The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-02-17
CHAPTER VI

\ month had passed since the mern-
graole meeting Of the directors az the
southern and IransCOnCinenral rail-
.odo I'D New York and during that
,ine neither John Burkett Ryder nor
Judge ROssmOre had been idle The
former had Immediately set IN motion
l'st machinery he controlled n thN
legislature at Washington. while the
,..use neSlectfd no step TO vfndfcats
himself before the pubic.
Ryder. for reasons Of his ovvn-oror
AMY because ne wished to make the
DOW more crushing when II did fall
Ia4 insisted on the proceedings AZ The
hoard meeting being kept a profOr1n5
secret and some time elapsed before
lie neWspa pers got wind OF the com
ing Congressional inquiry No one J7-r7
believed the stories about Judge Poss-
more, but now that a QUasi-official seal
i-ao oeen set on the current gOssiu
mere Was q howl OF virtuous indigna-
Ton from the journalistic muck ral[ers
" nat was the country coming tor thev
cried IN double loaded type After the
-hpFzHllnE by life insurance Officers
-lL- rascdlitF of the railroads, the Iootf1c-
~ CITY treasures. the greed Of the trusts.
me grating OF the legislat tors had
arisen new and more serious scandal
the corruption Of the judiciary. The
ltst DulWark of the nation had fallen
ne coultTy lay helpless at the mercy
ga leEa4i~ed SandDaEgeTS- Even the
We Aa' longer 10 De trusted
Sne most respected one among them an
Mdu nten unable TO resist the temDte~
ne Supreme Court, the living voice
on lle Constitution, was honeycombed
wlth graft Public life was rotten 10
the core,
Neither the newspapers nor the 77,b-
nc stopped 10 ascertain the truth or
me TASTY OF the charges against
Judge RosSmOre- Il was sr1fficiar-
- me bribery story furnished the
i"-iy sensation which newspaper ed
LgFS and newsDa per readers must have
The world is ever more prompt 70 h.
t'Ee DIT rather than good OF a man
'-lp no one. except IN ROUSm0ra'g I'm
hleulale circle OF friends. entertained
lle slightest doubt Of his guilt Il was
..I'In"n knowledge that the big in
i"FeStS were behind the proceedings
and tuaz Judge kOoSuore was q scqrle-
goat. sacrificed by the system because
De he'd been blocking their came. II
Isu1~hl"Ie had really accented the
n.Ipr- and few now believed MIN s0Or-
tess me deserved All thai was corn7n-
I'd nm senator Roberts was very
ACilNe I'm Washington preDarIur the
case against Judge RosgmOre Tho
ldtJeF- beinS Democrat. and the In
leIeSIS controlling a Republican ma
1"rlIN IN the House. il was 2 fOrcg0De
conclusion that the inquiry would bn
against him, and that a demand would
az once be made upon the Senate FOR
his Impeachment
Almost Frustrated by the misfortune
which had so suddenly and uncxDac--
eiiy come upon him. Judge Roesro0-a
was Ike man demenred MS ra1s5-,
seemed To be VOtterfu@. ne spoke and
d'ted Ike man iu n dream Nat
uIiliE ne was entirely iucaoa~ft7-eF
" work and no had applied 10 Wash
llStOn 10 be temporarily relieved from
ais judicial duties He was instantly
granted leave Of absence and Went
H. once to his home I'm Madison avenue
where me shut himself up in his r.
brary. sitting for hours at his desk
wrestling with documents and LEGAL
tonnes IN a pathetic eI ieavOr 10 find
some way ont, trying to elude this net
IT. which unseen hands had eutangled
him.
What an end TO his career, To have
struggled ana achieved for half a
century 10 have built Uu q ranutatio-1
wear by year as a man builds n h0uso
brick 10y brick. only 10 see the whole
crVmhie TO his feet Ike dust, To have
gained the respect ot tho country -
nave made name AS The most IN
c'rrupuoic Of public servants. and
now 70 be branded a a common brTho
taker- Could he pc dreaminx2 It was
roo incredible. What would his dauqb-
ter ssy-his Shirley? An. ne
thought of the expression of incredr1I
ity and wonder on her face when She
Ike knife thrust Yet. he rnuze7
ner very UnWillinElesS To believe N
should really be his consolation. Ar
his wife and his Child-thev knew Re
had been innocent az UroDa,JOf-r-
The very idea was ridiculous. At most
he had been careless Yes. ne vas
certainly 10 blame He ought ~ have
seen the trap 50 carefully prepared and
into which no had walked as IL hII,1-
folded. That extra $4,000 worth 81
stock on wbl@tl he had never received
cent interest. had been the daroy N
carefully thought out pIot Tbcv
the piotters. well knew how ignorant
ne was nf financial matters ana h, ma
been an easy victim. Who womb he
heve his story that the stock had rcru
sent 10 him With q plausibIy-va-fe
letter % the eject that II represartaS
a bonus Of big own Investment Now
he came 10 Think - q .c.al,,1Iy AVID ro7-
sonably. he would not believe II him
sHlt- A usual. he had miSIafd OF In-
stroyed the secrctary's letter and there
was only his word AGAINST The com
panN books to subStantiato what
would appear a most improbable. II
not impossible, occurrence
IL was his conviction OF his own