The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1907-06-19

Judge Rossmore who had handed down
the decision. So for years these two
men had fought a silent but bitter duel
in which principle on the one side and
attempted corruption on the other
were the gage of battle. Judge Ross
more fought with the weapons which
his oath and the law directed him to
use, Ryder with the only weapons he
nderstood-bribery and trickery. And
each time it had been RossmOre who
had emerged triumphant. Despite ev-
cry maneuver Ryders experience could
suggest, Notwithstanding every card
that could be played to undermine his
credit and reputation, Judge Rossmore
stood higher in the country's conf
dence than when he was first appoint
ed
SO when Ryder found he could not
corrupt this honest judge with gold
he decided to destroy him with calum-
ny. No scruples embarrassed Ryder
in arriving at this determination.
From his point of view he was fully
justified. Business is business. He
hurts my interests; therefore l remove
him" So he argued, and he consid-
cred 1t no more wrong to wreck the
happiness of this honorable man than
he would to have shot a burglar in
self defense So having thus tran
quilted his conscience he had gone to
work in his usually thorough manner,
and his success had surpassed the
most ouu11ina avnppfnfiOnC
This is what he had done.
Like many of our public servants
whose labors are compensated only in
niggardly fashion by an inconsiderate
country, Judge ROssmore was man
of but moderate means. His income
as justice of the supreme court was
$4,000 a year, but for a man in his
position. having a certain appearance
to keep up, 1t little more than kept the
wolf from the door. He lived quietly,
but comfortably, In New York with his
wife and his daughter Shirley, an at
tractive young woman who had grad
uated from Vassar and had shown a
marked taste for literature. The daugh-
ters education had cost a good deal OF
money, and this, together with life In
surance and other incidentals of keep
ing house I'm New York, had about TAX
en- all he had. Yet he had managed to
save a little, and those years when he
could put by fifth of his salary the
Judge considered himself lucky. Sc
cretly he was proud of his compare
tive poverty. At least the world could
never ask him where he got it"
Ryder was we'll acquainted with
Judge Rossmore's private means. The
two men had met at a dinner, and, al
though Ryder had tried to cultivate
the acquaintance, he never received
much encouragement. Ryder's son
jefferson, too, had met Miss Shirley
RossmOre and been much attracted to
her. but the father having more am
bilious plans for his heir quickly dis
couraged all attentions in that direc-
ton. He himself, however, continued
to meet the judge casually, and one
evening he contrived to breach the
subject of profitable investments. The
Judge admitted that by careful hoard
ing and much stlntlng he had managed
to save a few thousand dollars which
he was anxious to invest In something
good.
Quick as the keen eyed vulture
swoops down on its prey the willy
financier seized the opportunity thus
presented And he took so much trou-
bic in answering the judges inexperi-
enced questions and generally made
himself so agreeable that the judge
found himself regrettlng that he and
Ryder had by force of circumstances
been opposed to each other in public
life so long. Ryder strongly recon-
mended the purchase Cf Alaskan Min
ing stock, a new and booming enter
prise which had lately become very
active i'm the market Ryder said he
had reasons to believe that the stock
would soon advance, and now there
was an opportunity to get 1t cheap.
A few days after he had made the
Investment the judge was surprised to
receive certificates of stock for double
the amount he had paid for. At the
same time he received a letter from
the secretary of the company explain
Ing that the additional stock was pool
stock and not to be marketed at the
present time. 1t was in the nature of
bonus to which he was entitled as
one Of the early shareholders. The let
ter was full of Yerbiage and technical
details of which the judge understood
nothing, but he thought it very liberal
Of the company and, putting the stock
away In his safe, soon forgot all about
IT, Had he been a business man he
would have scented peril. He would
have realized that he had now In his
possession $4,000 worth of stock for
which he had not paid cent and fur
thermOre had deposited it when reor-
ganization came.
But the Judge was sincerely grateful
for Ryder's apparently disinterested
advice and wrote two letters to him,
one in which he thanked him for the
trouble he had taken and another In
which he asked him IL he was sure the