Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-01-16

point, however, the Republican leaders,
reused to the danger of exposure. began
work, and from this time henceforward
a reaction was noticed in Judge Woods
court. For no apparent reason court
was adjourned for three weeks. Mr..
Voorhees, thus explained the delays:
While the grand jury was yet in recess Dud-
ley told prominent men of both political parties
whom he met in New York that his pockets
were full of dynamite. and II he was 1ndlcteu
and prosecuted a very loud explosion would oc-
cur He did not intend that his associates and
co-workerS in the campaign, while enriched by
the spoils of victory and glitterng with official
honors and distinction, should look on his ar
raignment trial and inevitable coLvictiol with
a complacent sense of security TO themselves.
His threats of dynamite were well understood
in certain quarters which had POWER to protect
him. He had carried and disbursed the corrup-
ton fund of his party for eight years in Indiana,
and was in possession Of political secrets OF
character to humble and bring low many
proud head if he was abandoned to his fate.
Dudley is a stanch and extreme party man,
nor do think him wanting in personal fidelity
to those with whom he breaks bread and
eats salt: but to go to the penitentiary,
not merely for his own SINS but also as
Scapegoat for the sins of others,
who from high places were intending to
even his patriotic devotion to the Republican
party and his personal adhesion to Harrison
could sta nd He pointed to the well-known dyn-
amite in his pockets and the menacing gesture
and hint were needed with startling prompt
tude.
The grand jury reaSSembled December 4, and
within the next four days it was known from
the witnesses who had been called and testified
that overwhelming case had been made
against Dudley and that his Indictment was an
they then stood Suddenly, on December 9,
Judge Woods adjourned court at Indianapolis
to hold a weeks term at Fort Wayne, which
term at Fort Wayne ] have been informed,
lasted one hour and forty minutes and involved
thetrial Of very unimportant and trivial case.
But time had been gained. and the grand jury
did not reassemble until December H.
In the meantime the district attorney in
charge of the case resigned and Mr. Bailey, an
able and very competent man. was appointed
in his place. Thereupon strange coincidence
took place between the views Of Republicans
at Washington and Indianapolis. Republican
Senators with singular unanimity and prompt
ness declared for the ear OF the public that they
would under no circumstances allow Bailey to
be confirmed, while Judge Woods with equal
promptness and publicity, declared that he
would under circumstances receive an in
dictment from the grand jury signed by Mr.
Bailey until he had been confirmed by the Sen
ate.
Another adjournment of the court and the
grand Jury followed the advent of the chairman
of the National Republican committee, this
time suspending all action and going over from
December % to January II, period OF full
three weeks And then, when the court and
the grand jury came together again, the object
for which justice had been delayed and jock
eyed and juggled 50 long in the interest of par
tsan crime was speedily made manifest.
On the 18th day of January, 1885, day long
to be remembered in the history of the judi
ciary with shame, Judge Woods delivered the
infamous second charge to the grand jury
whereby Dudley and his confederates were en-
abled to escape at least for the time being
from the lashes of the law. In his first charge
Judge Woods, in the plain, simple words of
section 5,51l, had told the jury that to counsel
or advise any one to attempt to bride a voter
was an indictabIe offense. In his second charge
he says that such counsel or advice, whether
in a letter or otherwise, setting forth a scheme
of bribery, however bold or reprehensible. is
not indictable in his court. To make it so he
declares there must be shown in addition that
the person receiving the letter, who may be I'M
known to the grand jury and legally described
as unknown in the Indictment. has himself
made an attempt to bride somebody or has in
stigated some other rogue to make such at
tempt.
The impossbility of making this kind of ad-
ditOnal proof in the grand jury-rOom or before
a traverse jury had been very carefully weighed
and considered in the close and high councils of
the party before the second charge was given;
but as if fearing that the grand jury might adj
here to solid principles, although he himself
had betrayed and abandoned them, Judge
Woods went further and gave notice, in sub
stance, if not in terms that if an indictment
under his first charge should be returned he
would allow conviction u trial of the
same.
Senator Voorhees, then paid his re-
spects to President Harrison and Dis
trict Attorney Chambers as follows:
Chambers, in ordering the warrant not to
issue, calls for his summary dismissal from
office unless the Administration, of which he is
Il member, is willing to have the law still
further violated in order to still further protect
Dudley. 1t is not worth while to have it put
forth and heralded over the country at stated
intervals that the Admin stration did not shake
hands with Dudley at the inauguration ball,
and that he now only enters the White House
at the back door or not at all. No fairer op-
portunity occur than the one now pre-
scented to the President to define his position
as to Dudley and his crime and its indorsers. 1t
matters not whether District-Attorney Cham
bers has the legal right to prevent the arrest of
Dudley not. He exercises that right, and
not only refused to prosecute him, but declared
himself in earnest sympathy with the felOnious
act with which Dudley is charged.
The fact that Dudley committed sub
stantive offehse against the laws when he aG-
vised his correspondents to attempt the
bribery of voters stands out as the great central
feature of this whole question: and can never
be escaped as long section SSH endureS.
The attempt of Jctlge Woods and his counsel
ors to dwarf Dudley into an accomplish and an
abettor, and to exalt the miserable pigmies
who are his tools III Indiana to principals, only
excites derision and contempt among honest
and intelligent people. This issue can be left
where Judge Woods has placed it, with the GER
tainty of Il conspicuously shameful place in the
history of the judiciary of the United States.
And now in view of the ndignity, the injus
tice and the open outrage inflicted upon the
people of Indiana in the name and by the au-
thorty of the National committee of the Re-
publican party aided and abetted in the pro-
1ection of Dudley by the action of the Federal
court, it will not, hope. seem strange that az
one of the representatives of that abused and
insulted people L should desire to know by
whose instructions and by what authority
of law the responsible law officer Of
the government in Indiana. selected and
appointed by the present Administration
felt himself warranted few weeks
ago in ordering United States commissioner
not to issue warrant for Dudley's arrest when
he had ventured to return to Indianapolis for
the first time in more than year, at the same
time characterizing Dudleys letter, with all
its worldwide infamy as an honorable and
patriotic political document, indicating simply
patriotic interest in the elections
In behalf of the people of Indiana I desire
the Attorney-General of the United States to
inform this body whether the action of his
official subordinate in interfering with and OBJ
Structing the duties of United States com
missioner was inspired by his instructions
now meets his approval; and, If so, to further
inform the Senate and the country by what law
he and his subordinateS are upheld. Sir, here
assert, fearless of any intelligent cont diction
from any Senator or from anybody else, that a