The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-01-21
IS ACCUSED
Of BIC
THEFT
Former r. r. Attorney
and Ex-Supreme JUS
tiCe Must Stand
Trial
LEAVES FOR SPOKANE

LEAVES FOR SPOKANE.
Charged with embezzl-
ing $4,000 from the Great
Northern railway, Judge
M. j. Gordon, formerly on
the supreme bench of the
state and later attorney
for the Great Northern,
was arrested here last
night and this afternoon
went back to Spokane to
face the charge in court.
81 do not care to make
any statement, except
that I have committed no
crime" said Judge Cor
don before he left.
Arrested at His Home.
Ever since the investigation of
the Bar association In the case
of Judge Root, who was mixed up
with Judge Gordon in some indis-
cretfons, according to the bar
committee, there have been rum
ors floating around that Judge
Gordon might have trouble ahead
and the climax was reached last
night when Deputy Sheriff Clar-
ence Long of Spokane appeared
in this city and with Deputy Sher-
iff H. J. Doten went to the Kel-
logg apartments where Judge Cor
don is making his home and placed
him under arrest.
Bonds Furnished.
The prisoner was not taken to
jail but allowed to remain at his
home with the deputy sheriff at
tending until his friends came to
the rescue and gave bond for him
in the sum of $4,000.
Judge Gordon said he did not
care to make public the names of
his bondsmen.
Charge Follows Suit.
The charge on which the ex-
|supreme court Judge Is arrested
i grew out of damage case against
the Great Northern railway last
May when Judge Gordon was the
attorney for the railway. James
Sparrow In the Spokane superior
court got a judgment against the
company for $1,000. Judge Cor
don drew on the company and
1t is alleged cashed the draft, at
the same time securing the en-
ldorsements Of the attorneys for
Sparrow by giving them a stipula-
tion that the money would be paid
by August 1, 1908.
Paid Judgment Twice.
The money was not paid and
the stipulation was fled in court
and Attorney Gilman for the COM
lpany then paid It into court for
Sparrow. thus making a double
payment on the part of the COM
pany Of the judgment.
In the meantime Judge Gordon
had left the employ OF the COM
pany and 1t is claimed he has not
returned the $4,000,
Judge. Gordon recently came to
this city and took up his resi-
dence. He has figured prominent
| ly in the recent Investigations of
the case of Judge Milo Root re-
Gently on the supreme bench and
xvxxvcH - xhs. rno ~ Sa1 nk&s, ~. a.. - = :.
Judge Root was because OF the al
legation which the bar committee
declared to be a fact that Judge
Gordon had, while attorney for the
Great Northern, furnished passes
to Judge Roots brother over the
railway and had on one occasion
at least actually written the
lopinion handed down from the
bench In railway case In which
Ithe Great Northern was litigant.
In its Investigations OF the Root
case the Sparrow case was brought
Ito. the attention Of the bar COM
Imiitee and when asked about 1t
Judge Gordon indicated to the
Icommittee that It constituted no
linfraction of law on his part as
Ihe had often as attorney for the
Great Northern drawn money for
one purpose and paid It out for
Ianother. .s
1T Is claimed. however, the COM
Ipany has not been able to flnd out,
what became OF this $4,000.
Judge Gordon Will probably be
tarfafRned In court nt snukone =