Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-07
GIVE HIM A CHANCE.
Pursuing a Man on Political Grounds ,vhe
IS the Ectdent Ytctina Of q C0nspirdcY.

P'srsu'nGa Man on Political Grounds ,rho
fsthe Erident Tictin. of a Conspiracy.
To the Editor of the Globe,
ST.. PAUL, Mimi, Nov. 81, 1s7s-More than
fourteen years ago farmer living in Richfeld
township, Hennepin county, Minnesota, of the
name OF u. A. Hodsdon, was tried and convict
ed of the shameful crime of incest with his own
daughter. The circumstances, briefly stated.
were as follows:
Hodsdon and his wife lived unhappily to-
gether; she, justly otherwise, was Jealous
of his relations with other women His daugh
ter, Romenia, aged sixteen years, had love
affair with a young man; Hodsdon interfered
and separated the lovers. There was bad
blood in the household. Hodsdon asserts
that his wife and daughter conspired to ruin
hlm. He was arrested OF the charge .of incest.
! Before the trial came on Mrs. Hodsdon recant-
| ed and declared that her testimony false
and her husband innocent. Then Romenia
| held in Minneapolis as prosecuting witness,
| escaped from the officers who had her in charge
| fled home to her father, confessed that she had
sworn falsely against him and wrote letter to
| the district attorney to withdraw the charge
| She also made a similar confession to the fore
man of the grand jury. She was recaptnred by
the officers of the law. and threatened with an in
| dlctment for perjury unless she renewed her
complaint. She did SO. The case came to
trial the jury were out twenty-four hours,
| failed to agree and were discharged. Another
! trial was subsequently had. Mrs. Hodsdon
testified that the charge was without founda-
ton; the recantations of Romenia were also
| proved. The jury were out forty-eight hours /;
| then came into court and asked to be dis
charged, stating that they could not agree. 1t
| is asserted that the Judge told them that they
must agree, that he would keep them locked up
for three weeks until they did agree! The Jury
the same day convicted Hodsdon; he was SEN
fenced to two years Imprisonment in the State
| prison, and served out his term.
! Subsequently, on the 9TH of March, 1875, a
bill was passed by the State legislature, restor-
ing to him; his rights of citizenship. This bill
was passed in the belief that Hodsdon was in
nocent of the charge preferred against him. 1t
was claimed by some that religious bigotry-
Hodsdon having been Universalist preacher
had good deal to do with his prosecution and
conviction. Be that az it may, it is conceded
that Hodsdon had borne good character pre-
| vlous to the time when the terrible charge of
incest was spreferred against him. After his
| discharge from prison, in 1866, Hodsdon re-
| turned to his farm; and ever since has lived
| quietly at home with his wife and family; his
daughter Romenia being also member of the
| household; and there perhaps he would have
| been permitted to live and die unnoticed; the
dark chapter in his history forgotten, or re-
membered only to be covered by the mantle of
Christian charity; but that unfortunately for
him he is a man Of education and an eloquent
public speaker. He became some time since
member of the Labor Union of Minneapolis
and his ability soon made him conspicuous.
In the fierce political battle which eliminated
in the recent Congressional election, Mr. Holds
don was called upon to speak in various places
and did SO with great ability, taking the side
| OF the acknowledgements ticket and repre-
senting the cause of the workingmen.
He was doing such effective work that it was
| decided that he must be crushed, and bill
| King" whose own career should have taught him
| the broadesG charity, opened upon him in the
| columns of the Pioneer Press q perfect torrent
and most malignant coloring, and covering
him all over with Infamy. Nothing was said of
the confessions made by Hodsdon's wife and
daughter that the charge was false; nothing
was said of the action of the legislature; moth
! ing was said of HodsdOn's career as a worthy
citizen prior and subsequent to his trial.
| The blow produced the desired effect. 1t
crushed Hodsdon for the time; it blackened
the cause he had espoused and it gave hum
dreds of votes to the Republican ticket.
| 1t was shameless piece of political cruelty
| Ii Hodsdon had been supporting Washburn
and the other plunderers of the people, the
| Pioneer Press would have declared him an in
| nocent and maligned man, an orator, a scholar
and statesman. He is trampled under foot
simply because he took the side of the people.
| No man can read the history of this case with
out arriving at the conclusion that the evidence
| on which he was convicted was insufficient and
contradictory, and of such character as to
leave upon the mind the gravest doubts as to
| the guilt of the accused. For my part be-
lieve him to have been an innocent man. a
long-suffering, cruelty prosecuted man, and as
such every honorable man in Hennepin county
and in the whole State, should take him by the
| hand and encourage him in pursuing life
of honest industry. And if he has ability and
capacity to be useful to his fellow men he
should be encouraged to use those gifts, with
out having an Infamous character like Bill
King drive him into the pit of despair.
Farm pr