Phoenix tribune., 1920-11-13
JUDGE WHO SPREAD
SCANDAL THREATENED
BY HARDING'S FATHER
Especial to The Tribune)

a cane and filled with wrath over
the slander that has been circulated
concerning the ancestry of Senator
Harding, DR.. George -Tryon Harding,
the president-elect's father, n years
old, passed through the main street
of the city last week looking for
Judge Spencer of the Probate Court.
Dr. Harding accosted Judge Spencer
in the street opposite the court
house. He lost no time in broaching
his subject
Judge Spencer" he began. 81
have been informed by what seems
to be reliabEe authority, that you
have been exhibiting picture of me
and asserting that my veins carry
Negro blood"
Judge Spencer, who is a cripple
and feeble, raised a protesting hand.
Doctor" he said, q assure you on
my honor that l have never at any
time done anything of the sort
Offers to Make Affidavit
Now DR.. Harding squared his shoul-
ders and drew himself up to full
height
"If l believed that you had done
so, sir" he said, 81 would smash your
face"
By that time quite a crowd had
gathered, and it was feared that the
aged physician, angered and out of
patience that the despicable false
hood should have been circulated in
an effort to defeat his son, would
bring his cane into action. The stick
was being brandished within an inch
of the judges nose.
Judge Spencer voiced further pro-
test to the effect that he never cir
culated the story, and would make
an affidavit to that effect
At this time one of the spectators;
reported to have been Herman Trey,
farmer, stepped to the side of the
aged physician and spoke. Trey
passed the lie to Judge Spencer, by
ISLANDERS said, and then his open hand
swung up against the mans face.
The judge staggered back and
young woman who had joined Trey
cried to him to strike again. In
stead, Trey pushed the Judge, and he
fell into the gutter.
DR.. Harding, who had been left in
the background, now pushed through
the crowd and waved them back.
Stand back!" he exclaimed, "the
judge has denied that he did this
thing and that ends it. 1 have al
ways found the judge to be a perfect
gentleman" and he helped Judge
Spencer to his feet. "Now," he said,
lets get that affidavit"
Certainly" said the Judge, and they
proceeded to the office of the district
attorney, where in due form Judge
Spencer made deposition that he had
never distributed any circulars or cir
culated any statements aspersing the
purity of the Harding blood.
| Feeling Runs High
! Trey then went to the mayor and
offered to pay fine for the slap he
administered to the Judge, but no
complaint had been made and no fine
was exacted.
To residents of Marison the en-
counter between Judge Spencer and
I DR.. Harding is fair example of the
height to which feeling has been
aroused by the Negro blood" story.
Senator Harding's friends are bitter
over the attempt to discredit his
family, and a word passed at the
proper time and the proper place GER
tainly will be followed by a battle
The slapping of the crippled judges
face is believed to have been mild
occurrence compared with what may
! happen at any moment.
Later in the day Judge Spencer
issued a statement denying that he
ever had anything to do with the
spreading of the scandalous report
He said he realized there had been
feeling against him since he arranged
! the Democratic demonstration, fol-
lowing which more than a thousand
Marion Democrats went to the Cox
acceptance celebration at Dayton.
"The judges denial ends it so far
as I am concerned" was DR. Hard
ing's only comment.
-O-
(By the Associated Negro Press)