The Snohomish Lawyer’s Swindle

The case of I. P. Taylor against Mrs. M. L. McDougall, ostensibly nothing more than an ordinary suit to recover on a promissory note, brought out an interesting story on its hearing yesterday in Judge Osborn’s court. Mrs. McDougall is a well-known resident of Snohomish county. Last January, in return for legal service, she gave her note for $125 to Thomas Barry, a lawyer of this city, who has since left the country to avoid the consequences of his crooked transactions. Shortly after the note became due, Mrs. McDougall received notice from I. P. Taylor that he held a note for $250 against her, having bought it from Barry. She also held a note for $125, which Mrs. McDougall denounced as a forgery. Through a series of banking manipulations and attempts to renew the debt, the case ended up in court to determine if the note held by Taylor had any legal consideration or if it was merely the product of fraud.