The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-16
CLAYpoOL,s WASHINGTON VISIT.
The Object He Had I'm View and How It Hap
pened that He Made p Failure.
70 fl,a nd IA

The Object He Had I'm View and How 1t Hap.
pened that He Made p Failure.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, March l5.-The true IN
wardness of the recent visit of Solomon
Claypool to Washington has just developed,
and it illustrates anew the truth of Victor
Hugo's remark that 1T is always the unex-
pected that happens" 1t will be remem-
bered common report credited Mr. Claypool
with bringing to this city warrant for the
arrest of Col. w. w. Dudley. issued by
United States commissioner upon affidavit
of information after the grand jury had
failed to find grounds for returning bill
of indi ctment against him; but there was
no indication of warrant manifested after
his arrival. He brought an entirely differ
ent sort of paper. Toward the close of the
campaign, last fall, the Indianapolis
Sentinel printed fac simile of
the blocks of fve' letter pur-
ported to have been written by
Dudley. Similar fac-similes or copies were
printed in some of the New York papers,
and for these publications Colonel Dudley
promptly brought suit for libel. The de-
from the New York court in which the
suits are pending requiring Colonel Dudley
to answer in Washington certain questions
alleged to be necessary to enable the de-
PENDANTS to prepare their case; This eT-
26 when District Attorney (pro temporel
Claypool reached Washington. He arrived
here at 2 o'clock, and at 5o'clock that after
noon, by the merest chance, Hon. J. M.
Wilson, Dudley's counsel, learned of his
presence in the city. That night the old
familiar problem of putting two and two
together so as to make four the result oc-
cupied the time and attention of Colonel
Dudley and his counsel: In the morning,
sioner authorized to take the deposition,
Mr.. Wilson filed motion to dispense with
further proceedings, on the ground that the
order to take testimony had not been
secured for purpose of aiding defendants in
the libel suits to make up their case, but
was the result of a combination of the au-
thOrities in Indiana and the lawyers in
New York, whereby 1t was sought to secure
some evidence, II possible, to aid in procur-
ing an Indictment against Dudley. This
was denied, of course, and the hearing went
on. But the truth of the charge made in
Mr.. Wilson's motion was fully established
by thetirst question asked Dudley, producing
the original of the Indianapolis Sentineps
fac-simile, mutilated as it was by the re-
moval of the address. The New York law
yer wanted Colonel Dudley to say whether
or not he had written it. Inasmuch as his
declaration upon that point under oath was
good reason for Dudley answering that
question, but he did read an answer pre-
pared by his attorney, and after that the
proceedings lacked interest, although they
were prolonged over two days time: When
the New Workers were through with
their alleged questions, Mr.. Wilson
asked that the letter presented
to Colonel Dudley be attached to the depo-
sition and sent to New York. This was re-
fused. and then the commissioner was
asked to order the New York lawyers to
surrender it for that purpose; thereupon,
being driven into a corner, they were COM
PEELED to disclose the existence of the COM
bination, not to say conspiracy, by plead
ing that If the letter was so attached TO the
deposition it would become liable to the
jurisdiction of the New York court. and be
removed from the officers of whom they
had received it for the purpose of the ex-
animation. Judge Claypool did not appear
at the examination, but at its close he de-
parted for Indiana, much disgruntled in
manner. 1t was clever scheme altogether.
but it failed because there was also clever
client and his lawyer at the end of the line.
Colonel Dudley says he has not yet relieved
the New York publishers of the necessity OF
walking the floor.