▁sub po ena . ▁C ox ▁refused . ▁ ▁" S aturday ▁Night ▁Mass acre " ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁after ▁C ox ▁refused ▁to ▁drop ▁the ▁sub po ena , ▁N ixon ▁ordered ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Elli ot ▁Richard son ▁to ▁fire ▁the ▁special ▁pro sec utor . ▁Richard son ▁res igned ▁in ▁protest ▁rather ▁than ▁carry ▁out ▁the ▁order . ▁N ixon ▁then ▁ordered ▁Deput y ▁Att orney ▁General ▁William ▁R uck el sh aus ▁to ▁fire ▁C ox , ▁but ▁R uck el sh aus ▁also ▁res igned ▁rather ▁than ▁fire ▁him . ▁N ixon ' s ▁search ▁for ▁someone ▁in ▁the ▁Justice ▁Department ▁willing ▁to ▁fire ▁C ox ▁ended ▁with ▁the ▁Sol ic itor ▁General ▁Robert ▁B ork . ▁Though ▁B ork ▁said ▁he ▁believed ▁N ixon ' s ▁order ▁was ▁valid ▁and ▁appropriate , ▁he ▁considered ▁res ign ing ▁to ▁avoid ▁being ▁" per ce ived ▁as ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁did ▁the ▁President ' s ▁b idd ing ▁to ▁save ▁my ▁job ". ▁B ork ▁carried ▁out ▁the ▁president ial ▁order ▁and ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁special ▁pro sec utor . ▁ ▁These ▁actions ▁met ▁considerable ▁public ▁criticism . ▁Res pond ing ▁to ▁the ▁alleg ations ▁of ▁possible ▁wrong do ing , ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁ 4 0 0 ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁man aging ▁edit ors ▁at ▁Disney ' s ▁Contempor ary ▁Res ort ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁N ixon ▁em ph