ACCUSED
w. ;. Coon, Bartender and Gambler,
Makes Serious Accusation
Against Member of Bar.

The case of the state VS.. Joseph
Read, charged with robbery from
the person. is occupying the attention
of the superior court at the present
time. The case was heard before
the court at the October term and
the jury brought in a verdict of
guilty, but the verdict was set aside
and new trial granted the defend
ant because, during the progress of
the trial, two of the jurymen made a
trip to the scene of the alleged hold
up without knowledge of the court
or the other members of the jury.
The evidence against Read is very
strong and was along the same lines
as that brought out at the first trial
until w. S. Coon was placed on the
stand. In response to questioning
by Prosecuting Attorney Krutz
Coon made the surprising statement
that he had been approached by the
attorney for the defense with the
offer of a bride if he should leave
the town and not testify in the case
He told of being in Fletcher's sa-
loon before the first trial COM
menced and of having Attorney
Thompson come in and take him into
a cardroom in the rear of the estab-
lishment, where he made a PROPOSE
ton as stated above. He said that
Thompson told him that he had $125
and that he could get a hundred
more If he, Coon, and another wit
ness, named Goddard, would skip
the town.
Coon is BARTENDER, tinhorn
gambler and blackjack dealer by
profession, and is alleged to have
taken a roll of money from one of
the local saloons where he was run
ming a game and to have skipped
the town, then coming back because
he could not be prosecuted without
the owner of the establishment be-
ing mixed up in the case in connec-
ton with gambling. Even among
his own class of people, the
gam blers, ETC., of the city. he is said
to be entirely untrustworthy.
The following statement was
made to a Herald reporter by At
torney Thompson:
During May, last year, l was
deputy prosecutor, and as such was
called to Prosser to conduct the ex-
animation in double shooting
scrape. Coons was an important
witness for the state, having provid-
ed one of the guilty parties with the
revolver with which he did the dan
gerous work. Coons fed but was
captured two days later and de-
MED any knowledge of the affair, but
on being brought face to face with
witnesses whom he knew, he could
not contradict. he in the presence
of Deputy Sheriff Mcneil,
Bruce MacGregor and myself,
retracted his denial and told what
he knew of the transaction. He was
bound over as a witness and, on ac-
count of his actions, the justice set
his bail at $1,000.
He remained in jail some time
here and was released later. While
waiting here the matter of the hold
up case of Engler occurred, and be-
fore the last trial l met him at his
place of business in a saloon here
and asked what he knew about the
case. He stated he was a witness
for the state and couldn't be a help
full witness for the defendant.
asked him nothing further about this
case, invited him to the bar, and
while standing there jokingly told
him l wouldn't care if he did the
same as he did in the Prosser case
and jumped the country. l made
no offer, as he stated, that he could
get any money for not appearing.
and he knows none was made. My
client didn't have any money to Of
fer any one and had difficulty in
an ordinary attorneys fee.
| certainly would not offer money
to a witness not to appear. He told
a story Of this kind to Krutz and
1rant at about the time Of the last
term of court. l stated to them ex-
actly what had occurred, and was
surprised when Krutz attempted to