Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-10-23

a e.. fE I ..-.. ..-.'- "... 1870.
~ 4....~.t. .,,,.., 81 IT, d..
y r-c,a- o.. Gil. s":,art. and
,au~.u.tl.-ntu railroad IN
Nra N.... .ul during that 'i:nr nri
t..cr Jaau Turke;t Ryder H,g judge
It,ssuor. lad l,-n ,l,c. The former
laI .um.d.atcly st u ,u3'.oa TIE n.''-
c..iarry h- controlled y tie legislature
n Washington. While De judge hog
lcctrl 40 step 20 yiud.ratc himself be
frre the public.
Ryder for -.l-.,s Of lis own prob
cl.v le aus. L. wished 10 make the
blow the more crushing when II did
fan hal Insisted On the Proceedings
~ tn board meeting being kept pro
found secret, and some time elapsed
before the newspapers got wind OF the
coming congressional inquiry. No one
had believed the stories about Judge
NosSmOrc. but now that quasi official
seaI had been set on the current Cos
SIP there was howl Of virtuous In
dignation from the journalistic muck
rakers. What was the country coming
to? they cried IN double loaded type.
After tho embezzling hy life Insurance
officers, the rascality OF the railroads.
the footing Of city treasures. the greed
OF the trusts. the grating Of the legs-
Iators. had arisen new and more
serious scandal. the corruption or the
judiciary. The last bulwark Of the
nation had fallen. The country lay
helpless ut the mercy Of legulized
sandbaggers. Even the judges were
no longer 10 be trusted. The most re-
spected one among them all had been
unable to resist the tempter. The su-
r-eme court, the living voice of the
constitution. was honeycombed with
graft. Public life was rotten to the
core,
Neither the newspapers nor the pub
lie stopped to ascertain the truth or
the falsity Of the charges against Judge
Rossmore 1t was sufficient that the
bribery story furnished the daily SEN
sation which newspaper editors and
newspaper readers must have. The
world IS ever more prompt to believe
Ill rather than good of man, and no
one. except In Rossmore's immediate
circ,c Of friends. entertained the slight
est doubt of his guilt 1t was common
knowledge that the big interests"
were behind the proceedings. and that
judge ROSSmore was n scapcSoat sac
rifiCed 10y the system because lie had
been blocking their game. II Ross
more had really accepted the bride.
and few now believed him spotless. he
deserved oil that was coming to him.
Senator r. ertS was very active in
Washington preparing the case against
Judge Rossmore. The latter being Of
and 1.-THE interests" controlling Il ma
tority in the house. 1t was foregonc
conclusion that the inquiry would be
against him, and that Il demand would
at once he made upon the senate for
his Impeachment.
Almost Frustrated by the misfortune
which had so suddenly and uneXpect-
cdly come upon him, Judge KossmOre
was like q man demented. His reason
seemed to be lettering he spoke and
acted like q man In dream. Natural
ly he was entirely incapacitated for
work. and he had applied to Washing
ton to be temporarily relieved from his
judicial duties. He was instantly
granted a leave Of absence and went
ut once to his home In Madison ave-
nue., where he shut himself up In his
library, sitting for hours at his desk
wrestling with documents and legal
tones III pathetic endeavor to find
some way out. trying to elude this net
In which unseen hands had entangled
him.
What an end to his career! To have
struggled aud achieved for half q cen
fury. to have built up a reputation
year by year, as man builds house
brick by brick, only to see the whole
crumble to his feet like dust! To have
gained the respect Of the country. to
have made q name as the most incOr
ruptible of public servants, and now t.
be branded as u common bride taker
Could he be dreamingY 1t was too In
credible. What would his daughter
say-his Shirley? All, the thought OF
the expression Of incredulity and won
der Oh her face when she heard thu
news cut him to the heart like q knife
thrust Yet, he mused. her very un
willingness to believe 1t should really
be his consolation All. his wife anC
his child-they knew he had been In
nOcent of wrongdOing. The very idel
was ridiculous. At most he had beer
careless. Yet be was certainly t.
blame. He ought to have seen thu
trap so carefully prepared and into
which he had walked as II bllndfolded
That extra $4,000 worth Of stock. OF
which he had never received cent In
terest, had been the decoy in a care
fully thought out plot. They. the plot
tiers, well knew how ignorant he wal
Of financial matters. and he had beer
an easy victim. Who would believe
his story that the stock had been sen
to him with plausibly worded lettel
to the effect that 1t represented bOnu!
on his own investment? Now he cam'
to think Of 1t. calmly and reasonably
he would not believe 1t himself. Al
usual, he had mislaid or destroyed tn,
secretary's letter. and there was onl!
bis word against the company's book
to substantiate what would appear
most improbable If not impossible oc
currence.
1t was his conviction of his own gOot
faith that made his present dilemm'
all the more cruel Had he really beel
CRATER, had he really taken tn
stock as a bride, he would not care 81
much. for then he would have fore
seen and discounted the chances Of ex
posure. Yes. there was no doubt pos
s!blc. He was the victim Of q con
spiracy: there was an organized plO
to ruin him. to get him out Of the way
The Interests" feared him, resente
his judicial decisions, and they ha
halted ut nothing TO accomplish thei
purpose. How could lie fight then
back. what could he do to protect hin
self: He had no proofs of con
spiracy: his enemies worked in I'll
dark: there was no way III which h
could reach them or know who the