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

l.,iu-,-l ;.t ia. ,u..-r-,> oral inquiry
t.,y vuuIi clear h.g at once. So. losing
Iu ,i!u,. and iIl.L with Renewed hope.
H. wrote L. thc Cuir-~Is a strong. man
Is hotter. Wh.rA would have !ucltci an
iceberg. urging NJ. Ryder - col.4c for
ward NOW at tbs critical time and
clear him of this :hpmIulblc Charge,
or IN ANY rl,r 81 .Hdly return the
two ties y. ..-i Ave in his pos
session. Il, tA.y woull - far 10 help
him at IL, trial Three days passed
aud no rci!y from Ryder. On the
fourth came polite but fri:!d note
from Nj. Eydrr's private secretary.
Mr. Ryder had received Judgc Ross
morc's letter and IN reply begged to
state that he had a vague recollection
OF some conversation with the judge
IN regard TO Investments. but he did
, not think lie had advised the purchase
Of any particular stock, rs that was
something he never did On principle,
| even with his most intimate friends
! He had no wish TO be held accountable
| III case of loss. etc. AS TO the letter
| wtGch Judge RoSsmorc mentioned as
| having written to Mr. Ryder in regard
/ to having received more stock than he
! had bought OF that Mr.. Ryder had no
recollection whatever. Judge Ross
more was probably mistaken as TO the
identity Of his correspondent He re
GREETED he could not be OF more service
to Judge Rossmorc and remained his
very obedient servant.
1t was very evident that no help WAS
to be looked for In that quarter. There
was even decided hostility In Ryder's
reply Could II be true that the finan-
cler was really behind these attacks
upon his character? Was itpossible that
one man, merely to make more money.
would deliberately ruin his fellow man
whose hand he had grasped In friend
ship? He had been unwilling to be
lieve 1t when his friend cx-Judge Stott
had pointed to Ryder as the author of
all his misfortuncS. but this unSym-
pathetic letter, with its falSehOods. its
lies. plainly written all over its face.
/ was proof enough Yes. there was
now no doubt possible. John Burkett
Ryder was his enemy, and what an
enemy, Many man had committed
suicide when he had incurred the en-
nifty Of the Colossus. Judge RoSsnore,
completely discouraged. bowed his
head To the inevitable. but he sent for
his old friend cx-JudGc Stott.
They were lifelong friends. having
become acquainted nearly thirty years
ago ut the law school. ut the time
when both were young men about to
enter On Il public career. S:ott. who
was EoSSmorcS junior. had begun as i
lawyer In New York and soon acquired
n reputation in criminal practice He
afterward became assistant district
attorney ana later. when Il vacancy oc-
Cured In the city n!aSiStrature. he was
successful In securing the appointment.
On the bench lie again met his old
friend i.C:;S.lGre. AMI the two men
once more became closely intimate.
The regular court hours. however soOn
palled On Il man of Judge Stott's nerv.
Gus temperament, and 1t was not long
before he retired to take up once more
his criminal practice. He was still a
young man. not yet fifty. and full OF
vigor and fight. lie had blunt man.
ner, but his heart was In the right
place. and he had a record as clean as
his close shaver face. He was hard
worker. a brilliant speaker and one OF
the cleverest cross examiners at the
bar This was the man to whom Judge
Rossmore naturally turned for lega
assistance.
Stott was out west when he frs
heard Of the proceedings against his
old friend. and this indignity put upor
the only really honest man In public
. life whom he knew, SO incensed hin
. that he was already hurrying back t.
. his aid when the summons reached
, him.
Meantime a fresh and more scriou.
, calamity had overwhelmed Judg'
RossmOre. Everything seemed to com
bine to break the spirit Of this MAJ
who had dared defy the power Of or
, ganized capital. Hardly had the new
Of the congressional inquiry beel
. made public. than the financial wOrl,
, was startled by an extraordinary,
slump In Wall street. There was moth
? Ing In the news Of the day to justif.
! q decline. but prices fell and fell Tn
bears had 1t all their own way, the BIZ
, interests hammered stocks all alOn
, the line. ''coppers" especially being tn
, object Of attack. The market close,
, feverishly. and the next day the sam
, tactics were pursued. From the open
ing. on selling orders coming from n
, one knew where, prices fell to nothing
a stampede followed, and before lon
: II became n panic.
PandcmOnium regned on the foOr 0
the Stock Exchange. White faced d
, sheveled brokers shouted and struggle
D like men possessed to execute the OIL
Z derS Of their clients. Big financiG
r houses which stood to lose millions O
q falling market rallied and by rus
. orders to buy attempted to stem tn
. tide. but all to no purpose. One fri
a after another went hy the board. III
o able to weather the tempest. until jus
r before closing time the stock tickle
|
n Northwestern Mining company. Th
. drive In the market had been prime
pally directed against its securitie.
/, and after vainly endeavorlng to chez
! the bear raid 1t had been compelled t
, declare itself bankrupt 1t was hea,
a lily involved. assets nil. stock almos
n worthless. 1t was probable that IL.
= creditors would not see 10 cents on III
> dollar. Thousands were ruined. an
/. Judge Rossmore among them. All til
l.. savings Of llfetlme-ncarly So. ZOO
Z were gone. He was practically penn
less ut time when he needed none
A most. He still owned his house |
Il Madison avenue, but that would hav
r to go to settle with his creditors. Il
n the time everything was paid ther
!. would only remain enough for Il mo,
|. est competence AS to his salary. c
a course he could not touch that so lon
q rs this accusation was hanging ove
{. | his head and II he were imneochcd